Schneider Electric is reported to have delayed a planned selloff of its Custom Sensors and Technologies (CST) division because of the current volatility in the finance markets. It is hoping to raise about €1bn by selling the division, which includes the BEI, Crouzet, Crydom, Newall and Kavlico brands.

Schneider has appointed JPMorgan Chase to sell CST. It had planned to divest the business by now, but is reported to have delayed the process by several weeks, at least. One possibility is that CST will be bought by a private equity company.

CST specialises in sensing, control and motion products and employs more than 4,300 people worldwide – 46% of them in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, 49% in Americas, and 5% in the Asia-Pacific region. Its sales in 2010 were worth $571m.

CST’s product portfolio includes logic controllers, brushed and brushless motors and controllers, encoders, solid-state and control relays, circuit-breakers, proximity sensors, timers and counters, temperature controllers, LVDTs, linear and voice coil actuators, fans, HMIs, position detectors and limit switches.