L-R: Eduardo Rocha (former CEO of Fluid Brasil), Gilberto Albertini (General Manager of MANN+HUMMEL Fluid Brasil), 2nd row, L-R: Guilherme Rocha (Manager of Sales and Engineering of Fluid Brasil), Carolina Rocha (CFO of Fluid Brasil), Livia Rocha, Marcelo Rocha, Hans-Dietmar Schmitz (CFO of MANN+HUMMEL Brasil), Markus Wolf (General Manager of MANN+HUMMEL Brasil).

LUDWIGSBURG/INDAIATUBA, Jan. 9, 2012 -- German OEM supplier MANN+HUMMEL has acquired Fluid Brasil, a filtration system supplier specializing in reverse osmosis and ultrafiltration solutions used in the treatment of water and wastewater.

Headquartered in Jundiaí near to São Paulo, Brazil, Fluid Brasil's 80 company employees generated a turnover of approximately 25 million euros in 2011.

"Fluid Brasil enables us to expand our system expertise and gives us access to the local water market. The company complements our portfolio very well," explains Alfred Weber, CEO MANN+HUMMEL. The new subsidiary serves notable industrial national and international customers in Brazil and has approximately 600 reference projects. MANN+HUMMEL develops systems for the re-use, preparation and conservation of water and runs research and development locations to develop membranes and membrane technology used in water treatment, to localize products, and to develop applications. "Fluid Brasil is an important step in the expansion of our water business on the American continent."

"I founded and built up the company 20 years ago. Now I am really happy to be able to pass on the company to a well‑known global filtration specialist which will enable it to grow," noted Fluid Brasil's founder and Managing Director José Eduardo Rocha at the contract signing. "Right from the start it was very important for me that the employees are in the hands of a reliable employer with good future prospects."

In 2009, MANN+HUMMEL, in the course of its growth and diversification strategy, founded the water filtration division with its headquarters in Singapore. In 2010 the company took over membrane specialist Ultra-Flo in Singapore and has steadily expanded its water business activities in the markets of Asia-Pacific, NAFTA and Europe.

MANN+HUMMEL plans to increase its sales to 3.4 billion euros (2010: 2.18 billion euros) by 2018. The percentage of sales for the non-automotive business is expected to grow more than the equivalent figure for the automotive business, which is currently at around 87%. The automotive series production, the automotive aftermarket and the non‑automotive sectors are each set to account for a third of the group turnover.

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