Until now, Marelec was in the hands of its managers Piet and Katrien Rommelaere, who founded the company together with their father, Marcel Rommelaere. Following a search for a new owner, which was led by M&A specialist Kumulus, the American group Duravant presented itself as buyer.

Duravant manufactures technical equipment and automation solutions for food processing, packaging and materials handling. The Illinois-based group is owned by investment giants Warburg Pincus and Carlyle and is said to have posted sales of USD 530 million last year.

Marelec is the Belgian market leader in its niche. It exports the bulk of its production to all corners of the world. In the first half of 2022, the company from West Flanders opened a sales office in Spain and established a subsidiary in the US, which is one of Marelec’s main markets along with Thailand and China.