The acquisition was finalised in January 2021, however the announcement was delayed while plans were finalised for the merger of Axell Wireless with two PBE portfolio companies.
Axell Wireless was put into administration by private equity company Advent International after its £4bn acquisition of Cobham, the aerospace and defence company in mid-2020. The company pioneered Distributed Antenna System (DAS) solutions that strengthen wireless signals in locations traditional mobile phone networks are unable to reach, such as deep tunnels or inside high-rise buildings.
PBE has provided data, communications, safety solutions and temporary power solutions within the tunnelling, construction and mining sectors for over 50 years. The addition of a DAS communications platform will allow PBE Axell to now provide a single solution from construction through to permanent fit out in multiple markets, now including public safety and cellular infrastructure.
Stuart Champion de Crespigny, CEO of PBE Axell, explained, “PBE have been a customer of Axell for over 12 years. We strongly believe in the products and the team and with the merger with our IoT and electrics business, PBE Axell will be a leader in its space. We are already investing in future technologies within Axell to support the current strong portfolio of analogue and digital solutions and get it back to market leader after a year or two of difficult performance.”