Danfoss Acquires Vacon, Expands Capabilities Within Variable Speed Drives

New organization makes Danfoss the second largest manufacturer of AC drives globally, strengthens company’s product and service portfolio in North America

In May 2015, Danfoss, a leading manufacturer of high-efficiency electronic and mechanical components and controls for air-conditioning, heating, refrigeration, industrial, and water systems, finalized the acquisition of global AC drives manufacturer Vacon. Recently, Danfoss, through its business segment Danfoss Drives, is the world’s second largest manufacturer of variable speed drives, with more than 5,000 employees specializing in motor control, sales and service centers in more than 50 countries, and production and R&D operations in China, Denmark, Finland, Germany, India, Italy, and the United States.

The new organization blends the application expertise and innovative product portfolios of both companies—enabling the company to provide an even larger and more competitive product and service portfolio for a variety of energy- intensive and high-performance industries relying on efficient and reliable motor control, including HVAC, refrigeration, food and beverage, water and wastewater, chemical, marine, and mining applications.

In North America, Danfoss has eight locations serving the AC drives market, including three manufacturing facilities and three industry-specific competence and research and development centers:

• Research Triangle Park, NC – R&D laboratory for high-power AC drives
• Chattanooga, TN – Competence center dedicated to industrial sectors
• Houston, TX – Competence center dedicated to the oil and gas industry
• Chambersburg, PA – Manufacturing
• Loves Park, IL - Manufacturing
• Milwaukee, WI - Manufacturing

“Variable speed drives continue to play an increasingly important role in the control of motor, fan, pump, and gear applications across a variety of industry sectors,” said John Galyen, president, Danfoss North America. “This technology is becoming more integrated as part of an overall industry pursuit of reliability, performance optimization, and energy efficiency, and—now more than ever—Danfoss is well-positioned to help our customers tackle these challenges, meet industry demands, and continue looking toward future high-performance innovations.”

“We at Danfoss Drives are 100 percent committed to exceeding the local and global expectations of customers in the Americas through our innovative VLT and Vacon products, superior technical know-how, and extensive application expertise,” said Tom Doring, head of Danfoss Drives – Americas. “We also have aligned our sales organization to achieve local or regional representation, improving access for our customers across the Americas regardless of their industry or needs. Together, we are stronger than ever and ready to help advance profitable, energy-efficient systems.”

For more information, visit www.danfoss.us and www.danfossdrives.com.

About Danfoss
Danfoss engineers technologies that enable the world of tomorrow to do more with less. We meet the growing need for infrastructure, food supply, energy efficiency and climate-friendly solutions. Our products and services are used in areas such as refrigeration, air conditioning, heating, motor control and mobile machinery. We are also active in the field of renewable energy as well as district heating infrastructure for cities and urban communities. Our innovative engineering dates back to 1933 and today Danfoss is a world-leader, employing 24,000 employees and serving customers in more than 100 countries. We are still privately held by the founding family. For more information, visit www.danfoss.com.