Under the Alstom in Motion plan, the French company made two strategic steps by acquiring Flertex, a braking systems specialist and Helion Hydrogen Power.
Flertex, is specialised in the design and manufacture of brake linings – pads and shoes, for braking systems, particularly for the rail industry but also for other industrial applications.
This acquisition expands and strengthens Alstom’s expertise in braking systems, a key element in the overall technical performance of trains. It comes only a few months after that of Ibre, a company specialised in the development, manufacture, and supply of cast-iron or steel brake discs. This acquisition also represents a promising development opportunity for Flertex and its employees. “We are pleased with this acquisition which, similarly to IBRE, enhances our solutions and skills in the field of braking to meet our own needs as well as those of our customers,” Jean-Baptiste Eyméoud, President of Alstom France, said.
Flertex is a group of international scope with approximately 120 employees, with the vast majority working at its sites in Gennevilliers, in the region of Île-de-France, and Saint-Florentin in the region of Bourgogne-Franche-Comté. In 2020, the company had a turnover of around EUR 16 million, of which more than 50% comes from the rail industry, mainly in France and Europe but also in Latin America. For more than 60 years, Flertex has focused strongly on innovation to develop ever more efficient materials to increase braking performance, noise reduction and reduced emissions of fine particles into the atmosphere.
Helion Hydrogen Power is a 100% subsidiary of AREVA Energies Renouvelables and is specialised in high power fuel cells, thus complementing Alstom’s expertise in hydrogen technology. Following the completion of the transaction, which took place on April 1, 2021, the company, renamed Alstom Hydrogène S.A.S., will become a wholly owned subsidiary of Alstom.
Through this acquisition, Alstom, who is playing a pioneering role in hydrogen in the field of hydrogen for the railway sector, extends its portfolio of innovative, competitive solutions and pursues the implementation of its Alstom in Motion strategic plan. It also strengthens its technological footprint in France and its local presence in the region of Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur, in addition to its current sites in Aix-en-Provence and Vitrolles.
Helion Hydrogen Power employs nearly 30 experienced, multidisciplinary staff at its site in Aix-en-Provence. The company covers the entire value chain of high-power fuel cells from design, development, manufacturing, to engineering support and customer training. Today, it focuses mainly on the energy and transport markets, in France and abroad. Helion Hydrogen Power has been involved in more than 100 projects and some 30 of its solutions are in operation worldwide.
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