PDSVISION takes another interesting step on the journey towards becoming a globally leading PLM consultant in the PTC sphere.
PDSVISION, a leading European PTC-dedicated PLM consultant, is growing fast. Following the acquisition of German NET AG System Integration (NET) earlier this year, PDSVISION strikes again today with the acquisition of Root Solutions, a British PTC partner. With this move, PDSVISION takes another interesting step on the journey towards becoming a globally leading PLM consultant in the PTC sphere, based on their portfolio of expertise around solutions such as the PLM suite PTC Windchill, CAD software Creo, IIoT platform ThingWorx and AR program Vuforia. At present, PDSVISION has operations in Sweden (HQ), the northern European countries, Germany, the U.K., South Africa and the U.S.
For 2021, PDSVISION expects to reach sales of just under $70 million. Together with the purchase of Root Solutions—which has about 30 employees and a turnover of close to $10 million—PDSVISION will strengthen its position as a top European PTC-dedicated VAR (Value Added Reseller). Among its larger customers are the agricultural machine manufacturer Väderstad; Axis Communications; and the food technology company JBT Foodtech. PDSVISION has been very successful in the Nordics, growing rapidly and expanding by following its local customers out into the world. This has been accomplished by managing deliveries of what customers want: working solutions, integrated with often diversified software portfolios and “salted” with industrial expertise—rather than simply buying software.
PDSVISION’s expansion is also a reflection of the increasingly important role of partners when PLM platforms and productions systems from the big three—Siemens Digital Industries, Dassault Systèmes and PTC—are installed, rolled out and supported. IT support on this level is crucial to being able to handle the growing complexity characterizing today’s often electrified, computerized and online-connected products. PTC’s software plays an important role in this, but without partners such as PDSVISION and their efforts to build and adapt the platforms, the efficiency of the systems would look completely different.
“This acquisition strengthens our position in the U.K. and enables us to continue to grow based on the services we provide as part of the expansion of our global footprint. Together with our existing British operations, the U.K. will now be a strategically important market and with great potential for continued growth,” Johan Klingvall, CEO of PDSVISION, commented about today’s announcement.
No purchase price is revealed.

Like PDSVISION, PTC’s software portfolio is the core around which Root Solutions builds its business. The Windchill PLM suite is the primary backbone for managing product data (cPDm, collaborative Product Definition management), with Creo on the CAD side, ThingWorx when it comes to Industrial IoT (IIoT) and Vuforia for Augmented Reality (AR).
A Good Reputation and “Track Record”
PDSVISION has a very good reputation and an equally good track record as a leading and reliable advisor in product development. PDSVISION’s CEO, Johan Klingvall, believes that this is achieved by “combining the best software solutions in the class, technical support and professional training, with divisions all over the world.”
In addition to the PTC portfolio, PDSVISION has also taken the height of the simulation and analysis side based primarily on software from Ansys. In addition, the increasingly important Service Lifecycle Management (SLM) arena finds its solutions in the company’s portfolio. Plus, they also develop complementary software solutions.
Root Is A PTC Platinum Partner
Root Solutions is PTC’s oldest partner in the U.K. in terms of software, support, training and services related to PTC’s product suite. In this context, they are a so-called “Platinum PTC partner.”
“Root Solutions was founded in 1992 and has extensive experience in improving a company’s engineering and design processes. The company works with a variety of industries and has the internal expertise to provide a professional service of very high carat,” Christer Wallberg, PDSVISION’s chairman of the board, says to engineering.com.
“Why are we buying Root? Among other things, to become number one in the U.K. market. The thing is that the company is very well run with good management. The customer mix also looks very good with names like Cambridge Consultants, Concentric and Hornby on the list,” Wallberg adds.

“We have the same business goals and team culture,” said Root Solutions’ managing director, Roger French “The company’s goal is to help their customers improve their technical processes and product quality with world-class support and training.”
“I mean by this that we and PDSVISION complement each other perfectly. We have the same business goals and team culture. We will now be part of a global organization where our combined knowledge and experience will give customers an even broader solution portfolio and drive future growth,” French added. “It will be the basis for a strong partnership that will benefit both customers and employees.”
PDSVISION’s Johan Klingvall also emphasized the strength that the combined organizations will be able to give.
“Absolutely, we share the view of potential synergies in combining our services and winning cultures, not only to continue to support our customers, but also to develop a deeper understanding of how we can best improve the services and support we provide, while we guide them through their digital transformation journeys,” Klingvall said. “I am happy to continue the journey together with our new English colleagues.”
A Successful Model
PDSVISION Group was founded in 2008 and is a global provider of solutions and services, which Klingvall describes as, “focused on helping companies to successfully enable their digital transformation journey from product development to aftermarket services.”
However, this is more than mere words; the company has under his leadership acted in accordance with this ideology.
In particular, the steps taken in recent years on the journey towards becoming one of the market’s strongest PTC VARs are mirrored with this year’s two big purchases: German NET System Integration, and now British Root Solutions.
An interesting aspect to this is that, in more ways than one, these measures resemble the successful model which Dassault Systèmes-related PLM consultant TECHNIA has pursued. This company paved the way for a global breakthrough among Dassault’s solution-oriented retailers by first buying a major German PLM consultant, Transcat, which almost doubled its operations. It then turned its attention to the U.K., and then back to the European continent, with company acquisitions in both the Netherlands and France.
PDSVISION’s expansion follows a similar model.

Against The First $100 Million
We do not currently know exactly what PDSVISION’s journey ahead will look like. However, most indications are that we will see more acquisitions and a company that in the near future will reach a turnover of $100 million.
The backdrop to this is that PDSVISION got a new main owner in 2020 due to the CapMan fund investing in the company. In this regard, strong financial muscles have been gained, which constitutes capabilities for further investments, directly or indirectly, by CapMan standing as a strong guarantor.
The fact that CapMan has invested heavily in the PLM industry also says something about the potential being seen in this area. In addition to sitting on big assets in terms of pension capital, PLM investments—along with other purely commercial investment capital—mean that they share the view of the industry’s future importance with players such as Goldman Sachs (which has invested around $65 million in Aras’ PLM) and that further investment is to be expected.
But the most important reason why PDSVISION has every opportunity to succeed with its strategic goals is that, at present, the approximately 200 employees are very competent, know their software portfolio and how it should be used to optimally achieve their customers’ and users’ goals. Such factors always create winners.
“That’s it,” says Wallberg. “We have a fantastic positive spirit throughout the company thanks to sharp staff and good leaders in all parts of the organization. Of course, that means a lot. Another important thing is that we are large in the largest industrial geographies in the Nordic countries, Germany, the U.K. and the U.S. With well-implemented solutions and support for these, we can follow and serve global customers. This entails a potential for significantly larger business for us in the next few years. We will probably be the most credible global VAR for PTC.”