VDL Groep acquires GL Plastics
GL Plastics has been acquired by VDL Groep. All 60 employees of the plastic injection moulding specialist will continue to work at the company, which is located at Science Park Eindhoven in Son. GL Plastics will continue under the name VDL GL Plastics. The activities of GL Plastics fit in well with the activities of VDL Groep in the field of plastics injection moulding.
GL Plastics was founded in 1989 by Gerard van der Leegte, brother of Wim van der Leegte. The company specialises in high-quality injection moulding and mainly serves customers in the automotive industry, the medical industry and climate control. The annual turnover of GL Plastics amounted to 15 million euros in 2021. With its operating companies VDL Parree, VDL Kunststoffen, VDL Wientjes Emmen, VDL Wientjes Roden and VDL Fibertech, VDL Groep already has a strong position in the world of plastics.
‘Continuing to expand together’
GL Plastics managing director Bert van der Velden, who is also selling his shares to VDL, is looking forward to working with VDL Groep: ‘The acquisition by VDL enables us to serve our international customers even better and to further expand together. Thanks to our focus on high-quality and automated injection moulding, the acquisition also offers new opportunities for us with VDL customers. GL Plastics excels in metal-plastic combinations. We want to develop further in this area; the metal expertise at VDL Groep will certainly help us with this. For our employees, this acquisition means a reinforcement of our continuity and future perspective as part of the VDL family. And with VDL Groep, we’ll also be better equipped to invest in the development of our employees and resources.’
‘High-quality manufacturing company’
President and CEO of VDL Groep, Willem van der Leegte: ‘We are delighted that we can add a wonderful, high-quality manufacturing company such as GL Plastics to VDL Groep. Because the competencies of GL Plastics seamlessly match those of VDL, we see plenty of synergy benefits with this acquisition.’
Until March 2015, GL Plastics, together with GL Precision, was part of the GL Group. GL Precision has been part of VDL Groep from that moment on and was renamed VDL GL Precision. This high-tech company specialises in the manufacture of complex and precision mechanical parts and modules for the semiconductor, aerospace and optical industries, among others.