It's just business: Manufacturing moves from John Deere, Stellantis, Modine, and more
As manufacturers strive to optimize and improve profitability, they often use various business strategies to stay competitive. These actions include mergers, acquisitions, promotions, layoffs, funding, and much more. Below are just a few of the companies that are making moves and making headlines in the industrial sector.
Personnel: Stellantis N.V. has announced the unanimous selection of Antonio Filosa as its new Chief Executive Officer following a comprehensive internal and external search process led by Executive Chairman John Elkann. Filosa will be granted CEO powers effective June 23, and the company will soon call an Extraordinary Shareholder Meeting for his election to the Board as an executive director. In a recent quote, Stellantis Executive Chairman John Elkann said, “Antonio’s deep understanding of our Company, including its people who he views as our core strength, and of our industry equip him perfectly for the role of Chief Executive Officer in this next and crucial phase of Stellantis’ development. I have worked closely with Antonio over the past six months during which time his responsibilities have increased, and his strong and effective leadership spanning both North and South America at a moment of unprecedented challenge have confirmed the excellent qualities he brings to the role. Together with the entire Board, I look forward to working with him.”
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Insolvency: Meyer Burger Technology AG’s German subsidiaries, Meyer Burger (Industries) GmbH and Meyer Burger (Germany) GmbH, have filed for insolvency after unsuccessful restructuring negotiations. The proceedings will continue under a court-appointed provisional insolvency administrator, while other subsidiaries in Switzerland and the U.S. will remain operational. Amid ongoing financing discussions, Meyer Burger has requested an extension for publishing its 2024 financial results, originally due on May 31, 2025
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Acquisition: Modine has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire L.B. White, a global provider of specialty heating solutions for agriculture, construction, and special events, with the transaction expected to close on May 31, 2025, pending customary conditions. L.B. White, headquartered in Onalaska, Wisconsin, is a market leader in agricultural heating and also ranks among the top providers of portable heating solutions in North America. In a recent quote, Neil D. Brinker, Modine President and CEO, said, "Acquiring L.B. White is another example of executing on our strategy to expand and further diversify our portfolio with complementary technology that will enable us to achieve our long-term growth objectives. The L.B. White team brings highly engineered solutions and expertise for end markets that have unique climate requirements. Both L.B. White and our recent acquisition of AbsolutAire align with our vision to solve mission-critical thermal management challenges for our customers and will help us expand into adjacent markets with strong, long-term growth profiles."
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Acquisition: John Deere has acquired Sentera, a Minnesota-based provider of remote imagery solutions for agriculture, to enhance its precision ag technology and expand data-driven tools for farmers. The integration will allow seamless use of Sentera’s high-resolution drone imagery and analytics within the John Deere Operations Center, supporting improved decision-making across the growing season. In a recent quote, Chris Winkler, Director of Digital Software and Solutions at John Deere, said, “We're excited to add Sentera's talented team to our organization and integrate their advanced solutions into the suite of John Deere tools that help farmers do more with less. Combining Sentera's imagery capabilities with the John Deere Operations Center will enable farmers and trusted advisors to seamlessly gather and integrate agronomic data, understand real-time conditions, and turn data into insights that drive decisions in the field throughout the growing season.”
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Capital: Fabriq, a Lean Daily Management SaaS platform for frontline manufacturing teams, has secured a $25 million growth equity investment led by Expedition Growth Capital, with participation from OSS Ventures. The company will use the funding to expand hiring, grow sales in Europe and North America, and advance product development toward an AI-powered shop floor operating system. In a recent quote, Octave Lapeyronie, co-founder and CEO of Fabriq, said, “In manufacturing, especially in regulated industries like pharma or aerospace, every detail matters from daily targets to long-term performance goals. Yet too often, frontline teams are expected to drive excellence without the right tools. Fabriq changes that. We give teams the structure, visibility and agility they need to act fast and improve. With this new funding, we're accelerating our roadmap toward an AI-powered shop floor operating system that supports every layer of operations.”
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