Stuart Fox, president of Kongsberg PCS, said, “Since 1965, the Kongsberg name has been synonymous with innovation. Our systems have led the industry in delivering precision, reliability and quality through seven decades. Following the acquisition by OpenGate Capital, we will now focus on our future, and the next-generation innovation and growth.”

Founded in Norway in 1965, Kongsberg was purchased by Esko (then Barco) in 1998. In December 2020, Esko agreed on the sale of Kongsberg to private equity firm OpenGate Capital. The acquisition includes the original research and development facility in Kongsberg, Norway, and the production facility in Brno, Czech Republic.

“This is an opportunity for the Kongsberg team to realise its ambitions, and to explore new markets,” added Fox. “We will be developing strategic initiatives to further innovate our digital finishing hardware and software solutions, as well as growing the Kongsberg brand beyond the packaging industry.

“While we are excited about the future, we are also committed to ensuring we honour our heritage. We have an incredible team of 400 people, many of whom have been a part of the Kongsberg family for more than 30 years,” said Fox. “The Kongsberg values that are important to our customers – the strength, the performance, the longevity of the machine – will endure.

“Sales, service, consumables and spare parts will all continue as usual,” added Fox. “Customers will receive the same level of service during the transition and they can look forward to business as usual throughout 2021.

“We will continue investing in our table technology, and in the coming months we will be showcasing the latest developments with our automation solutions,” concluded Fox.