The German multinational, Kamax, a supplier of high-strength fasteners for the automotive industry has announced on LinkedIn that it has acquired a majority shareholding in Galol, the coatings specialist. The Valencian company was already a coatings supplier for its new owner's products.

The German company's expansion will allow it to strengthen a significant business area thanks to the industrial coatings technology that Galol can contribute. This will assist in diversifying its product portfolio and open up new business areas, as Galol does not just coat metal parts for the automotive industry. Products for renewable energies such as wind power are another key part of its business.

Two family businesses
The combination of skills will combine Kamax's cold-forming expertise with Galol's expertise in coatings, and is the finishing touch to a long-standing relationship between the two family businesses.

Founded in 1972, Galol began producing screws for Tusa in 1979, after the arrival of Ford in Valencia. That year, the company started working with automated installations and adopted the vehicle maker's Q1 philosophy. Since 2009, it has also worked for the rail industry. As well as Ford, it works with other vehicle manufacturers such as Seat, Peugeot, Renault, Citroën and Volkswagen.

Its relationship with Kamax began very early on, when the German company acquired its client Tusa. It opened its fourth plant – the first outside Germany – in Spain in 1980, which was the start of its globalisation. Today, it has offices throughout Europe, America and Asia.

Long-term relationship
The CEO of the Kamax group, Joerg Steins, welcomed the announcement effusively: "A warm welcome to the Galol family and many thanks to the teams on both sides for making this happen. Both Galol and Kamax now enter a new era of our long-term relationship. This will ensure a bright future for Galol and Kamax".

The group's finance director, Oliver Gantzert, also commented, “Thanks to everyone at Galol and Kamax for making this happen. After nine months of intense talks and negotiations, it has finally come to fruition. I'm delighted to announce that Galol has joined the Kamax group. This will strengthen us on our way to executing our corporate strategy."

^{Photo: Galol}