DPE sells INTERSCHALT Group to Cargotec

Feb 1, 2016

  • ‘Strategically and financially attractive offer’
  • Global market leader in intelligent stowage planning and loading computers
  • Cargotec the ideal strategic partner for INTERSCHALT

Munich, Germany, 1 February 2016. Deutsche Private Equity GmbH (DPE) sold its stake in INTERSCHALT maritime systems AG to Cargotec Corporation based in Finland. INTERSCHALT is a leading provider of specialised software and related services for the shipping industry. DPE had acquired a majority stake in the company with retrospective effect as of 31 December 2014. ‘We all share the same strategic vision about the future of the maritime industry. INTERSCHALT’s and Cargotec’s software solutions together will help greatly our customers in their value creation in increasingly complex world of maritime logistics,’ says Robert Gärtner, CEO of INTERSCHALT.

Successful roll-out and strategically important acquisition

The acquisition will complement Cargotec’s strategic aim of being a leader in intelligent cargo handling. Cargotec will gain more competence in technologically advanced software and service solutions and attains a global footprint with branch offices, service stations and partner representations. INTERSCHALT further consolidated its market position in the area of stowage planning software and loading computers for container ships in December 2015 with the acquisition of Müller+Blanck Software GmbH. INTERSCHALT is one of the world’s leading providers of loading computers and stowage planning software with its products StowMan, StowMan[S] and the loading computer MACS3.

Strategically and financially attractive offer

‘Cargotec presented an offer which was so attractive from a strategic and financial perspective that we were duty-bound to accept it in the interests of the INTERSCHALT employees, the clients and our investors. When we acquired our stake in the company, we had already identified Cargotec as a potential partner for INTERSCHALT,’ emphasises DPE partner Dr Frank Müller, adding that INTERSCHALT’s clear focus on software solutions for cargo and fleet management and also services in the areas of maintenance, retrofitting and repairs of navigation and bridge equipment and voyage data recorder systems had paid off. ‘Given the successful roll-out of the stowage planning software StowMan[S] and the acquisition of Müller+Blanck, we were able to achieve our goals much faster than originally anticipated. Clearly, this has led to an increasing interest in INTERSCHALT from strategic partners.’ Müller says.