The SICK Group is further expanding its presence in South America and has reached another milestone by forming a joint venture with the Chilean company E. i. Schädler y Cía. Ltda. as of June 16, 2014. The new company, Schädler SICK SpA, will in future serve customers in the Factory, Logistics and Process Automation segments. It is located in Santiago de Chile and is a 50-50 joint venture.
E. i. Schädler y Cía. Ltda. was founded in 1979 and has since then focused on the distribution of sensor products, system integration as well as consulting and other services. The company has acted as a distributor for SICK in Chile since 1988, initially only for the Factory and Logistics Automation segments, but later also for Process Automation. Due to its solution expertise and its technical know-how, the company enjoys a high level of recognition in Chile.
The newly founded company, Schädler SICK SpA, acting as a local competence and service center for sensor products and complex system solutions, will serve all Spanish-speaking countries in South America from Chile in all three segments, i.e. Factory, Logistics and Process Automation. The necessary expertise is available: The employees of E. i. Schädler y Cía. Ltda., numbering about 45, will be working for the new company, too. Anton Schädler, the previous co-owner and managing director of E. i. Schädler y Cía. Ltda., will take over the management of Schädler SICK SpA.
“By forming this joint venture, we will invest in a growth market,” explains Markus Vatter, Chief Financial Officer at SICK AG. “There is a great potential for sales increase in South American countries – very diversified across many industries,” he adds. He goes on to explain that in Chile and Peru the field of mining, in particular, provides opportunities for SICK, whereas in Argentina the automotive industry is the most important sales market for intelligent sensor solutions from SICK, especially in the field of safety technology. “In Colombia, there is growth potential for all three segments; in Ecuador, the field of industrial instrumentation has shown sustained growth for some time that we want to further expand,” Vatter adds.