Forterro acquires German reseller and opens service centre in Bulgaria

FORTERRO ACQUIRES GERMAN RESELLER AND OPENS SERVICE CENTRE IN BULGARIA

ERP business unit Abas expands its presence in Germany and strengthens customer support in Eastern Europe

London, UK, January 12, 2022

Forterro®, a European provider of ERP software solutions to more than 10,000 mid-market manufacturing and production companies, today announced two business milestones achieved in the fourth quarter of 2021. 

Firstly, its product business abas Software GmbH acquired abas System GmbH (Berlin), a value-added reseller serving northern and central Germany. 

Secondly, Forterro created Forterro Bulgaria Ltd., which will function as a regional service centre for abas ERP customers with operations in Eastern Europe.

Forterro Acquires German Reseller

Abas attained 100 percent ownership of its partner abas system GmbH in a transaction that closed in December. Headquartered in Berlin and supported by a secondary location in Rhine, abas system GmbH operates as an exclusive value-added reseller for abas ERP. With the acquisition, abas further expands its presence in northern and central Germany and gains nearly 40 product experts, as well as a loyal customer base of more than 100 manufacturing companies.

“Today’s news is a continuation of the story we began with our acquisition of [similarly named] abas Systemhaus GmbH (Reinbek) in October,” said Richard Furby, general manager of abas. 

“Integrating the talent and knowledge of key strategic partners like abas system GmbH (Berlin) into our direct business is how we take greater control of the quality of our solutions and greater ownership of the success of our customers.”

Forterro Opens Service Centre in Bulgaria

The creation of Forterro Bulgaria Ltd. follows the liquidation of a minority-owned Abas partner in Bulgaria. All employees from the partner business will be hired by Abas Software GmbH to build a wholly-owned subsidiary that is directly servicing and supporting abas ERP implementations that extend from DACH into Eastern Europe. The initiative follows the company’s aggressive push to better align its direct international operations with those of its customers.

“We need to be where our customers are and where they want to go,” said Richard Furby, general manager of Abas. 

“Bulgaria presented the perfect location to support them, given its proximity to customer sites, as well as the product expertise and language skills of the team there. Opening this regional hub is a huge step forward in our strategy to provide a more consistent customer experience around the world.”

Forterro Bulgaria Ltd., led by Managing Director Veselka Petrova, will be operational immediately to continue serving and supporting Abas’ existing customers in Bulgaria.

Dean Forbes, CEO of Forterro, sees even more potential for Forterro’s Bulgarian operations. 

“Wherever we expand in the world for one product, it could naturally lead to opportunities for other products,” he said. 

“From a global perspective, we can leverage Forterro Bulgaria as a base from which we can support our business units in a myriad of ways, from product-specific R&D and consulting services to functional support for our back-office and local operations. The possibilities are truly endless, and I’m anxious to begin exploring the opportunities that make the most sense as we evolve Forterro’s strategy and growth story.”

About Forterro

Founded in 2012, Forterro is a category-leading provider of specialised software products and services for the industrial market.