Source: Lebensmittelzeitung 25 of 23 June 2017, page 37

Hannover. Under the brand name ALMEX, the technology provider formerly known as Höft & Wessel wants to get back into mobile minicomputers. The new owner, the Chinese Tri Star Group, has strong interest in the German market.

After two crashes and the takeover by the Chinese Tri Star Group, the technology provider ALMEX from Hannover, which is still known in the market as Höft & Wessel, wants to rise again. A new device named ALMEX allegro Ti for Mobile Data Capture (MDC) is expanding its offering this fall. It is an Android touchscreen device – without a keyboard, but coming with a scanner.

“We want to strengthen our MDC portfolio,” says Thomas Dibbern, Managing Director of ALMEX GmbH. With top retailers like Penny opting for cheap standard smartphones rather than specialized MDC devices, Dibbern points out the benefits of the more expensive industry-grade devices: they are strong enough to survive a drop to the ground. And they offer a longer battery life. In addition, Almex guarantees the support of the operating system version as well as the replacement of devices and spare parts over a very long period. That does not exist in the fast moving consumer mobile market.

As a competitive advantage of ALMEX against the MDC world market players like Zebra, Honeywell and Datalogic Dibbern refers to the direct dialogue with the customers and users. In the past this has already led to industry-adapted concepts such as the MDC devices with display in landscape format.
The recent major contract for the equipment of the ALDI Nord stores in all countries (lz 47-16) shows that the ALMEX clientele appreciates this specialization.

In 2013, in the face of financial distress the investor Droege International Group acquired 75% of the shares of Höft & Wessel. Under the new name Metric, the company had to file for insolvency in the summer of 2016.

The Retail and Public Transport divisions were acquired by the Tri Star Group from Shanghai this autumn.
Tri Star has 2,500 employees working in ATM, safes, other banking technology and kiosk systems. The offer includes banknote handling machines that are interesting for retails businesses. In Germany, in addition to ALMEX, the companies Format Tresorbau and Deutsche Mechatronics belong to Tri Star. Among other things, Dibbern expects improved access to contract manufacturers in China and next-generation technologies. In addition, Tri Star’s interest in the European retail market guarantees ALMEX’s position. “We will massively invest in the Retail & Logistics market division – especially in product development, strategic partnerships and sales,” confirms Guido M. Stannek, CEO of Tri Star Group Europe.
Rod / lz 25-17