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Combining strengths

TransAtlantic acquires SBSMarine

Rederi AB TransAtlantic has acquired all shares in the British offshore shipping company SBS Marine Ltd from Kistefos AS for a preliminary consideration of approximately SEK 340 million. SBS Marine has a net debt of approximately SEK 480 million.

SBS Marine is a British offshore shipping company based in Aberdeen. The company operates a fleet of five modern and one older PSV vessels (Platform Supply Vessel) with a current turnover of approximately SEK 220 million on an annual basis. The acquisition of SBS Marine is a part of TransAtlantic’s focus on the business area Offshore/ Icebreaking in order to strengthen TransAtlantic’s product offering in the business area.

To finance the acquisition and strengthen the company’s financial position in advance of the forthcoming division of the group, TransAtlantic has conducted a rights issue of around SEK 550 million. Visit: www.rabt.se

FLSmidth to acquire Transweigh India Limited

FLSmidth has acquired 100% of the shareholding in the Indian company Transweigh India Limited, a company in which FLSmidth has until now been a minority shareholder. Transweigh India Limited is a supplier of gravimetric feeding equipment, mainly to the steel, iron and cement industries. The company also markets and sells FLSmidth Pfister’s leading fuel feeder product range to the growing Indian market.

Transweigh also sells a large number of proprietary products such as belt weigh feeders, apron weigh feeders, apron feeders, loss in weight feeders, solid flow meters, bin weighing equipment and feeding electronics.

Transweigh operates mainly within India where it is one of the market leaders. Via this acquisition FLSmidth Pfister will strengthen its ability to provide a full scope of feeding equipment at a competitive price to the entire FLSmidth Group and the market in general. Visit: www.flsmidth.com

Manbat acquires Battery Power Systems

Manbat, the UK’s largest battery distributor, has substantially increased its presence in the industrial battery sector with the acquisition of Battery Power Systems Ltd (BPS) of East Kilbride.

BPS is a leading independent that supplies the forklift, floor-care, emergency power and electric vehicle sectors with batteries, chargers and quality service on a national basis.

Commenting on the move, Manbat’s managing director Steve Sheppard said: “The acquisition fits well with Manbat’s desire to strengthen its position within the industrial battery sector and generally into markets additional to automotive” Visit: www.manbat.co.uk

Atlas Copco acquires provider of advanced drilling solutions for aerospace

Atlas Copco-owned ETS Georges Renault S.A.S., France, has agreed to acquire Seti-Tec S.A.S., a French manufacturer of advanced drilling equipment and solutions for the aerospace industry.

Founded in 2005, Seti-Tec is a fast-growing, innovative player in the aerospace industry, with a customer base that includes some of the world’s largest aircraft manufacturers. The company is privately owned. It currently employs 14 people and had revenues of €4.4 million in 2010. Seti-Tec is based near Paris, France.

“This acquisition will give an additional base for the growth of our existing sales into the aerospace market,” says Mats Rahmström, business area president of Atlas Copco’s Industrial Technique business area. “It aligns perfectly with our strategy of offering premium solutions to a dedicated, high technology market.”

Seti-Tec will become part of the Chicago Pneumatic Tools division within the Industrial Technique business area as a result of the acquisition. The acquisition is expected to be closed during the fourth quarter. Visit: www.atlascopco.com

EuroChem to acquire fertiliser assets from BASF

OJSC Mineral and Chemical Company EuroChem has announced its intention to acquire 100% of BASF’s fertiliser assets located in Antwerp, Belgium. EuroChem also intends to acquire BASF’s 50% stake in the PEC-Rhin joint venture in Ottmarsheim, France. PEC-Rhin is a joint venture between BASF and France’s GPN, a Total SA subsidiary. The total value of the transaction is estimated to be approximately €700 million.

The assets, which have a combined annual production capacity of approximately 2.5 million metric tonnes of fertiliser, include CAN / AN (calcium ammonium nitrate/ ammonium nitrate), Nitrophoska® fertilisers, nitrophosphoric acid, three nitric acid plants in Antwerp, CAN / AN fertilisers and ammonia and nitric acid facilities at PEC-Rhin.

