PARIS: Alstom has acquired Flertex, a group specialised in the design and manufacture of brake linings (pads and shoes) for braking systems, particularly for the rail industry but also for other industrial applications, a news release said.

This acquisition expands and strengthens Alstom’s expertise in braking systems, a key element in the overall technical performance of trains. It comes only a few months after that of IBRE, a company specialised in the development, manufacture, and supply of cast-iron or steel brake discs.

This acquisition also represents a promising development opportunity for Flertex and its employees.

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“We are pleased with this acquisition which, similarly to IBRE, enhances our solutions and skills in the field of braking to meet our own needs as well as those of our customers,” says Jean-Baptiste Eyméoud, President of Alstom France.

Flertex is a group of international scope with approximately 120 employees, with the vast majority working at its sites in Gennevilliers (in the region of Île-de-France) and Saint-Florentin (in the region of Bourgogne-Franche-Comté), with a turnover of around 16 million euros in 2020.

 More than 50% of its turnover comes from the rail industry, mainly in France and Europe but also in Latin America. For more than 60 years, Flertex has focused strongly on innovation to develop ever more efficient materials: increased braking performance, noise reduction and reduced emissions of fine particles into the atmosphere.

Leading societies to a low carbon future, Alstom develops and markets mobility solutions that provide the sustainable foundations for the future of transportation. Alstom’s products portfolio ranges from high-speed trains, metros, monorail, trams and e-buses to integrated systems, customised services, infrastructure, signalling and digital mobility solutions.

With Bombardier Transportation joining Alstom on January 29, 2021, the new Group’s combined revenue amounted to €15.7 billion for the 12-month period ended March 31, 2020. Headquartered in France, Alstom is now present in 70 countries and employs 75,000 people. www.alstom.com