BHS-Sonthofen Acquires Control Systems Provider Thoma

With the new year, BHS-Sonthofen significantly expanded its control technology portfolio: effective 1 January 2020, its newly founded subsidiary BHS Control Systems GmbH & Co. KG acquired Thoma Elektrosteuerungsanlagen GmbH, based in Babenhausen near Memmingen, as part of an asset deal.

As a result, BHS-Sonthofen considerably enhances its in-house control technology expertise. In addition to Thoma’s existing business areas, BHS Control Systems is tasked with planning and implementing plant control systems in connection with projects for BHS-Sonthofen and AVA GmbH & Co. KG, acquired in 2018.

Currently home to 15 employees, Thoma Elektrosteuerungsanlagen GmbH was founded by Ferdinand Thoma in Babenhausen in 1988. Its portfolio includes tailor-made control and automation systems (hardware and software) for grain processing and mill operations, mix-feed facilities, and recycling facilities.

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“This acquisition enhances both our know-how and our product range,” explains Dennis Kemmann, CEO of BHS-Sonthofen. “At the moment, we’re partly working with external suppliers when it comes to developing control systems. That’s something we want to change step by step.”

BHS-Sonthofen’s own Control Technology division is already well utilised, producing control systems for crushing and filtration facilities. In the future, BHS Control Systems GmbH & Co.

KG will provide control solutions for the combined BHS and AVA portfolio in the areas mixing, crushing, shredding, recycling, filtration, drying and reaction processes. BHS Control Systems GmbH & Co. KG will continue to support Thoma’s previous customers.

“With the help of our new employees, we’ll now be able to plan and construct complete plant control solutions – especially in the recycling segment – ourselves,”

stresses Dr. Steffen Kämmerer, the Chief Technology Officer (CTO) at BHS-Sonthofen and Managing Director of the newly founded BHS Control Systems GmbH & Co. KG.

“The extended control technology portfolio will allow BHS-Sonthofen to offer turnkey solutions, even for major projects like multi-stage recycling plants. Thus, we’ll be able to deliver BHS’ trusted quality for even more components.”

Thanks to the Siemens-systems-based interface architecture used at Thoma, BHS and its customers are ideally equipped for the future – and all control systems can easily be integrated into I4.0 infrastructures.

For further information, please visit: www.bhs-sonthofen.com.