A New South Wales-based railway bearing reconditioning company operating since 1991 has been acquired by English logistics and transportation company Unipart.
Schaeffler Rail Bearings was founded in in Sydney over 30 years ago as Bearing Engineering Services, before being acquired by Schaeffler in 2005.
Unipart has operated in the Australian rail sector since 2005, and Schaeffler Rail Bearings’ assets will now be transferred to Unipart Australia.
Unipart CEO Darren Leigh says expansion into Australia’s rail network aligns with the international organisation’s desire to grow its global rail opportunities.
“The rail sector is a core existing and growth focus for Unipart and we are delighted to extend our capabilities in Australia,” Leigh says.
“We welcome the new team members to Unipart and are excited to be in a position to offer our customers an extended range of performance improving services and solutions.
The acquisition retains the site’s expert railway bearing reconditioning and overhaul team, facilities and tooling, ensuring continuity of service for the MRO of critical bogie bearings.
Unipart Rail Australia Managing Director Mark Carling says the acquisition of the Australian company will change the face of how Unipart services its customers in the region.
“Whilst we have had materials supply, consultancy and technology introductions in Australia for some years, we utilised the skills of our UK-based Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) capabilities to serve our Australian customers,” Carling says.
“With this acquisition, from today we have expanded our local capabilities to further support our customers with a local and responsive MRO service.”
“Whilst we ensure that we maintain an already excellent service for our customers, we will work with the new team to bring Unipart’s capabilities and culture to the business to further enhance performance and value for our customers, as well as implementing plans to provide an expanded range of services to the Australian railway industry.”
The acquisition was finalised on August 12.
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