BHS Getriebe

Who owns BHS Getriebe?

BHS Getriebe is a German Industrials company, now owned by Voith Turbo, which acquired it in 2007 from Halder.

About BHS Getriebe

BHS Getriebe is a Sonthofen-based German engineering company that designs and manufactures high-speed turbo transmissions, including parallel-shaft, integral and planetary gear units, along with couplings and rotor turning gear. Its equipment is used mainly in power generation and in the oil, gas and petrochemical industries, where it serves customers across the wider manufacturing sector. The company positions itself as one of the world's leading specialists in high-performance turbo gearing for demanding, high-speed applications. According to contemporary disclosures, it generated annual sales of about EUR 69 million in 2006 with a workforce of roughly 340 employees at its Sonthofen site.

Ownership journey

BHS Getriebe traces its origins in Sonthofen back to the early 1930s and had passed through an earlier management buyout before the German mid-market investor Halder became involved. In 2005 Halder, investing through its Halder-Gimv Germany buyout fund, acquired the majority of the company from a prior financial investor, taking around 94 percent of the capital alongside the existing management team led by managing directors Dieter Groher and Lothar Hennauer, who increased their own stake. Halder held the controlling position for roughly two years as the business grew. It exited in 2007 via a secondary transaction, with the change of ownership taking retroactive effect from 1 January 2007.

Under PE ownership

Under Halder's ownership the company was managed for growth while keeping its established management team in place, with the two managing directors continuing to run the business through the holding period. Trading developed favorably over the investment, and by 2006 BHS Getriebe was reporting annual sales of about EUR 69 million and a headcount of roughly 340. That operating progress underpinned Halder's decision to exit in 2007, when the majority stake was sold via a secondary transaction after around two years of ownership. The business subsequently continued as a specialist turbo-gear manufacturer within a larger drive-technology group.