EANS-News: Klöckner & Co SE: Preliminary agreement for acquisition of Becker Stahl-Service Group concluded
Largest acquisition since IPO in 2006 Acquiring one of world's largest and most modern steel service centers Klöckner & Co to become a leading market player in Europe for flat steel distribution
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Mergers - Acquisitions - Takeovers
Subtitle: Largest acquisition since IPO in 2006 Acquiring one of world's largest and most modern steel service centers Klöckner & Co to become a leading market player in Europe for flat steel distribution
Duisburg (euro adhoc) - Duisburg, November 11, 2009 - Klöckner & Co SE has signed a preliminary agreement to acquire Germany´s Becker Stahl-Service Group.
The Becker Stahl-Service Group is one of the largest steel service center companies in Europe and operates one of the world's largest and most modern steel service centers at its headquarters in Bönen, North Rhine-Westphalia. The Group has around 460 employees and generated about EUR600 million in sales for the fiscal year 2008/2009 ending on September 30, 2009. The company is specialized in processing and distributing flat steel products (coils), with a maximum processing capacity of more than one million tons per year. Its main customers are the automotive industry, other steel distributors and a number of other industries such as domestic appliance manufacturers (white goods).
"Becker Stahl-Service is an extremely well-positioned company that consistently generates strong results, even in the tough current economic environment. The acquisition enables us to extend our market position for flat steel significantly while also gaining a greater degree of diversification on the customer side. We also expect a high degree of synergies by the efficient supply with flat steel from Becker Stahl-Service to our locations in Germany and Europe", explains Gisbert Rühl, Chairman of Klöckner & Co SE´s Management Board.
The proposed acquisition is subject to the due diligence which has yet to be conducted and is subject to approval by the antitrust authorities. The final purchase agreement is expected to be concluded in the beginning of 2010.
About Klöckner & Co Klöckner & Co is the largest producer-independent distributor of steel and metal products in the European and North American markets combined. The core business of the Klöckner & Co Group is the storage and distribution of steel and non-ferrous metals. About 185,000 active customers are supplied through around 250 distribution locations by around 9,500 employees in 15 countries in Europe and North America. During the financial year 2008, the Company achieved sales of approximately EUR6.7 billion. The shares of Klöckner & Co SE are admitted to trading on the regulated market segment (Regulierter Markt) of the Frankfurt Stock Exchange (Frankfurter Wertpapierbörse) with simultaneous admission to the sub-segment to the regulated market with further post-admission obligations (Prime Standard). Klöckner & Co shares are listed in the MDax® Index of Deutsche Börse. ISIN: DE000KC01000; WKN: KC0100; Common Code: 025808576.
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Further inquiry note:
Contact persons:
Dr. Thilo Theilen - Head of Investor Relations & Corporate Communications
Phone: +49-(0)203-307-2050
E-Mail: thilo.theilen@kloeckner.de
Claudia Uhlendorf - Spokesperson
Phone: +49-(0)203-307-2289
E-mail: claudia.uhlendorf@kloeckner.de
Branche: Metal Goods & Engineering
ISIN: DE000KC01000
WKN: KC0100
Index: CDAX, Classic All Share, Prime All Share
Börsen: Frankfurt / regulated dealing/prime standard
Berlin / free trade
Hamburg / free trade
Stuttgart / free trade
Düsseldorf / free trade
München / free trade
Original-Content von: Klöckner & Co SE, übermittelt durch news aktuell