Gorgé Group and its 3D printing subsidiary Prodways has announced the acquisition of two 3D printing companies, marking a major step for the industrial group who entered the additive manufacturing market just two years ago.
To further establish itself as a key player in the industry Gorgé Group has acquired INITIAL, the independent French leader in the manufacture of parts for 3D printing and the elusive NORGE Systems, a start up specialising in low cost, SLS systems.
The group intends to quickly establish itself as the third biggest player in the world to offer a multi-technology and comprehensive 3D printing services.
Back in 2013 Groupe Gorgé acquired Prodways Group which led to several major milestones including business activity increasing fifty-fold in just over a year paving the way for global visibility of its high precision MOVINGLight technology. Backed by Prodways Group these latest acquisitions will be rolled out with the addition of new 3D printing technologies and the development or acquisition of entities other 3D printing entities.
Raphael Gorgé, Chairman and CEO of Groupe Gorgé, said: "The operational, technical and business success of Prodways' teams have helped our Group to gain greater perspective of a market with huge potential. We aim to rapidly establish ourselves as a leading global player capable of providing 3D printing solutions covering all available technologies, from polymer printing to metal printing. The acquisitions of INITIAL and NORGE Systems represent a major step forward in our development and we are proud to welcome their teams - renowned in the 3D printing industry for their exceptional expertise - within our group.”
Who are INITIAL?
Initial 3D digitising.
A French leader in the manufacture of parts for 3D printing, INITIAL has a vast range of technologies including resin, plastic and metal along with a 3D scanning service to design or redesign parts for any industry.
With a portfolio of over 1200 customers, INITIAL employs 65 employees and achieved a turnover of € 8.6 million in 2014 working in various sectors, such as aerospace, biomedical or luxury.
The acquisition will enable INITIAL to accelerate its development with greater resources and to further expand its ambition. In particular, it will have the opportunity to establish itself on key long-term markets with major customers that may wish to entrust the company with the mass production of parts.
Who are NORGE Systems?
NORGE Systems Ice9 SLS machine.
NORGE Systems received a lot of attention towards the end of last year when it launched its low cost SLS Ice1 and Ice9 machines on Kickstarter which though was unsuccessful, resulted in key interest from industry professionals. The UK start-up and the Prodways team have been working together for several months at Les Mureaux to optimise these SLS machines to get them to market.
This acquisition marks an important step in the development of Prodways Group and utilising the expertise from Norge and taking over manufacturing of the SLS machines, the first plastic powder-sintering system is expected to be commercially available by the end of the year.
The Group's management will provide new revenue targets for 3D printing activity on publication of its annual results April 2, 2015.