Commenting on the transactions, Dmitry Strezhnev, EuroChem CEO, said “The acquisition of BASF’s fertiliser complex in Antwerp is a major milestone in EuroChem’s growth strategy to enhance its exposure to the European market.” Visit: www.eurochem.ru

LINKINGUP

Sony to acquire Ericsson’s share of Sony Ericsson

Ericsson and Sony Corporation have announced that Sony will acquire Ericsson’s 50% stake in Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications AB, making the mobile handset business a wholly-owned subsidiary of Sony.

The transaction gives Sony an opportunity to rapidly integrate smartphones into its broad array of network-connected consumer electronics devices – including tablets, televisions and personal computers – for the benefit of consumers and the growth of its business. The transaction also provides Sony with a broad intellectual property (IP) cross-licensing agreement covering all products and services of Sony as well as ownership of five essential patent families relating to wireless handset technology. As part of the transaction, Ericsson will receive a cash consideration of €1.05 billion.

This means that the synergies for Ericsson in having both a world leading technology and telecoms services portfolio and a handset operation are decreasing. Ericsson and Sony will work to drive and develop the market’s adoption of connectivity across multiple platforms. Visit: www.sony.net

VTI Technologies acquired by Murata Manufacturing

EQT III has agreed to sell VTI Technologies to the publicly listed Japanese electronic components company Murata Manufacturing Co. Ltd. After the completion of the transaction VTI will become a fully owned subsidiary of Murata Manufacturing.

Under EQT III ownership since 2002, VTI has increased its sales by more than 75%, reaching a record high turnover of €75.8 million in 2010. The company has strengthened its position as the global market leader in low-g automotive sensors and as the leading supplier of MEMS sensors for pacemakers. During recent years, VTI has strongly developed new MEMS (Micro Electro Mechanical Systems) solutions for consumer electronics and built an external supply chain in Asia. Visit: www.vtitechnologies.com

Skanska acquires construction company in Finland

Skanska Finland has signed an agreement for 100% of the shares of the construction company Soraset Yhtiöt Oy. Soraset is a civil construction company working with mainly infrastructure projects. It has about 270 employees and last year the net revenue was approximately €100 million. Soraset is headquartered in Kangasala, in the region of Tampere, but is operating in the whole of Finland.

“Soraset has a very good reputation in Finland and will complement Skanska’s civil business in an excellent way. The acquisition will also make us stronger and more competitive on the major infrastructure projects,” says Juha Hetemäki, business unit president Skanska Finland.

“The operations of Soraset have grown and become more versatile during the past ten years. At this moment we consider that the best solution for Soraset is to join a strong global company,” says technical director Petri Uitus, one of the main owners of Soraset. Visit: www.skanska.com

Dassault Systèmes acquires Simulayt

Dassault Systèmes, a world leader in 3D and Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) solutions, has announced the acquisition of leading composites simulation and advanced draping simulation technology provider Simulayt Limited. This acquisition reinforces Dassault Systèmes’ longstanding leadership in providing PLM composites solutions for sustainable innovation, addressing a key challenge facing manufacturers in industries ranging from aerospace and automotive to consumer goods and energy – how to predict and optimise the behaviour of materials, minimising their weight while increasing their performance.

For industrials to take full advantage of composites lightweight and performance properties, requires harmonisation of processes, methods, and solutions to support an end-to-end process that spans design, simulation and manufacturing within a single environment, while providing a compelling user experience. Visit: www.3ds.com

Sika strengthens position in the Spanish market

Sika has acquired Comercial de Preresa, SA (Copsa), a company with a strong position in the flooring, repair and reinforcement markets in Spain and Portugal. Copsa is located in Cobeña (Madrid) with annual sales of approximately CHF 17 million and 60 employees.

Sika AG has through its Spanish subsidiary, Sika, SAU, agreed to acquire 100% of Comercial de Preresa, SA (Copsa), a company with a strong position in the flooring, repair and reinforcement markets in Spain and Portugal. Sika started collaboration with Copsa several years ago, acquiring a 34% stake of the company in 1999.

Copsa is located in Cobeña (Madrid) and was founded in 1994. Over the years the company has proved its innovative power by developing a wide range of construction chemical products, building up a significant position in its markets and a well established brand. Copsa operates three production sites in Spain. Visit: www.sika.com