Acquisition makes interior fit-out projects more efficient and regionally focused
Obrist interior AG is expanding its production capacity through the acquisition of the American company Display Craft Manufacturing Co. The acquisition enhances customer proximity, shortens delivery times and enables the company to operate more directly in the US market for high-quality shopfitting and interior design.
Obrist interior AG, based in Lucerne, has announced in a press release that it has acquired the American company Display Craft Manufacturing Co. of Baltimore, Maryland. The acquisition will increase production capacity for the North American market.
Local manufacturing will make project execution more sustainable and efficient, according to the company, which specialises in high-end shopfitting and interior design. This means fewer transport and freight routes, simpler logistics and packaging, and shorter project lead times. The expansion of market activity in the US is a response to the high demand from luxury and premium brands, which have a strong presence there, for short delivery times, rapid response times and close collaboration with local production partners.
Corrado Tona, CEO of Obrist Interior America Inc., will take charge of operational management: “We are gaining a strong local team, expanding our manufacturing expertise and getting even closer to our customers. This strengthens our competitiveness and enables us to serve the US market, which we have actively developed in recent years, in an even more targeted manner,” he is quoted as saying. According to owner Stefan Slamanig, the existing presence in the US will be deepened and the Obrist brand strengthened across the entire value chain.
Display Craft Manufacturing Co. has been a supplier of retail displays and solutions for shopfitting and interior design for more than 75 years. The manufacturing company has 40 employees, who will be integrated “into the values and quality standards of Obrist interior”.
The acquisition is accompanied by an expansion of capacity, combined with reduced reliance on external suppliers, greater flexibility, cost optimisation and increased strategic resilience. Solutions for customers and projects can be implemented in a more economically and environmentally efficient manner. The new production site also offers opportunities for employees at the Swiss locations.