Wintersteiger AG Acquires Majority Stake In Steurer Ski Lockers

Wintersteiger, global market leader in ski service machines and ski rental solutions, and Steurer, a leading manufacturer of ski lockers based in Vorarlberg are joining forces. Wintersteiger is set to acquire a 51% shareholding in the newly founded Steurer Trocknungs- und Aufbewahrungssysteme GmbH (STA GmbH). This acquisition is part of Wintersteigers ongoing strategy to strengthen the company's position as the leading supplier of turnkey solutions for the winter sports sector.

The ski, storage, drying, and locker systems will in future be sold exclusively under the Wintersteiger brand, with the aim of serving its winter sports customers around the world even better, and to be able to provide an integrated all-in-one offering encompassing depot, software, and ski service solutions. Drying and hygiene solutions for work clothing are also part of the product range.

The 40 staff employed by Steurer at the site in Altach will continue to be responsible for engineering, production, logistics, and installing at the customer's premises. The aim is to further increase production capacity and the speed of innovation in order to jointly become the global market leader for storage and drying systems. The management of STA GmbH will be shared by Andreas Seidl, as Managing Partner and Daniel Steininger, Head of the Business Field SPORTS.

"Quality ski depot products – that's what unites Steurer and Wintersteiger. Steurer has been setting standards in technology, design, and quality in ski locker construction for many years. The cooperation with Wintersteiger, which started in 2018, has given us new perspectives on product development, and greater internationalization has enabled us to grow. We were quick to see the positive strategic relevance of this for the positioning of our products in the market. For us, the merger with Wintersteiger was also key to securing the future of the site. With the new opportunities, we will further expand our sales activities in the drying and locker segment worldwide in addition to the ski resort area," explains Andreas Seidl.

"Our confidence in Steurer proved to be well-founded in all aspects of our cooperation and it soon became clear that the expertise and experience of Steurer in the drying and locker segment would similarly be invaluable to us. Following intensive discussions, it was concluded that financial integration would be the best option for both businesses", continues Daniel Steininger, stating his belief that this is the right strategic direction for the future.

For Wintersteiger CFO Harold Kostka, the deal is a "perfect fit": "We are selectively acquiring suitable companies that form good synergies with our four business fields. We have already acquired four businesses over the past 13 months that are a perfect match for us. Our sales force, international presence, and financial strength make Wintersteiger a very attractive partner for businesses that are not big enough on their own to be able to expand internationally. The coming-together of Wintersteiger and Steurer is a supreme example of this strategy." CEO Florestan von Boxberg adds: "This acquisition, at the current moment – in the middle of the corona crisis – sends out a strong signal about the economic strength of the Wintersteiger Group."

Facts & figures – Steurer Systems (Steurer GmbH):