FRANKFURT, Germany — Continental has acquired the diagnostics specialist Omitec Group Ltd. The company, with headquarters in Devizes, U.K., employs a staff of more than 250. Omitec is a global supplier of diagnostic as well as workshop equipment for the motor vehicle market. With the acquisition of Omitec by Continental, the two enterprises combine their ideally complementary strengths and become a major supplier in the sector, with a broad portfolio of diagnostics products and solutions, Continental said.
With this move, Continental strengthens its international position in the independent aftermarket and once again underscores the growing importance of diagnostic products and services both in the aftermarket and the original equipment market, company officials said.
"We are firmly convinced that by taking this step we are even better prepared to handle the challenges of the future and satisfy the needs of the market," said Helmut Ernst, vice president independent aftermarket at Continental.
Continental and Omitec have cooperated very successfully in the past. Since 2008, Continental ContiSys has been offering multibrand diagnostic solutions from Omitec under the VDO brand. In addition to international cooperation in the distribution of diagnostic solutions under the VDO label, the sales rights for the Autodiagnos brand in Germany, Austria and Switzerland were acquired from Omitec in mid-2010.
With the now completed acquisition, Continental expands its product and solution portfolio further and offers professional workshops a larger variety of up-to-date, future-proof solutions to support the servicing and repair of cars and light commercial vehicles.
The Omitec product range comprises a broad spectrum. From simple EOBD service tool, to computer-assisted diagnostic solutions with links to catalogs and technical data, to products in the fields of exhaust analysis technology and workshop equipment, many innovative solutions are marketed under the Omitec, Crypton and Autodiagnos brands.
