BOCHUM, Germany — GEA Refrigeration Technologies announced that it has acquired the assets, operations, production facilities, and patents of the companies QPM LLC and QPM Manufacturing LLC, of Bellevue, Wash. QPM is a supplier of special steel conveyor belts that transport food products in ovens and freezers. “The acquisition of QPM means that GEA Refrigeration Technologies now has proprietary access to technology that allows expansion of our freezer portfolio,” said Dr. Hugo Blaum, president of GEA Refrigeration Technologies and member of the executive board of GEA Group.

Production will remain in Bellevue. Company operations will be integrated into the structure of GEA Refrigeration Technologies North America. Management of operations will be under the direction of freezing specialists based at GEA Aerofreeze in Vancouver, Canada. Jim Heber, the majority owner of QPM, will stay on contract with GEA to allow for a smooth transition and integration into GEA Refrigeration Technologies. Michael Wierman, a minority owner, will join GEA as operations manager located in Bellevue. Heber and Wierman — who were top company management as well as developers — will now contribute their expertise to the GEA development team for freezers.

Guido Beyss, vice president technologies, GEA Refrigeration Technologies, said, “These specialist conveyor belts are an important ancillary supplement to our freezers and chillers. We will now be able to develop and manufacture the core components of our next generation of freezers and chillers on a one-stop basis. Furthermore, we will enjoy our share of the lucrative market of preventive and restorative maintenance of such conveyor belts.”