HOYA Reaches Agreement to Acquire Swiss Lens Manufacturer Knecht & Müller AG

UITHOORN, Netherlands, October 1, 2015 /PRNewswire/ --

HOYA is pleased to announce the acquisition of its long-time production and distribution partner Knecht & Müller AG (Stein am Rhein, Switzerland).

The agreement makes Knecht & Müller AG the youngest member of HOYA Corporation and the newest addition to the DACH region (Germany, Austria, Switzerland), where the company already has locations in Brunn am Gebirge (HOYA Lens Austria) and Mönchengladbach (HOYA Lens Germany GmbH).

Knecht & Müller AG has been run for more than 100 years by the Müller-Knecht family. With the acquisition, the family is confident that the business is in good hands.

"In HOYA we found a stable, trustworthy partner who will continue our work and philosophy, and ensure our employees a successful, sustainable future," said the current chairman, Dr. Peter Müller.

Following the acquisition, Dr. Müller will step down. Oliver Fischbach, general manager of HOYA Lens Germany GmbH, will assume his responsibilities. Igor Merhar, Knecht & Müller AG's head of business development, will take over as country manager.

"I am looking forward to working with the Knecht & Müller team. We will produce and distribute HOYA and Knecht & Müller-branded high-tech lenses made in Stein am Rhein in both Switzerland and international markets," added Mr. Fischbach.

"We are proud to welcome Knecht & Müller as a member of HOYA Corporation," said Mr. Hans Werquin, CEO HOYA Vision Care Europe. "Switzerland is one of our key Central European markets whose customers we can now serve directly. Knecht & Müller has over a century's tradition in the optical field and extensive expertise in the production of high-tech lenses. This legacy fits perfectly with HOYA's strategic objectives in the DACH region and beyond."

About HOYA 

Founded in 1941 in Tokyo, Japan, HOYA is a global med-tech company and the leading supplier of innovative high-tech and medical products. HOYA is active in the fields of healthcare and information technology, providing eyeglasses, medical endoscopes, intraocular lenses, optical lenses as well as key components for semiconductor devices, LCD panels and HDDs. With more than 150 offices and subsidiaries worldwide, HOYA currently employs a multinational workforce of over 34,000 people.

About Knecht & Müller AG 

Knecht & Müller AG is a modern company with 100 years of family tradition. Its mission is to provide spectacle wearers with products that are customised, innovative and optically accurate. The company's key focus is the production of individual prescription lenses. Superior quality, first-class materials and manufacturing at the highest technical level are absolutely crucial in this process.