MSA Africa fall arrest business set to soar following global acquisition
PRESS RELEASE
MSA Africa fall arrest business set to soar following global acquisition
31 May 2016: MSA Africa’s potential for growth in local market share in 2016 is considerable, following the late-2015 acquisition of UK-based Latchways by the MSA Group. Latchways is a specialist in the design and manufacture of horizontal lifelines and vertical fall arrest systems that are used in the utilities, telecoms, construction and aircraft market segments.
Latchways employs around 250 people globally and had 2015 revenues of approximately US$50-million. The transaction is valued at around US$190-million, and significantly broadens the global MSA Group’s existing line of fall protection products, while strengthening the company’s position in the global fall protection market, which is estimated to be up to US$2-billion globally.
MSA Africa director Colin Oliver indicates that the Latchways range is entirely different, yet perfectly complementary to the MSA range of fall protection solutions. He believes that the product range now has a better reach into Africa, thanks to a larger network of existing resellers and distributors that have direct support from the OEM.
“This synergistic partnership offers a high-quality turnkey solution to the market that is backed up with unrivalled after-sales service. Adding the Latchways range to our existing solutions is beneficial to our customers, as we now provide the end-user with a comprehensive portfolio of fall arrest solutions that can be used individually, or in conjunction with one another,” he states.
Oliver anticipates that MSA Africa has the potential to grow its fall arrest business significantly during the course of 2016. “This acquisition holds enormous potential for us to dramatically expand our specialised fall protection portfolio to potentially become the largest across existing Sub-Saharan African markets, while penetrating new sectors, such as aviation,” he concludes.
Ends
Notes to the editor
To download hi-res images for this release, please visit http://media.ngage.co.za and click the MSA Africa link to view the company’s press office.
About MSA
MSA Africa has been the world's leading manufacturer of high-quality safety products since 1914. MSA products may be simple to use and maintain, but they’re also highly-sophisticated devices and protective gear - the result of countless R&D hours, relentless testing, and an unwavering commitment to quality that saves lives and protects thousands of men and women each and every day. Many of MSA's most popular products integrate multiple combinations of electronics, mechanical systems, and advanced materials to ensure that users around the world remain protected in even the most hazardous of situations. MSA's dedication to safety has been the key to its impressive year-over-year growth. In eight of the past ten years, MSA has achieved record growth numbers, with annual revenues of more than US$1 billion.
MSA Africa Contact Details
Colin Oliver
MSA Africa Director
Tel: 011 610 2600
Email: Colin [dot] Oliver [at] msasafety [dot] com
Web: www.msasafety.com
Media Contact
Jana Klut
NGAGE Public Relations
Phone: (011) 867 7763
Fax: 086 512 3352
Cell: 074 111 4900
Email: jana [at] ngage [dot] co [dot] za
Web: www.ngage.co.za
Browse the NGAGE Media Zone for more client press releases and photographs at http://media.ngage.co.za