 NTERSCHALT is a leading provider of stowage planning software |
Cargotec plans to re-organise operations at the maritime software company INTERSCHALT. The re-organisation is estimated to affect INTERSCHALT personnel in Germany, USA (Houston) and China (Shanghai) as some INTERSCHALT's production and design work will be discontinued or outsourced and some locations will be closed.
Cooperation negotiations have started at INTERSCHALT and they will affect tens of employees.
INTERSCHALT currently employs 223 staff. Some employees will be offered a transfer to another location within Kalmar or MacGregor. The aim is to finalise negotiations by the end of 2016 and the resulting changes will be completed during 2017.
The savings resulting of these activities are expected to amount to approximately EUR2 million (USD2.24 million) annually from 2017 onwards.
Cargotec's acquisition of INTERSCHALT was announced in January 2016 and it was completed in March 2016. Since then, the INTERSCHALT software business has been consolidated into Kalmar's software business unit Navis and INTERSCHALT services business has been consolidated into MacGregor business area.
At the time of purchase,
Cargotec said the acquisition would "complement its strategic aim of being a leader in intelligent cargo handling. Cargotec will gain more competence in technologically advanced software and service solutions and the acquisition will give it a global footprint with branch offices, service stations and partner representations."
"In order to maintain profitability and to ensure effective and consistent operational processes, consolidation is needed in terms of locations, personnel and product portfolio," says Patrik Sjöblom from Kalmar finance.
"We understand that this is challenging times for INTERSCHALT's personnel. However, we must make sure that we continue to sustain our leading position also in the future by being able to invest in product development," he explains.