Haidlmair, an international specialist in high-performance injection moulds, is acquiring TFM – Technologie für Metallbearbeitung, based in Traun, Upper Austria. The transaction is strategic in nature; its aim is to strengthen the company’s in-house capabilities in metalworking and to expand the portfolio with smaller injection moulds, which have not been part of the core business of the Nußbach-based company to date.
TFM has been an established partner in CNC contract manufacturing for many years and has extensive experience in both the design and manufacture of high-quality moulds. Within the Haidlmair Group, TFM will in future be responsible for the production of moulds weighing up to 5 tonnes. This will close the gap between small precision moulds and large high-performance moulds, a field in which Haidlmair has been one of the leading global suppliers for many years. Until now, the main focus has been on larger mould dimensions with a total weight of up to 120 tonnes, so the new range complements the existing portfolio.
As the management emphasizes, the acquisition is part of a long-term growth strategy. The integration of additional manufacturing capacities in CNC machining, wire and die-sinking EDM and mould making will enable the group to offer a broader range of services from a single source while maintaining existing quality standards. At the same time, TFM will gain access to the technological resources, international sales network and development capabilities of the entire Haidlmair Group, which is expected to further enhance its expertise in injection mould production.
Scope of the acquisition and continuity of TFM’s operations
Under the transaction, TFM will remain at its existing site in Traun. For the company’s current customers and partners, full continuity of service is planned. The organisational structure is to remain largely unchanged, including the retention of key personnel in their positions. Minimising organisational changes is intended to preserve the processes and quality standards developed over the years, as well as to maintain relationships with existing customers of CNC machining and mould-making services.
In the statement accompanying the announcement of the transaction, Mario Haidlmair, CEO of Haidlmair, highlights the importance of the acquisition for the group’s development. "The acquisition of TFM is an important step in our sustainable growth strategy. We have been working with TFM for many years and are therefore convinced of their high level of expertise and quality. The acquisition is an ideal addition to our service portfolio. The additional manufacturing capacities in the areas of CNC, wire and die-sinking EDM, and mould making will enable us to offer our customers an even broader range of services from a single source in the future, while maintaining the highest quality standards," he says.
Portfolio expansion in the segment of moulds up to 5 tonnes
One of the key aspects of the acquisition is the formal allocation to TFM of responsibility for the design and manufacture of injection moulds weighing up to 5 tonnes within the Haidlmair Group. This segment complements Haidlmair’s existing specialisation in large high-performance moulds, used primarily in applications requiring significant size and mass, with total mould weight reaching up to 120 tonnes.
Expanding production to include smaller moulds enables the group to serve more comprehensively the needs of customers from various segments of the plastics processing industry. In practice, this means that customers will be able to rely on a single group of suppliers for a broad spectrum of tooling, ranging from smaller precision moulds to large high-performance moulds used, among other things, in the manufacture of large parts.
Significance for the region and the group’s market position
The transaction also sends a signal for Upper Austria as an industrial location. With this acquisition, Haidlmair once again underlines its position as one of the world’s leading mould makers. Integrating TFM into the group is seen as strengthening the local base of expertise in metalworking and injection mould manufacture, while at the same time maintaining employment and know-how in the region.
For TFM, this means integration into a larger corporate structure while retaining its existing business profile. Access to additional technological and organisational resources is expected to enable the company to further specialise in the production of moulds of up to 5 tonnes and to use its existing expertise in CNC machining and EDM technologies more efficiently.
Former owners Günther Lindinger (second from right) and Helmut Feichtinger (far right) hand over the keys to TFM to Mario Haidlmair (second from left) and Günther Hitzl, M&A manager of the Haidlmair Group (far left). (Photo: Haidlmair)
