After three years of working with them, Amazon is acquiring Cloostermans, a Belgium-based robotics solution provider and machinery manufacturer, to enhance its warehousing, R&D and deployment operations.
A renowned specialist in building technology to move and stack heavy palettes and totes, as well as package products for customer orders, with a history that goes back to 1884, Cloostermans has been privately owned for the last six generations. After the acquisition, 200 machinists, engineers and other tech specialists from Cloostermans will be joining Amazon.
“We’re thrilled to be joining the Amazon family and extending the impact we can have at a global scale,” said Frederik Berckmoes-Joos, CEO of Cloostermans, in a a blog post. “Amazon has raised the bar for how supply chain technologies can benefit employees and customers, and we’re looking forward to be part of the next chapter of this innovation.”
The company has been ramping up their robotics operations in Europe for several years now to meet the demands of its growing operations, overtaking a number of acquisitions and parternships, opening a robotics innovation lab in Italy, operating R&D facilities in Germany, and hiring aggressively in that field.
“Amazon’s investments in robotics and technology are supporting how we build a better and safer workplace for our employees and deliver for our customers,” said Ian Simpson, vice president of Global Robotics at Amazon, in a statement. “As we continue to broaden and accelerate the robotics and technology we design, engineer and deploy across our operations, we look forward to welcoming Cloostermans to Amazon and are excited to see what we can build together.”
Other acquisitions include iRobot, Dispatch, Kiva and Canvas Technology.
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