SMS Meer acquires Girard Associates Inc.

26th February 2013 – SMS Meer, a worldwide leading heavy machinery and plant engineering company for the steel and nonferrous metals industry business has acquired the USengineering company Girard Associates, Strongsville, Ohio.
For over 50 years Girard has been our partner in the American market and we are happy to welcome them today in the SMS family”, says Dr. Joachim Schönbeck, President and CEO of SMS Meer. “Together with Girard we will be able to offer even better solutions to our customers in North America.”

Robert Bolin will remain President and CEO of Girard.
“We are honored and excited to become part of a leading organization like SMS Meer and we are looking forward to taking our organization to the next level with the support of SMS.” says Bolin.

“We fully expect to improve and expand our ability to engineer, service and support our customer base.”

Both companies will present together new technologies at the Forge Fair trade show, March 25 – 28, Columbus, Ohio, booth no. 640.

SMS Meer is a business area of the SMS group with more than 13.000 employees generating sales of about EUR 3.5 billion. The heavy machinery and plant engineering activities for the fields of steelworks/continuous casting technology (long products), tube and pipe plants, long products plants, forging plants, NF metals plants and heat treatment technology are bundled in the SMS Meer business area.

Girard Associates is an engineering company specializing in controls, hydraulics and robotic systems in the North American forging industry for more than 60 years.

Based on SMS Group information