VARNAMO, Sweden—Wemo Automation, an international manufacturer of linear robot systems and automation cells, is under new ownership within the Hahn Group portfolio.
Sven, Olaf and Bengt Stahl will hand the management reins to Johannes Kjellgren as CEO and Hakan Larsson as chief operating officer. Kjellgren took over the company in October, while Larsson, who will be responsible for operational management, will assume the COO role in spring 2022.
The Stahl brothers managed, developed and built Wemo Automation for 30 years, according to the company, before Hahn Group began its takeover in 2015.
"It is not easy to successfully shape a succession situation in which the founders have built and managed their company with so much dedication and passion," said Philipp Unterhalt, CEO of the Hahn Group. "Therefore we are very happy that in Johannes and Hakan, we have found two very experienced entrepreneurs who can not only preserve what has been achieved, but also want to add new things at the same time.
"Our thanks go to Sven, Olof and Bengt for the trusting cooperation of the last few years, the friendly interaction and also for the fact that they continue to support us in an advisory capacity—beyond Wemo within the Hahn Group."
As part of the management transition, Wemo Automation will be moved under Hahn Group's robotics division to expand products and solutions.
"With the takeover by the Hahn Group, we were able to set the course for a stable and secure future for Wemo as early as 2015," said previous CEO Sven Stahl. "With Johannes and Hakan, the Hahn Group remains true to its culture of continuing to run the business with highly professional and very value-based people."
Kjellgren said he hopes to heighten the potential of Wemo Automation in the plastics market.
"I am looking forward to the new task of further positioning the team and the potential of Wemo, and also inspiring existing and new customers with further automation and robotics solutions from the Hahn Group," Kjellgren said.
The Hahn Group noted that having Wemo Automation under the robotics division coalesces the know-how of linear, collaborative and mobile robotics, making the portfolio of services easier for customers to access.
"Through the Hahn Group network, Wemo is also to be developed even more strongly as a regional hub in Scandinavia in the future," Hahn Group said.
Wemo Automation employs 77 people. Hahn Group employs 1,600 people at 30 locations worldwide.