JENSEN Group CEO Jesper Jensen followed up on the Dec. 1 announcement of a merger with G.A. Braun Inc., saying that the goal is for both brands to grow and collaborate across North America.
“We believe that synergies are best created in teams,” Jensen said during a Dec. 2 online news conference beamed from the Braun factory in Syracuse, NY. This plant, opened in 2016, is now the 28th facility operated by JENSEN, based in Burgdorf, Switzerland. “The new company name will be JENSEN-Braun,” Jensen said. “All the guidance and the post-merger implementation will be taken care of by Tony Biela (president of JENSEN USA).” Biela is based in the company’s U.S. headquarters in Panama City, FL.
The goal of the merger is to deliver more value to both JENSEN and Braun customers across North America. “When we align both sides, we can produce closer to our customers and also respond faster to demand,” Jensen said. “So the long-term goals are to strengthen our local manufacturing base in the U.S., where we are growing, shorten the delivery times, and also enhance the customer proximity, which is something that we look forward to.”
While it’s at an early stage of development, this effort likely will include retooling the Braun factory in Syracuse to manufacture both Braun and JENSEN equipment, Jensen said.
Responding to a reporter’s question, Jensen added that the merger is, in part, a response to a growing divide among the global markets that the company serves. In that context, having more production close to its customers in North America makes sense. “That’s the whole strategy,” he said. “Because the world is getting more polarized, we believe that it’s going to be Asia for Asia, Europe for Europe and America for America. So our strategy is, one, to get closer to our customers. Then, by being closer to our customers, we expect to manufacture more in the United States.”
JENSEN already manufactures washer/extractors and related equipment in Panama City. The Syracuse plant, which Jensen said was the most modern facility he’s seen in the U.S., could supplement that work to help meet demand for equipment from both companies.
In the meantime, Jensen emphasized that Braun customers needn’t fret about the availability of parts/service for Braun equipment. “There’s absolutely no concern there for our customers,” he said. “We’re going to keep all the existing product range for the moment, and we’ll have all the spare parts, which are necessary. They will be available like it is on the JENSEN equipment, which is 20 years old. This has always been the strategy of JENSEN.” He added that with a larger organization, including a combined staff of 500 people, JENSEN-Braun will enhance its capabilities, including consultations on large projects. “I think the total package for our U.S. customers is going to be even better than it was before,” he said.
Jensen recalled that the roots of collaboration between JENSEN and Braun date back to the early 1960s, when his grandfather, company founder Jǿrn Munch Jensen, worked with Braun to distribute a JENSEN “Combi” folder for use at a hospital in Buffalo, NY.
The Dec. 1 merger announcement between the two companies marks an expanded partnership between two leading manufacturers of laundry equipment for operators across North America. “We want to build more bridges,” Jensen said. “We want to build more relationships. That’s why we did this. We’re adding the Braun customer base and the JENSEN customer base. We’re putting them together. So I can only see positive things.”
Click here for more information on the acquisition. Pictured above, from left to right: Tony Biela, JB Werner, Jesper Munch Jensen.
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