German antenna and transmission specialists Kathrein is buying TechnoTrend GmbH. The company, based near Munich, will be absorbed into Kathrein subsidiary Gorler Telekom.


“The new company TechnoTrend Gorler GmbH brings Kathrein also a new area of business – the innovative DVB receiver technologies,” emphasises Prof. Anton Kathrein, who heads up the company. "Offering innovative digital receivers, we will in future use the potential of both companies on a worldwide scale. The TechnoTrend brand will continue to exist and be integrated in our international sales activities. And we will concentrate the know-how and development capacities available in the Kathrein Group on this field in the new company in order to create more vigour.”

One of the managing executives of TechnoTrend Gorler will be Thomas Gerlach, former CEO of TechnoTrend GmbH. The development and sales of digital set-top boxes will continue to be carried out at the existing TechnoTrend sites in Erfurt and Unterfoehring near Munich. After prior restructuring measures, the employees of the former TechnoTrend GmbH will be offered jobs in the new company. Gorler Telekom has taken over major parts of the TechnoTrend GmbH assets and in particular all relevant patent rights. Under the new name TechnoTrend Gorler GmbH and with several of the TechnoTrend GmbH staff they will enter the market without delay.

“With this takeover we are sending out a positive signal in economically difficult times and we are securing skilled jobs in Thuringia and Bavaria,” explains Prof. Kathrein.

Kathrein is a company operating on the international market in antenna and communications technology. The Kathrein Group, at the top of which is Kathrein Werke KG, currently incorporates 58 subsidiary and associate companies, including four production facilities in Rosenheim and a further twelve production sites on five continents. The group employs a workforce of over 6,500. Turnover in 2008 was in excess of €1.3bn. Two thirds of this is generated abroad, says the company.

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