United Grinding Group has completed its takeover of GF Machining Solutions, a combination of machine tool developers and manufacturers announced in November 2024 and valued at that time $720 million and $744 million. The two organizations will operate as distinct businesses under the name of United Machining Solutions, with more than $1.5 billion in sales and headquartered in Bern, Switzerland.
United Machining Solutions will make a public debut in September at EMO Hannover 2025, with all of its 15 brands represented and multiple new product introductions.
“There has been a long-standing desire to merge the two companies,” according to Stephan Nell, CEO. “Lead shareholders Rosmarie and Martin Ebner expressed their full confidence in this strategically important step within the world of global machine tool manufacturing, authorizing the necessary capital increase to make this vision into reality.”
The two preceding companies will retain their brand structures, as United Grinding and GF Machining Solutions. The former will continue to comprise the Mägerle, Blohm, Jung, Studer, Schaudt, Mikrosa, Walter, EWAG, and IRPD brands.
Those brands’ technologies cover surface and profile grinding, cylindrical grinding, tool machining, and additive manufacturing.
GF Machining Solutions portfolio will include Agie Charmilles, Charmilles, Mikron Mill, Liechti, Step Tec, And System 3R. Its process capabilities cover high-speed milling, electrical discharge machining (EDM), laser texturing, and laser micro-machining, as well as spindles, automation and digitization technologies.
Nell continued: “It is rare for two companies to complement each other as well as United Grinding and GF Machining Solutions. This applies not only to our product portfolios, our international alignment, and our understanding of quality, but also to the culture and mindset of our employees. I am convinced that we can make a big difference together, for the benefit of our customers."
The new company’s board chairman Fred Gaegauf stated: “The merger of these two companies has created a Swiss powerhouse in machine tool manufacturing.”
