Krone Commercial Vehicle Group has agreed to acquire 100 per cent of the shares of the Dutch Knapen Group, including Knapen Trailers, Knapen Service and Trailned.
The agreement is subject to approval by the respective regulatory authorities.
Knapen Trailers, a European market leader in moving floor trailers, will join the Krone group.
Pooling expertise in product quality and service within their individual business segments, the two companies state that their defined goal is to create high-quality products and to establish professional-level services for their customers and partners in all of Europe.
Knapen will continue to operate as an independent company within the Krone Commercial Vehicle Group.
The Knapen management team will remain at the helm without reshuffle, according to Krone.
Also, the jobs at Deurne and the highly specialised Knapen sales network will remain unaffected by the move. In line with this, all Knapen products will continue to be sold exclusively through
Knapen and its team.
Krone and Knapen value the relations to their customers, employees, suppliers and partners – both at a personal and professional level. The two family-run companies focus firmly on the customers and their needs and these include a high-quality product and an exemplary service.
Krone is committed to secure local employment in Deurne, The Netherlands by taking over not only all business activities, but also all production facilities.
Krone Commercial Vehicle Group is part of the Bernard Krone Holding SE & Co. KG with headquarters in Spelle, Germany.
Family-owned since 1906, Krone has become a major player in the agricultural machinery, standard semi-trailer and swap trailer markets.
With more than 43,000 rolling units and around 11,000 swap systems sold in 2018, Krone is renowned for its curtainsiders, box trailers, swap trailers and reefers. Globally, around 6,000 people work at the Krone sites in Spelle, Werlte, Herzlake, Lübtheen, Dinklage and Tire (TR).
(Image: Peter Joosten, Managing Director Knapen Trailers B.V. (Middle) with Bernard Krone (r.), Managing Director and Owner Krone Holding SE & Co. KG and Alfons Veer, Managing board Krone Holding SE & Co. KG.)