Innerspring supplier Agro Group, with headquarters in Bad Essen, Germany, has partnered with steel wire producer NV Bekaert SA (not a part of BekaertDeslee), based in Zwevegem, Belgium, in a joint venture called Agro-Bekaert Columbia SAS. The entity, which was formed in December, will develop, manufacture and market innerspring units to mattress and upholstery manufacturers in the Caribbean, Central America, Columbia and Mexico. Manufacturing operations are scheduled to come online at a new production site in Barranquilla, Columbia, in the second quarter of this year.
According to a news release, Bekaert brings to the arrangement its steel wire technology and established expertise in the region, while Agro contributes its steel spring technology and market sector know-how.
Agro is a 70-year-old innerspring maker with 750 employees at its locations in Germany, Poland and the United States. Bekaert was founded in 1880 and is a global company with 29,000 employees worldwide.
