The shareholders of HSTEC dd in Zadar, Croatia, system partner for innovative spindle drive technology for CNC machine tools, for fixtures and for spindle services and repairs, have sold 90% of their company shares to the CHIRON Group.The company, headquartered in Tuttlingen, is a specialist in CNC-controlled, vertical milling and milling-turning machining centers as well as turnkey and automation solutions.The shareholders of HSTEC, founded in 1997, decided to sell their shares as part of succession planning.With the CHIRON Group, an ideal strategic investor was found for the company, who can accompany HSTEC in further growth with a worldwide sales network and high technical competence in machine tool construction.With today's takeover of 90% of the Croatian HSTEC, the CHIRON Group is continuing to pursue its global growth strategy.The name HSTEC stands for High Speed ​​Technique, for system competence in the development, design and manufacture of high-speed motor spindles for demanding machining.Clamping devices for machine tools and automation solutions complete the portfolio.In addition, HSTEC is a leader in spindle services and repairs for its own products and spindles from other manufacturers.With the acquisition, the CHIRON Group is expanding its capacities and strengthening three areas of competence: the holistic development, production and assembly of the key components, motor spindles and lathe spindles for the group's machining centers.Turnkey projects can be designed even better according to customer-specific specifications with the workpiece clamping devices from HSTEC.In addition, the CHIRON Group supplements its services worldwide with the area of ​​repair, overhaul and optimization of all motor spindles in existing machines.With the future CHIRON Croatia, the CHIRON Group is present with another company of its own in Eastern Europe, can serve customers in the region even better and will gradually develop the location in Zadar.The more than 100 employees, 25 of them in engineering alone, increase the number of employees in the group to around 1,900 worldwide.The previous CEO Mladen Šarlija will act as the managing director of CHIRON Croatia in the future.The HSTEC agencies in Germany, the USA and China will remain in place, as will the representative offices of Balluff, Bosch Rexroth, Hofmann and Mitutoyo for the Croatian market.HSTEC will be continued as a brand and will be part of the brand association of the CHIRON Group: CHIRON, STAMA, FACTORY5, CMS, GREIDENWEIS, HSTEC.Proventis Partners, together with InterCapital, provided HSTEC with comprehensive advice as the exclusive M&A advisor in all phases of the preparation and implementation of the transaction in the DACH region.ESG in SMEs – curse, blessing or both?This is the title of the ESG SME study, which deals with the topic of sustainability in German SMEs and asks entrepreneurs how well positioned they are in the area of ​​ESG - because: sustainability reporting will soon be mandatory for some.Here you can take part in the study and get the chance for a personalized evaluation of your own ESG ranking as well as ideas for possible optimization.A large part of German medium-sized companies engages in M&A.The exclusive SME study M&A 2022 answers the question of how SMEs use the M&A instrument and what opportunities entrepreneurs see through M&A - to further develop their company, obtain new liquidity or regulate their own succession.Here you can download the entire study results free of charge.