Tel Aviv. Two Israeli defence companies the SK group and Plasan have acquired ELVO, a Greek company with advanced production experience and capabilities in the field of wheeled and tracked vehicles. The jointly-owned company will manufacture advanced vehicles and protection solutions for various customers, in Greece and worldwide. This acquisition is the result of a fruitful cooperation between SK Group and Plasan, with a long-term strategy of creating a strong base in Europe, headquartered in Greece. The site in Thessaloniki will be transformed into a manufacturing hub serving the global market, and will create many new jobs in the region.
“Following a long and meticulous international tender process, the Greek Government selected our bid and business plan, entrusting us with the future of one of the most accredited local companies in the EMEA region,” says Orly Katsav, Chairwoman of ELVO and Deputy Chairwoman of SK Group. “We have already set our plans in motion, investing in infrastructure, technology and recruiting highly-skilled personnel for key positions. We believe that with our experience in defence industry, exports and manufacturing, we will soon affirm the Greek Government’s choice, leading the company forward.”
“SK Group is world renowned, with decades of proven experience in developing, manufacturing, and marketing solutions for the international defence market,” says Dimitrios Angelopoulos, General Manager of ELVO. “Together with Plasan’s rich experience and technological knowhow in the field of vehicle protection, this will enable ELVO to strengthen its presence in Europe, as well as in other regions. We are pleased with the cooperation with the Greek Government after an extensive evaluation and tender for the purchase of ELVO.”
“Plasan has a successful history with ELVO, having designed and supplied armour hulls in kit form for the Hellenic Army HMMWV – the M1114GR and M1118GR HMMWVs – all of which were assembled by ELVO, and have been serving the Hellenic Armed Forces since 2004,” says Dani Ziv, CEO of Plasan. “We anticipate that our cooperation with the local authorities will continue to be fruitful.”
The SK Group is the largest privately-held defence group in Israel, with facilities in the Israel, USA, Asia, Latin America and now in Europe at ELVO. SK is also engaged in real estate and property development. SK Group exports to more than 50 countries worldwide, and has experience in privatization, and transfer of technology, while investing in R&D and new technologies. SK Group includes – IWI leading firearms manufacturer of small arms systems and other defence companies.
Plasan is a global leader in survivability and armour solutions for defence and security forces. With extensive battlefield experience and expertise in automotive systems and materials, the company delivers solutions to support the most complex requirements. Plasan offers a variety of vehicle protection solutions, including advanced kitted hulls, such as the SandCat family of vehicles, the Hawkei , and other armoured tactical vehicles.
-The writer is an International Roving Correspondent of the publication. Views expressed are personal and do not necessarily reflect the views of Raksha Anirveda
