Bechtle acquires 3D CAD Specialist Coffee

• CAD business expands once again
• Market position as largest SOLIDWORKS partner in Europe further strengthened
• Sixth CAD company in the Bechtle Group

Bechtle AG acquired Coffee GmbH with headquarters in Angelburg in Hessen and seven other branches throughout Germany. The CAD software specialist, founded in 1997, made revenues of 10.2 million euros in the 2017 financial year. Coffee currently employs some 70 employees. Bechtle thus strengthens its market position in product development solutions and especially 3D CAD. In Germany, Bechtle is represented in the market by SolidLine, Solidpro, and C-CAM, in Austria by planetsoftware and in Switzerland by Solid Solutions. With 37 branches and some 450 employees, the Bechtle Group is currently the largest SOLIDWORKS partner in Europe, holding the highest certification status awarded by the leading CAD software vendor. In total Bechtle employs over 10,000 people in 14 European countries. The acquisition of Coffee is still subject to approval by the relevant competition authorities.

Founded in 1997, Coffee’s customers come primarily from the construction-intensive sectors of mechanical engineering, plant construction, toolmaking and industrial design. The CAD specialist supports more than 2,800 customers with complete solutions for production and development. The company is a certified partner for SOLIDWORKS and SolidCAM, covering the vendors’ entire product ranges. The portfolio comprises consultation, implementation, and support including remote maintenance and training.

Coffee founder and outgoing managing partner Daniel Held will act as a consultant for Bechtle, contributing his 20 years of experience in the 3D CAD business. Holger Arenz, who’s been a managing partner for eight years, will remain at the helm of the company, where he will be joined by long-time sales manager Torsten Seelig. As a SOLIDWORKS systems integrator, Coffee will continue to operate under its established name. Daniel Held: “There’s an extensive transformation going on in our customers’ markets and requirements. Coffee intends to keep growing along with—and for the benefit of—our customers in an environment that is increasingly shaped by the SaaS and cloud business. To this end, with its entire portfolio and approach to our SMB customers, we cannot imagine a better partner than Bechtle AG. The security and scale of Bechtle, paired with Coffee’s familiar flexibility and drive to innovate, is a dream blend for our customers and employees.”

“In Coffee, we have acquired for Bechtle a very dynamic, modern company with specialists possessing excellent qualifications and skills. The benefit to customers lies particularly in the huge addition to the portfolio that Coffee will be able to access as part of the Bechtle Group. It’s win-win all round,” says Michael Guschlbauer, COO IT Systems Integration & Manged Services at Bechtle AG.

Uwe Burk, Senior Director Sales – Professional Channel, Dassault Systèmes: “We welcome the commitment of Bechtle AG to increasing the footprint and growth of its business with Dassault Systèmes SOLIDWORKS. We are convinced that incorporating COFFEE GmbH into Bechtle AG will contribute to its above-average growth trajectory.”

The acquisition is subject to the approval of the relevant competition authorities. The purchase price and conditions remain confidential, as usual.