Billion SAS, a French maker of injection molding machines (IMMs) that dates back more than 75 years, has entered a strategic partnership with Engel and will now focus exclusively on servicing its existing machines.

Under the agreement, Engel will be Billion’s recommended supplier of new IMMs and will utilize Billion’s facilities, including installing a machine at Billion’s Tech Centre. Engel will maintain its French sales office in Wissous.

Billion, based in Bellignat, will remain an independent company and serve as the first point of contact for service operations, while Engel’s service network will be available as an additional resource.

“We made a deliberate choice to partner with a strong European player, because the long-term security of our customers matters most to us. In Engel, we've found a partner known for quality, reliability and the highest standards of confidentiality — exactly what our customers expect from us. The fact that Engel is also a family-owned business was an important factor in our decision," said Korbinian Kiesl, president and CEO of Billion SAS, in a news release.

Billion was founded in 1949 by Léon Billion. It received its first patent for a multimaterial machine in 1961, according to the company website, and continued to develop technologies for overmolding and sandwich molding.

“We're delighted about this partnership with Billion. The machine concepts of both companies complement each other so well that Billion customers will still be able to use their familiar tooling on ENGEL machines going forward. We want them to feel they're in good hands with us — we understand them, and thanks to this partnership, we now speak their language too, standing by them as a strong partner,” said Engel CEO Stefan Engleder.

The news follows another consolidation of European IMM makers, the recent acquisition of Stork IMM by Arburg.

Engel Group, headquartered in Schwertberg, Austria, manufactures injection molding and automation technologies. Engel Americas is based in York, Pa.