Belden Consolidates Companies into New Business Unit

Wolfgang Babel

May 16, 2008 • Belden Inc., St. Louis, Mo., has consolidated its affiliated Belden Europe, HEW-Kabel, Hirschmann Automation and Control, and Lumberg Automation companies into the newly formed business unit of Belden EMEA. Its operational headquarters will be located in the greater area of Stuttgart, Germany. Wolfgang Babel, who already headed Hirschmann and Lumberg Automation, was named president of Belden EMEA.

Besides a broad portfolio of copper and fiberoptic cables as well as automation components, Belden EMEA will also provide solutions for the communications technology in automation. The business unit plans to further complement its activities with proprietary developments as well as through acquisition.

 

Babel said the company would concentrate on industry-specific solutions in which products are optimized to the needs of the customers and will be offered in comprehensive packages. Belden EMEA forms the umbrella for five operating divisions: Industrial Networking, Industrial Connecting Solutions, Electronic Control Systems, Cable Infrastructure, and Cable Specialty.

 

One field of activity of Belden EMEA is the production of systems and components by the Electronic Control Systems division for load indication, load moment limitation and overload control for cranes and equipment such as telehandlers, aerial work platforms or excavators. “Here, we already offer complete solutions from sensors and controllers to consoles, which have made us the world leader in this market segment,” said Babel.

 

In order to serve the relevant vertical markets, the sales structures will focus on the regional needs of customers, and expand services regionally. “In view of our comprehensive product portfolio from standard to special cables and various different fieldbus interfaces to Ethernet components, this approach is essential, if only because regional markets today show clear differences in their respective industry mix, customer composition, instrumentation philosophy, market access and legal regulation,” Babel said. “Of course we will maintain and expand proven sales channels according to market conditions.”

 

Belden EMEA has offices in more than 15 countries throughout Europe, the Middle East, the Unites States and Asia, and a network of sales partners on all five continents.