We strengthen presence in Food and Beverage automation process

[MClotteau]

Today I am pleased to announce that Schneider Electric has signed an agreement to acquire PoLeiT, a provider for industrial automation, process control technology and Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES) for the Food and Beverage Industries.

Headquarter in Herzogenaurach, Germany, ProLeiT operates in 10 international locations and has developed a growing and profitable business in Software platforms. ProLeiT has a portfolio of strategic accounts generating a large legacy and robust pipeline in the Food & Beverage (F&B) segment while providing integrated MES (Manufacturing Execution) and PCS (Process Control) systems for F&B, Chemical and Life Science segments and a market leading solution for the brewing industry, brewmaxx.

With the addition of the ProLeiT software portfolio, Schneider Electric’s EcoStruxure Plant platform will be further enhanced to help drive digital transformation for customers in the consumer-packaged goods (CPG) segment by providing improved productivity and efficiency for both energy and process.

As Sophie Borgne, SVP Digital Plant comments “ProLeiT brings deep domain expertise in processing beverages, liquid food and other consumer packaged goods. Our combined R&D teams will deliver best in class integrated technology and digital solutions for smarter industries.  I’m looking forward to welcome ProLeiT teams from all over the world into our Digital Plant business after final closing of the deal.”

The ProLeiT acquisition will significantly improve our Industrial Automation position in targeted Food and Beverage segments with potential synergies in Life Science and Chemicals.

And Mike Jamieson, CPG Segment President agrees, “For Consumer-Packaged Goods customers, the extension of our portfolio to include ProLeiT not only brings market leading technology for the optimization of production processes, but also a strong team of experts in these processes, whose knowledge is codified into their world class platforms Plant iT and brewmaxx.  As an Open Process Control System, with inbuilt MES functionality, leveraging state of the art technology and fully adopting Industry 4.0 standards and methods, ProLeiT compliments and enhances our current portfolio whilst supporting our vision for Open, Interoperable and Flexible automation systems.”

The acquisition will enhance our software platform within our EcoStruxure offer for Food and Beverage customers by offering advanced process control and MES software along with native connection to our Modicon and AVEVA offers as we go forward. We believe in order to drive change in this digital economy, software must play a leading role in the automation, optimization and management of industrial plants.

Wolfgang Ebster, CEO, ProLeiT AG., confirms “Bringing ProLeiT and Schneider Electric together is a great opportunity to combine our expertise, and develop our software business through Schneider Electric channels”.  Ebster continues “We envisage tremendous potential for growth in the near future powered by ProLeiT’s process control systems and industry-leading know-how in the field of consumer-packaged goods and Schneider’s global market presence and complementary products. By combining our experience and skills in software development with the competencies and efficiency of Schneider, we are in pole position when it comes to driving transformation and growth in the Industrial Internet of Things.”

We are pleased to begin this journey together with a tremendous sense of excitement about the opportunities we can bring to our customers and our business, and I look forward to sharing these innovations with you after the close expected in the coming months.

In addition, I would like to extend my appreciation for the amazing work done by both teams for this accomplishment during such unprecedented times. We are stronger together.

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Originally posted on SE Blog & authored by Peter Herweck 

About the author: 

Peter has been a member of Schneider Electric’s Executive Committee since 2016 and leads Schneider Electric’s global Industrial Automation Business. He is also on the board of AVEVA Group plc as a non-executive Director since 2018. Peter has extensive experience in Automation, Digitization and Industrial Software. He started his career at Mitsubishi in Japan, later joining Siemens where he held several executive positions in Factory and Process Automation along with leading Corporate Strategy as Chief Strategy Officer. He has a global and extensive executive and senior management background in Germany, China, the US and Japan. Peter holds an M.B.A. from Wake Forest University School of Business and Engineering degrees from Metz University and Saarland University. He is also a Harvard Business School Advanced Management Alumni.