Irish lean consultancy LCL acquired by Altix Consulting

Dublin headquartered advisory firm LCL Consult has been purchased by Altix Consulting. The Ohio based boutique firm specialises in strategy and operation for international manufacturing champions, and the expansion takes its partner count to more than 20.

US consulting firm Altix Consulting provides support to clients with global business strategy, technology and innovation, operational excellence, workforce development, training and education. Based in Mason, Ohio, the firm was launched in 2019 by former Festo Executive Yannick Schilly and former Cincinnati European American Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Anne Cappel – and currently has around 20 partners.

As Altix looks to expand it’s global offering, it has acquired Ireland origin consultancy LCL Consult, a manufacturing advisory firm based in Dublin. LCL has 10 partners, however according to an interview between Schilly and the Cincinnati Business Courier, not all of them are set to join Altix at the same level. Instead, he stated that Altix will have “between 20 and 30 partners” when the company is restructured to include LCL.

"LCL is the global leader in transforming traditional factories into Lean benchmark sites," said Schilly, who is now President of Altix. "With implementations across the automotive, aerospace, technology and consumer packaged goods industries, LCL's specialised expertise will allow us to further evolve as we look to the future. They have an impressive track record, and we are excited to welcome them to the Altix team."

Launched in 2009, LCL implements rapid turnaround solutions grounded in Lean Principles and leadership skills to transform poorly performing operations, supply chains and suppliers across the US, Europe and Asia. Speaking on the move, Liam Cassidy, Managing Director of LCL, meanwhile confirmed the deal had been motivated by sustained collaboration between the two firms, and the synergies between the two this had revealed.

Cassidy remarked, "We have worked with Altix for years as a valued Lean transformation partner and have a long-standing history of successful collaboration with their team… This move is a natural fit for both of our organisations, and we look forward to expanding our work together."

With the acquisition of LCL having enhanced Altix’s Lean capability then, the firm will now look to elevate its service offering, providing seamless Lean implementations to manufacturing customers across the globe. At the same time, it offers security for the future of the Dublin based LCL.

Speaking to the Cincinnati Business Courier, Schilly also stated, that having worked with the LCL Managing Director Liam Cassidy for years, the relationship not only paved the way for the deal, but offers Cassidy continuity for his business when he decides to retire, too.

“He was a mentor and coach for me,” Schilly added. “I have a long history and friendship with Liam.”