MakerBot Expands European Operations with Centralized Office in
Stuttgart, Germany
BROOKLYN, N.Y. & STUTTGART, Germany -- (Business Wire)
MakerBot, a global leader in the desktop 3D printing industry,
announced today the expansion of its international operations with the
launch of MakerBot Europe. This is a major step in leading the
desktop 3D printing industry not only in the United States, but in
practically every major European country. As part of this expansion
effort, MakerBot is acquiring certain assets of its Germany-based
partner, HAFNER’S BÜRO, which has been a MakerBot reseller in
Germany for several years. Effective immediately, MakerBot
Europe will continue to manage the large network of MakerBot
resellers throughout Central and Eastern Europe. MakerBot’s current
resellers will transition into working with MakerBot Europe, and the new
organization will be led by Alexander Hafner, who will be general
manager of the new division. Hafner has been owner and president of
HAFNER’S BÜRO since its founding in 1988.
MakerBot, a global leader in desktop 3D printing, announced it is opening a MakerBot Europe office based in Germany, to expand its 3D printing business throughout Europe. (Photo: Business Wire)
“We are so excited to officially launch MakerBot Europe and expand
MakerBot’s global reach with the creation of MakerBot Europe,” noted
Jenny Lawton, president of MakerBot. “Alexander Hafner and HAFNER’S BÜRO
are longtime MakerBot partners and have extensive knowledge of our
products, 3D printing and design solutions, and the European market. We
are thrilled that they will play a larger role in the MakerBot family
and will represent the company with our European distributors and
resellers.”
HAFNER’S BÜRO has managed and sold MakerBot products for several years
and has extensive relationships with key MakerBot customers, resellers
and events throughout Europe. Frank Alfano, chief revenue officer at
MakerBot, noted, “The creation of a MakerBot Europe office demonstrates
MakerBot’s commitment to the European market and helps align our overall
business growth strategy in the region. Germany has also long been the
European hub for 3D printing as overall interest in 3D printing has
grown throughout Europe. We have confidence that the area will continue
to grow in dominance in the 3D printing arena.”
“MakerBot Europe is committing itself to Europe as one of MakerBot’s
most important markets for 3D printing. We are very proud to be
MakerBot’s partner of choice for this exciting step. I think it is a
unique opportunity in both of our companies’ histories. We are excited
to be able to take our 3D printing experience and years of working with
MakerBot to expand that knowledge throughout Europe,” said Alexander
Hafner, general manager of the new MakerBot Europe office. “We are firm
believers in MakerBot desktop 3D printing and scanning technology and
look forward to working with the extensive network of MakerBot resellers
in Europe.”
The acquisition of certain assets of HAFNER’S BÜRO is a major step in
securing a strong foothold in the European market for MakerBot. While
the European market has always been robust for MakerBot, and MakerBot is
a global leader in the desktop 3D printing industry, the company has
traditionally focused its sales and marketing efforts in the United
States. Now, with the creation of MakerBot Europe, it will be able to
expand its reach in many countries.
MakerBot Europe will encompass Austria, Belgium, Croatia, the Czech
Republic, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Luxembourg,
the Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Spain, Sweden,
Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, the United Kingdom and other European
countries. Existing MakerBot distributors and resellers will continue to
run their businesses as usual and are expected to start to be
assimilated into MakerBot Europe’s sales and marketing organization
within a six-month time frame. During that time, MakerBot Europe will
also be expanding the company’s reach and looking for additional
strategic partnerships with resellers and key retailers that can help
expand MakerBot’s penetration in the European market.
“HAFNER’S BÜRO in Stuttgart was chosen as the hub for MakerBot Europe
due to their excellent performance record, enthusiasm for 3D printing
and MakerBot products, and central location,” noted Frank Alfano. “We
are excited to expand our reach and our mission to Europe to put a
MakerBot Replicator Desktop 3D Printer on the desk of every engineer,
architect and educator, and in every school and home.”
About MakerBot
MakerBot, a subsidiary of Stratasys
Ltd. (Nasdaq: SSYS), is leading the Next Industrial Revolution by
setting the standards in reliable and affordable desktop 3D printing.
Founded in 2009, MakerBot sells desktop 3D printers to innovative and
industry-leading customers worldwide, including engineers, architects,
designers, educators and consumers. To learn more about MakerBot, visit makerbot.com.
Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
The statements in this press release relating to Stratasys’ expectations
of the benefits that it will receive from its acquisition of certain
assets of HAFNER’S BÜRO, the expected contribution of these assets to
MakerBot Europe and the timeframe for realizing these benefits, are
forward-looking statements reflecting management's current expectations
and beliefs. These forward-looking statements are based on current
information that is, by its nature, subject to rapid and even abrupt
change. Due to risks and uncertainties associated with Stratasys'
business, actual results could differ materially from those projected or
implied by these forward-looking statements. These risks and
uncertainties include, but are not limited to: the risk that the
acquired HAFNER’S BÜRO assets will not benefit MakerBot Europe as
expected due to unforeseen reasons; customers will not perceive the
benefits provided by the acquisition of the HAFNER’S BÜRO assets to be
as Stratasys believes them to be; the risk that the integration of the
acquired assets into MakerBot Europe will be more difficult and time
consuming than Stratasys expects; and other risk factors more fully
explained under the caption “Risk Factors” in Stratasys' most recent
Annual Report on Form 20-F, filed with the Securities and Exchange
Commission (SEC) on March 3, 2014. Stratasys is under no obligation (and
expressly disclaims any obligation) to update or alter its
forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information,
future events or otherwise, except as otherwise required by the rules
and regulations of the SEC.
Photos/Multimedia Gallery Available: http://www.businesswire.com/multimedia/home/20140731006594/en/
Contacts:
MakerBot
Jenifer Howard
+1-347-676-3932 (o)
+1-203-273-4246
(m)
Jenifer.howard@makerbot.com
or
Tina
Röschmann, +49 711 228 38 34 (o)
or
makerbot@ketchum.com
Source: MakerBot
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