Altra Industrial Motion closed its acquisition of Svendborg Brakes on December 17, the global manufacturer of premium quality caliper brakes. “Svendborg is a leading brand that provides Altra with new technology and access to a number of new geographic regions,” said Carl Christenson, Altra’s President and CEO. “This acquisition presents a number of new opportunities to help drive our top-line and bottom-line growth, and we are excited to deliver on this key part of our growth strategy.” Amongst other companies, Altra already includes Twiflex in the UK.

Founded in 1884, Svendborg has a long history of designing and manufacturing hydraulic braking systems. Today, Svendborg caliper brakes offer engineered solutions to demanding applications in the mining and energy markets. When the acquisition was first announced on November 6, Altra stated that the move would complement its existing portfolio of clutches and brakes by providing Altra with new control system technology and expanding its coverage of long-term growth markets in energy and mining.

It also strengthens Altra’s position in Europe and China while increasing its sales and service footprint in South America, South Africa and Australia. Finally, it also generates additional cross-selling opportunities for Altra’s existing products, particularly couplings, Bauer gear motors and various clutch brake products.