Japan’s Shibaura Machine has entered into an MoU to acquire an 80% stake in LWB Steinl GmbH to expand its market to Europe. LWB Steinl’s facility in Altdorf, Germany, will serve as Shibaura’s European headquarters and production hub following the acquisition. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Shibaura secured an option to acquire the remaining 20% of shares from the Steinl family within three years. Upon completion, the newly formed Shibaura Machine LWB GmbH will become a wholly owned subsidiary.
The companies combine expertise in injection moulding machines and automation to strengthen technology and system competencies for fully automated production cells, they add. The mechanical engineering and automation divisions will be separated from Steinl Group and integrated into the new partnership.
The companies said their sales networks complement each other strategically. Shibaura gains access to LWB’s European customer base, while LWB benefits from Shibaura’s established networks in Asia and the US. This expanded market access is expected to create a foundation for long-term growth.
Georg Holzinger, CEO of Shibaura Machine and future CEO/President of Shibaura Machine LWB, said, “Europe, especially Germany, plays a key role in our growth and to fulfill our strategy, we specifically sought out a German partner who shares our standards of precision and quality. We identified this partner in LWB Steinl.”
As a family-owned company, Holzinger said LWB Steinl embodies values that align with Japanese corporate culture of trust, appreciation, and loyalty.
“By acquiring a majority stake of the mechanical engineering and automation division, the company aims to expand its product portfolio of all-electric and hydraulic injection moulding machines to include vertical injection moulding machines and automation solutions,” he said. “This strategic step will enable the company to offer customers new applications in the future: In addition to thermoplastics, it will also process rubber, silicone, and elastomers.”
Holzinger said the global production footprint allows the company to meet the diverse needs of customers worldwide.
“We now plan to expand it to include the Altdorf site in Germany as our European headquarters and production hub,” he explained. “We will leverage LWB Steinl’s state-of-the-art technology, proven employee expertise, and well-structured delivery processes. This will strengthen our technology and system competence for fully automated production cells and enable us to offer customers in Europe market-compliant delivery times and competitive production costs, and compliance with European standards such as OPC UA and Euromap 77 and 82.”
Peter Steinl, managing director of LWB Steinl GmbH, will continue serving on the new company’s management board. He noted in the statement that as the plastics and rubber industry undergoes profound change, machines increasingly become commodity products.
“To remain competitive, companies must now position themselves strategically, maintaining high product quality while achieving cost efficiency,” he said. “With Shibaura Machine we have found a strong partner who will help us to build a strong foundation — through more efficient manufacturing and expanded global sales presence.”
LWB-Steinl’s machines and systems will benefit from cost advantages in purchasing and production through Shibaura Machine’s global manufacturing network in Japan, China, and India. This includes a more favourable mix of unit and labour costs, plus access to high-quality components such as injection units from the Japanese partner.
Shibaura Machine and LWB brand names will remain unchanged, and Holzinger sees positive long-term prospects for employees.