Europe MRO Products Group IPH-Brammer Rebrands As Rubix

Less than a year after IPH and Brammer merged to form Europe's largest distributor of industrial supplies, IPH-Brammer Group announced Tuesday that it has changed its name and brand identity to Rubix.

Less than a year after IPH and Brammer merged to form Europe's largest distributor of industrial supplies, IPH-Brammer Group announced Tuesday that it has changed its name and brand identity to Rubix.

"The change in name signifies the company’s ambition to transform the delivery of industrial products and solutions across Europe for its customers," Rubix said in a release.

The London-based company said it had full year 2017 sales of €2.2 billion, or $2.57 billion U.S. It brands itself as Europe’s largest supplier of industrial MRO products and services. It has more than 650 locations across 23 countries and approximately 8,000 employees that serve more than 20,000 customers.

IPH-Brammer was formed in September 2017 from the merger of IPH and Brammer, following the earlier acquisition of Brammer by Advent International. When the two groups were brought together, IPH-Brammer was adopted as the name for the group as an interim option during the integration phase. The company said the intention has always been to identity a new brand and identity signifying what the new company will represent.

"The launch of our new group brand marks the start of a whole new chapter for our business," said Martin Gaarn Thomsen, who joined the group as CEO this past April. "We are a new company, with an agenda to transform our industry and provide innovative value-adding services and propositions for our customers. Our new brand encapsulates our ambition to help our customers in a smarter way and keep their businesses running smoothly."

Rubix's key product categories include bearings, transmission and automation, fluid power, machining, assembly, tools and protective equipment. The group says its key market brands include BiesheuvelTechniek, Brammer, Buck & Hickman, Giner, Julsa, Minetti, Montalpina, Novotech, Orexad, Robod, Syresa and Zitec

“The European industrial products distribution market is very fragmented, and it offers both good growth and margin prospects," Gaarn Thomsen said. "There is a real opportunity for us to provide value beyond the product to our customers. With an unparalleled network that puts us closer to the customers in every corner of Europe and technical specialists who have the skills and savviness to offer value-added services, we are creating a new company with a new way of doing things.

“Going forward, we will be known as Rubix. The name, Rubix, signifies problem-solving and the creative and human approach we adopt to resolving problems and providing solutions for our customers.” Rubix is the umbrella name for the group. In the majority of countries, the local brands will remain with the Rubix brand acting as an endorser to let customers know that these brands are part of a bigger network across Europe.'

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