German logistics firm Korber gains foothold in Brazil

German logistics technology provider Korber AG is continuing to grow by acquisition, as the parent company of HighJump Software Inc. said today it had acquired a majority stake in a Brazilian supply chain management software and consulting company.

Korber bought the stake in Otimis Ltda., a consultancy with offices in Blumenau and São Paulo, Brazil, and in Santiago, Chile, with plans for expansion in Mexico.

Terms of the deal were not disclosed, but the move was effective as of Dec. 18, the company said. The move extends an existing relationship between the companies, since Otimis has been an implementation partner and reseller since 2004 of HighJump's supply chain management solutions.

According to Korber, adding Otimis to its Körber Logistics Systems arm extends its existing customer service capabilities in North America, Europe, and the Asia Pacific (APAC) region. The expansion is a response to growing demand by companies for global service providers that can provide international platforms, in light of advances in technology and the digitization of supply chain processes, Korber said.

Otimis gains access to Korber's portfolio through the deal, and can now offer its customers a range of supply chain technologies including supply chain management software, industrial voice solutions, autonomous mobile robotics (AMR), and material handling automation, Korber said.

"The trusted and successful cooperation that has grown over the years between HighJump and Otimis has encouraged us to take the next step—bringing Otimis under the Körber umbrella," Dirk Hejnal, CEO of Korber's Business Area Logistics Systems division, said in a release. "Essentially a beachhead in the region, the addition of Otimis to Körber Logistics empowers us, along with companies worldwide, with another means to think globally, while executing locally."

The move marks Korber's latest expansion, following its acquisition of logistics software vendors HighJump and DMLogic LLC in 2017 and of the British voice-directed equipment vendor Centriq Group Ltd. in 2018.

Qual a relação entre um software de voz (voice picking) e o armazém do futuro? Saiba neste post: https://t.co/UzB9ONiMxn pic.twitter.com/jaBUaURCSG

— Otimis (@Otimis) February 28, 2019