One of A Kind Technologies (OOAKT) has acquired KOAT, an international machine-and-system supplier of internal transport and material handling systems in the greenhouse horticulture.
Both companies see the increasing demand for automation within the horticultural market world-wide. "Increasing labor scarcity, cost and demands for flexible harvesting, packing and handling including track and tracing functionality to ensure food safety are key drivers for our growth strategies", they say.
Company background
KOAT was founded in 1992 as ‘Koppens Ontwikkeling en Aanvoer Techniek’. In the last decade the company has further developed and grown under the direction and ownership of Managing Director, Kees van Dam. KOAT develops, delivers and integrates production processing lines and internal transport systems for the horticulture greenhouse market worldwide. It has a vast experience in automating the material handling of freshly harvested crops and vegetables such as tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers.
One of A Kind Technologies is a high-tech scale-up in Eindhoven, The Netherlands focused on Computer Vision & Robotics in its markets Agriculture, Food and Pharma. With its Crux Agribotics brand, it develops and delivers robotics towards the agriculture and horticulture markets. Together with KOAT it developed the SortiPack system which integrates Automated Grading, Sorting and Packing of Tomatoes and other crops enabling growers to scale up productivity with less dependence on human labor.
Labor scarcity
‘This milestone step will accelerate our capacity as leading Vision & Robotics player within the Agricultural domain’ says Alex E. Kind, CEO of One of A Kind Technologies. ‘With SortiPack and our Robotics roadmap of end-to-end handling from harvest to packing, we are one of the frontrunners to enable new possibilities within the food processing and crop handling value chains. With KOAT joining our group, we can leverage our mutual IP, customer base and systems, providing additional value and perspective to our customers, partners and employees. We will continue to invest in R&D and local sales and service presence in key markets. Now the first SortiPack systems have been sold successfully, we will also engage and contract designated partners and agents for specific geographical markets to ensure worldwide delivery’.
125 engineers
With the expansion of KOAT, the One of A Kind Technologies group comprises of 125 engineers and technicians active to deliver its technology worldwide.
“I am very satisfied, that particularly One of A Kind Technologies, being an innovative and leading high-tech company, sees the potential of KOAT. I am convinced that the future growth of KOAT is secured through this step and that KOAT will contribute to the group’s results immediately”, says Kees van Dam, former owner of KOAT.
Kees will remain in his position as Director of KOAT and will ensure, together with OOAKT Management, that the company’s strategy for the coming years will be realized.
For more information:
One of A Kind Technologies
Freddy van Riemsdijkweg 8, 5657 EE, Eindhoven, The Netherlands
T +31 40 747 0401
www.oneofakindtechnologies.nl