Kistler Acquires Vester Elektronik

Kistler Group (Winterthur, Switzerland) acquired Vester Elektronik GmbH (Straubenhardt, Germany) on August 25. This acquisition – their third one this year – adds a company that has successfully specialized in sensor technology and test automation to the group.

Since their founding 50 years ago, family-owned Vester Elektronik has specialized in high quality optoelectronic sensors for controls and process monitoring in the field of punching and forming technology. Testing and sorting facilities for 100 percent examination of metal and hybrid parts complete their product portfolio, with products primarily used in punching and forming operations, as well as turned parts and fastening sectors. They are known for their innovative and well-engineered systems used in the quality assurance and surveillance of punching and forming processes, as well as for their high level of continuity and quality from a single source.

This takeover benefits the two companies and their customers: Vester gains access to a global corporate structure and new resources aimed at increasing their business and developing new markets. With 1,800 employees the world over, Kistler provides the necessary structures and processes for Vester, which primarily operates in Germany, to grow. Kistler has branches in 58 locations in more than 30 countries, thereby providing the Vester portfolio access to a global market. Customers, in turn, will benefit from Kistler’s global service and sales network. Frank Oppenländer, the outside managing director at Vester, will continue to lead the company and their 80 full-time staff members from the Straubenhardt facility. In the medium term, the site itself and its skilled workforce will be expanded.

By acquiring Vester, Kistler is not only acquiring decades of knowledge in the field of test automation and sensor technology, it also facilitates the establishment of a center of excellence for optical measurement in Germany. “This new technology is the perfect addition to our traditional measurement technology. It gives us access to new applications that enable us to meet the demands of new and existing customers even more effectively,” said Rolf Sonderegger, the chief executive officer of the Kistler Group.

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