LEWA GmbH put a newly designed process pump test room into operation at the start of 2017, replacing its outdated, fully refurbished test facility.

LEIPA Group GmbH acquired a 49% holding in Hamburg-based paper trading and agency firm Gratenau & Hesselbacher GmbH to strengthen its sales activities, particularly overseas.

Packaging maker Seufert Transparente Verpackungen invested just under one million euros in early 2017 in a modern flatbed die-cutting machine at its Rodgau site. The line automates cutting, slot breaking, counting and pallet separation.

Thimm Group's new corrugated cardboard plant in Holledau, Wolnzach, Bavaria started series production at the beginning of 2017, described as one of the most modern corrugated cardboard plants in Europe.

Schumacher Packaging, a corrugated cardboard packaging maker, will expand its plant in Greven, near Münster, Germany. The announcement was made on 22 December 2016.

Munich-based industrial holding Armira acquired PolyCine GmbH, a supplier of non-PVC PP films and tubes for pharmaceutical IV and blood bags with headquarters in Schiffweiler, Germany. MP Corporate Finance advised the founders on the succession sale.

Wärtsilä will supply a 100 MW combined heat and power plant to Kraftwerke Mainz-Wiesbaden in Mainz, Germany, using ten Wärtsilä 34SG gas engines. The plant is scheduled to be fully operational by end-2018, and includes EPC scope and a 15-year service agreement.

Harmonic Drive Systems and Innovation Network Corporation of Japan agreed to acquire the remaining 63.2% stake in Harmonic Drive AG, in a 60/40 split, for approximately €260 million. The deal is pending regulatory approval.

Allectra GmbH opened a new manufacturing facility and service centre in Villingen-Schwenningen, Southern Germany, to increase production of in-vacuum custom cables and feedthroughs and host a valve service centre.

Columbus McKinnon agreed to purchase STAHL CraneSystems, a manufacturer of explosion-protected hoists and crane components, from Konecranes, which is divesting it due to EU antitrust review of its Terex deal; the price was not disclosed in the text.

Atlas Copco agreed to acquire the business of hb Kompressoren, a German distributor and service provider of industrial air compressors based near Stuttgart; the purchase price was not disclosed.

Wärtsilä received an order for its dry waste and food waste treatment equipment for one new Saga Cruises vessel being built by Meyer Werft, with an option for a second vessel. The order was placed in September 2016.

Generac Holdings signed an agreement to acquire the assets of Celle-based Motortech, a maker of gaseous-engine control systems employing over 250 people, with closing expected in Q1 2017, announced November 28, 2016.

Ziehl-Abegg is investing 28 million euros in a new building and machinery in the Hohenlohe Business Park in Kupferzell, Germany, for making energy-saving EC fans and drives. Relocation from Künzelsau is due at the end of 2017, with 140 jobs transferred.

The SCA Terminal at the Port of Kiel's Ostuferhafen was inaugurated on November 11, 2016. It will handle and store 850,000 tons of paper products a year for SCA and Iggesund Paperboard, with 25 million euros invested and 80 jobs created.

Wacker Chemie is expanding a hydrophobic silica specialties plant at its Burghausen, Germany site, raising capacity for HDK pyrogenic silica by 40%.

Leipa Georg Leinfelder GmbH has contracted Voith to comprehensively rebuild its PM11 paper machine into PM5 at its Schwedt plant, plus a new OCC stock preparation system and a DIP facility extension. The rebuilt line will have 450,000 metric tons annual capacity for white top testliner.

PCI Augsburg GmbH completed its acquisition of the Thomsit and Ceresit brands from Henkel, after signing the agreement on September 14, 2016; the transaction required antitrust approval.

Schur Pack International inaugurated a new carton packaging factory in Gallin, east of Hamburg, on September 21, 2016. The 70 million euro investment replaces an older plant at Büchen, with 150 employees transferred.

Haitian International Germany opened a new 8,000 square meter hall in Ebermannsdorf in June 2016 for assembling servo-hydraulic injection molding machines for Europe.