SUCCESSION SECURED AT ALBRECHT-AUTOMATIK

S-UBG Supports Succession at Albrecht-Automatik

Aachen-based investment company acquires 100 percent of the shares together with new management
Focus on securing succession and driving future growth

Aachen, May 11, 2026 – The regional investment company S-UBG AG, based in Aachen, has acquired 100 percent of the shares in Albrecht-Automatik GmbH from Pulheim together with ACT Holding (Advanced Clean Technologies) as part of a management buy-in (MBI). The mechanical engineering company specializes in the production of quick-closing valves and compact systems for demanding industrial applications.

“With this investment, we are investing in an innovative company with strong future prospects driven by the energy transition,” explains Dr. Ansgar Schleicher, Member of the Management Board of S-UBG AG.

“We are not only actively shaping the succession process, but also contributing to the value-oriented further development of this medium-sized company for the next generation.”
– Dr. Ansgar Schleicher, Member of the Management Board, S-UBG AG

Dr. Hans-Christian Früh and Christian Mertens, both Managing Directors at ACT Holding, succeed Marion Koch, the former Managing Shareholder, who successfully led the family business in its second generation for more than 20 years. By selling the company, Koch has arranged succession at both shareholder and management level, ensuring continuity and safeguarding jobs.

The new Managing Directors bring many years of experience in leadership positions within international corporations and medium-sized enterprises. Together with S-UBG, they plan to strengthen the sales organization, expand the global customer base, and optimize existing processes.

“We see an excellent technological foundation for the sustainable development of the company,” says Mertens. “What particularly impressed us was the combination of technical expertise, high customization capabilities, comprehensive certifications, and future-oriented technologies.”

How Albrecht-Automatik Contributes to the Energy Transition

Albrecht-Automatik develops safety quick-closing valves, control valves, and customized special fittings for demanding and safety-critical industrial applications. These products are supplied worldwide to medium-sized plant manufacturers and major industrial customers, particularly in the energy, chemical, process, and shipbuilding industries.

A key differentiator is the company’s extensive experience in the hydrogen sector, in which it has been active since 1995.

“Hydrogen and power-to-X applications are becoming increasingly important,” emphasizes Dr. Früh. “With its deep expertise in hydrogen, ammonia, and methanol, Albrecht-Automatik stands out from the competition and has the potential to support the structural transformation toward green energy.”

Positive Market Forecasts Provide Tailwinds

Market conditions for industrial valves and valve technology are highly promising: analysts at Grand View Research forecast that the global control valve market will nearly double from USD 6.6 billion in 2023 to more than USD 12 billion by 2030. Key growth drivers include the modernization of industrial facilities — including power plants, chemical facilities, and water/wastewater treatment plants — as well as the trend toward digital diagnostics.

Schleicher adds: “The further development of Albrecht-Automatik is now in the hands of experienced strategists who together contribute more than 30 years of management expertise and will lead the company into a new phase of growth.”

Press Contact:

S-UBG AG
Dr. Ansgar Schleicher
Member of the Management Board
Markt 45-47
52062 Aachen, Germany
Phone: +49 241 47056-0
schleicher@s-ubg.de
www.s-ubg.de

VOCATO public relations GmbH
Corinna Bause / Romy Schächtel
Toyota-Allee 29
50858 Cologne, Germany
Phone: +49 2234 60198-19 / -23
cbause@vocato.com
rschaechtel@vocato.com
www.vocato.com

About the S-UBG Group:

For almost 40 years, the S-UBG Group, based in Aachen, has been the leading partner for providing equity capital to established medium-sized companies (S-UBG AG) and young technology-oriented startups (TechVision Fund) in the economic regions of Aachen, Krefeld, and Mönchengladbach.

S-UBG AG invests in growth industries, with high-quality management being a key investment criterion. The investment company develops equity participation models for medium-sized enterprises, both open and silent participations, and has many years of experience in expansion financing, shareholder changes, and succession solutions (MBO/MBI). S-UBG exclusively takes minority stakes.

The S-UBG Group currently holds investments in nearly 40 companies in the region and occupies a leading position within the German Savings Banks Finance Group.

Further information: www.s-ubg.de

Image Material:

Image 1: (from left to right): Dr. Hans-Christian Früh, Marion Koch, and Christian Mertens

Photo credit: S-UBG AG