Forterro has announced its second acquisition in as many months. The leading industrial software vendor has acquired (Business Micros) BM Group. A specialist manufacturing software vendor that operates in the fenestration sector. The firm has five brands: Business Micros, BM TOUCH, BM Aluminium, Glazing Vault and The Consultancy spread across four offices in the UK. It operates in both the UK and Ireland.
Marcus Pannier, Regional President of Forterro, commented, “Adding BM Group to Forterro Windows and Doors means we have an immediate and powerful presence in this market, and it is a perfect fit with our other acquisition in the sector. BM Group is hugely innovative, and bringing it into Forterro means it can benefit from our experience in scaling and growing companies, taking that innovation to a bigger and broader market than would have otherwise been challenging.”
What is BM Group?
BM Group is the sole UK reseller of Orgadata’s Logikal product; through its BM Aluminium brand, that relationship has existed for the last twenty years. Forterro acquired Orgadata, a German-based software vendor, last November. BM Touch is a market-leading fenestration software suitable for fabricators and installers.
Glazing Vault is a solution that enables glazing companies to build websites with an online designer to help drive sales. Business Micros has robust solutions for innovative solutions for the uPVC Window & Door sector. It claims to be the leading supplier to the uPVC window and door industry for the UK/ROI, with a market share of 78%. Its solutions include EvoNET, Evolution and Courier.
The Consultancy provides consulting and development services to the casement window, vertical slider, bi-folding door, PVC-U, aluminium and timber sectors. It combines BM Group software with other solutions to deliver value to its customer base.
Both Glazing Vault and The Consultancy were acquired by BM Group in 2020 when it bought Echo Digital Media (EDM). BM Group will join with Orgadata within the newly formed Forterro Windows and Doors business line. The Orgadata acquisition is set to close in the first quarter of 2025, pending regulatory approvals. Forterro will create one of, if not the largest, multinational specialist software vendors in the industry.
What happens next?
Bernd Hillbrands, the founder of Orgadata, will head up Forterro Windows and Doors following the completion of the Orgadata transaction.
Graeme Bailey, the BM Group Managing Director who has been with the company for 34 years, will remain with the firm and focus on the integration of the BM Group teams into Forterro Windows and Doors. His experience of the acquisitions that BM Group has made will be invaluable.
Jim Cronie, technical director at Business Micros, will also stay within Forterro, driving product innovation. It is unclear how long they will remain with Forterro.
Bailey commented, “Forterro is the ideal partner for us, with shared values and culture and a focus on innovation and collaboration. Being part of Forterro Windows and Doors means we are better placed to help our customers meet market challenges and realise their growth ambitions, with access to broader expertise, technology and support. Our understanding of Orgadata’s Logikal and implementation with customers was also pivotal to our successful alignment within Forterro.”
Pannier added, “Forterro is an industrial software specialist – it’s a sector we know incredibly well, and the BM Group acquisition is timely, giving us further access to the growing window, door, and façade industry. Our mid-market expertise is second to none, and bringing BM Group to Forterro means that we start 2025 as we mean to continue supporting customers and achieving growth.”
Enterprise Times: What does this mean
This acquisition means that Forterro has created a major force within a specific industry sector within Europe. There are synergies between BM Group and Orgadata. And the fact there are existing relationships should bode well for the integration.
Forterro is now a leader in industrial software with 17 acquisitions. With over 40 offices across Europe, and more than 1800 employees. It has over 13,000 customers using its industrial software across Europe. No financial details of the acquisition were disclosed. BM Group did not disclose its annual revenue in its recent accounts or the number of employees that will transition to Forterro. Still, with both founders joining, it seems likely that most will join Forterro.
