Applus+ keeps growing and improving through acquisitions

We talked to the directors of some of our acquisitions in the past two years to find out their impressions of their integration into the Applus+ Group. Importantly, we asked them how the new synergies have improved the business for all parties involved.

Santos García, Managing Director of Enertis Applus+: “Enertis Applus+ is a global consulting, engineering, and quality control firm with a track record of more than 15 years in the renewable energy sector and an accumulated experience of 200 Gigawatts of installed power and 10 Gigawatt hours in energy storage worldwide.

Our integration into Applus+ in July 2021 has allowed us to enhance our global network of professionals and offices and strengthen our ability to provide high-quality services across all main markets, relying on a brand recognised worldwide for the high quality of its services and deep level of knowledge of the solar Photovoltaics and storage technologies.

This allows Applus+ to achieve our ultimate goal of being a trusted technical partner to our clients wherever they need us, helping them mitigate their risks and maximize their performance. Connecting the Enertis Applus+ team’s specialist knowledge with the strong investment capacity of Applus+ is accelerating our growth, in line with the Group’s strategy to expand into the renewable energy industry. We are thrilled to continue being at the forefront of the global energy transition as part of the Applus+ Group”.

Santiago Penabella, Managing Director of Applus+ SAFCO: “Applus+ SAFCO is the largest and most experienced company in Saudi Arabia providing construction material testing and geotechnical services, having built this position over the past 40 years. It provides on-site and laboratory-based testing for construction materials and geotechnical investigation.

For Applus+ SAFCO, the acquisition in July 2021 has brought new systems and operational processes that are improving the way we do business and opening doors to new growth opportunities in other regions such as the Mediterranean and Latin America. Moreover, thanks to our integration into the Applus+ Group, now SAFCO has access to new clients, such as IDOM or Saudi Railways.

Applus+ has also benefited by diversifying the business and offering a range of services to clients in Saudi Arabia and the wider Middle East market that were previously unavailable. In addition, it has allowed the company to expand its geographical presence by incorporating more than 20 new offices, construction, and environmental laboratories in the country, as well as accessing a new client base.

Our objective now is to increase market share and growth and win new business through participation in different mega-projects like NEOM, the Red Sea Project and Dariyah Gate, among others”.

Victor Wen, Vice General Manager of Applus+ Reliable Analysis China: “Applus+ Reliable Analysis (RA) in China performs technical services for automotive components and materials, specialising in electrical and electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) testing. RA works with automotive manufacturers and their suppliers in China.

For Applus+ Reliable Analysis, the effect of being under the Applus+ brand has helped to increase our value and competitiveness in the automotive sector, attracting more clients and talent. At the same time, it has improved our management, quality control, and environmental, health and safety measures.

The merger has helped Applus+ to increase its reach as a service provider to the electric vehicle (EV) industry in China, the world’s largest and fastest-growing EV market.

Since the acquisition, we have opened a new EMC chamber fully equipped for testing EV batteries, a new laboratory for harnesses and connectors for electric cars, and we will soon open another laboratory focused on reliability testing services for new components.”

Toni Ehrig, Managing Director of Applus+ IMA Dresden: “Applus+ IMA Dresden is a well-diversified mechanical testing laboratory specialising in component and structure testing for the aerospace, automotive, and railway industries. We also do a lot of environmental simulation and offer services for the digitalisation of processes. 

Being part of Applus+ has helped Applus+ IMA Dresden overcome its limitations as a medium-sized company. We needed to expand our services to global markets but lacked the resources to make it happen in the short term. Now we have the support we need to define and implement our growth strategy.

The incorporation of Applus+ IMA Dresden has brought Applus+ new capabilities in areas such as aerospace, where we introduced full-scale testing capabilities for aircraft/spacecraft and unique capabilities in curved panel testing. In rail, we added our capabilities for car bodies, bogies, and other components, as well as design services, digital simulation, and measurement tracking. Our capabilities for testing medical parts are also new to the Applus+ service portfolio.  

Thanks to all of the new synergies, we can now offer a one-stop-shop service. We have successfully planted the seeds for the future growth of our service portfolio. We are happy to have started this together and look forward to many successes in the future.”