A competitor from China has placed and offer for the Tunnel Boring Machine manufacturing giant Herrenknecht AG. According to German press, this has been disclosed by Mr Martin Herrenknecht, the boss of the company in an episode of the ZDF magazine "Die Wahrheit übers Erben" (n a rough translation: “The Truth About Heirs”). It is a programme which questions the "fairness" of the children heirs to rich people.

As reported by BW24, the Chinese company has offered to pay 2 Billion Euros for Herrenknecht. No name of the Chinese company is given.  Mr Martin Herrenknecht is expected to hand over his company to his son next year. It is thought that the Chinese have seen this as an opportunity for a "buying point".

Mr Herrenknecht has reportedly straightaway rejected the offer of the Chinese company. He has reportedly said he would never sell the company.

For those following the German press can easily see that Mr Herrenknecht is, justly so, very proud of his company he has founded in 1977 and his achievements. In the past at various occasions has expressed his preference for things German, like Mercedes Benz etc. He is clearly has a well laid plans for his company. He has already converted Herrenknecht AG into a family foundation in 2015. This allows him to transfer his company to his son next year without paying any inheritence tax, about which Mr Herrenknecht has made his opinions very clear.

Based in the small town of Schwanau just at the French border in the Baden-Württemberg region, Herrenknecht AG is the top Tunnel Boring Machine manufacturer in the world and operates worldwide. It is an international company not only in sales but also in manufacturing. Alone in China, Herrenknecht employs 900 people at 9 manufacturing locations. 

https://www.bw24.de/baden-wuerttemberg/herrenknecht-unternehmen-baden-wuerttemberg-konkurrent-china-angebot-verkauf-2-milliarden-91109608.html