Comtest has acquired the entire share capital of Instrotech and Digital Process Measurement (DPM), from the owner, Dave Howcroft. DPM designs, manufactures and supplies process control products to resellers throughout South Africa. Instrotech distributes the DPM product range as well as process control instrumentation, load cells, sensors and accessories from 14 European and American manufacturers.
Peter Verwer, managing director of Comtest, says he is very happy that the entire staff complement of both companies has agreed to stay on with the new owners, and that Dave Howcroft will remain as a non-executive director until 31 December 2011. Robert Howcroft has been appointed as a director to the board which will be headed by Paul Mason, the new managing director. John Wilson, a non-executive director of Comtest, has been appointed as director who will oversee the manufacturing processes of DPM.
The markets addressed by Instrotech are similar to those addressed by Comtest. Both companies address these markets via a network of resellers, which Comtest says will lead to synergistic opportunities in sub-Saharan Africa where there is already an established network of dealerships.
As a result of the acquisition, Comtest has decided to exit the telecoms test arena to concentrate on developing the core businesses of Comtest, Instrotech and DPM. As a result, it has ended its relationship and contracts with all the principals it represents in this market, including JDSU. Comtest and JDSU are working closely together to ensure that all customers in South Africa are supported with products, service and training. Gary Casper, previously the technical support manager for the JDSU division, has agreed to stay on at Comtest. In his new capacity as technical support and training manager for the test and measurement instruments division, he will also be available to service all the JDSU contracts currently in place with Comtest.
“We are looking forward to meeting the challenges and growing our new extended business in the years to come,” says Verwer.
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