Wittur Holding GmbH
Wittur Holding GmbH: Wittur and Sematic to merge in order to create a leading global supplier to the elevator industry
Wittur Holding GmbH / Key word(s): Mergers & Acquisitions PRESS RELEASE Wittur and Sematic to merge in order to create a leading global supplier to the elevator industry Combined company will become one of the significant global manufacturers of components, modules and complete systems for the elevator industry Wiedenzhausen / Osio Sotto, 11 August 2015 – Wittur (ISIN: XS1188024548, XS11880254382014) and Sematic today announced that they have agreed to merge in order to create a leading global supplier in the elevators and elevator components manufacturing industry. Bain Capital, as the owner of Wittur, and The Carlyle Group and the Zappa family, as joint owners of Sematic, have signed an agreement on the transfer of a controlling interest in Sematic to Wittur. Carlyle and the Zappa family will retain a stake in the combined entity. The transaction is in the shared interests of both Wittur and Sematic, which both bring distinct market strengths to the combined organisation. The newly combined entity will represent one of the significant manufacturers of components, modules and complete systems for the global elevator industry, with a projected combined revenue of around EUR 750million in the current fiscal year and approximately 4,500 employees. Together, Wittur and Sematic will be an even more reliable global partner to customers delivering superior products in a steadily growing market driven by trends such as the growth of the world population, ongoing urbanization and the aging of society. All sides have agreed to maintain confidentiality regarding the financial details of the transaction which still needs to obtain approval by the regulatory authorities. The combined company intends to further accelerate its growth by driving a global platform strategy, using cross-selling-opportunities, profiting from an enlarged global sales and manufacturing footprint as well as further broadening the product range thereby enhancing its position as supplier of choice to both private and larger international elevator manufacturers. Positive benefits from the new entity over the coming years are expected from synergies arising primarily from procurement and efficiency gains. In addition, the merged entity is intended to benefit from sharing best practices across its global footprint and from further best-in-class innovation by combining two of the leading R&D powerhouses in the industry. As in the past, installation of elevators and maintenance services are not part of the merged entity’s business. Dr. Walter Rohregger, CEO of Wittur and future CEO of the combined entity, commented: “I am delighted that in very constructive discussions we have been able to articulate the value of both companies combining to create a leading global supplier to the elevator industry. Sematic has a long history and an outstanding reputation in the industry, a complementary product range and highly qualified people. Our increased diversification in terms of product range, geographic footprint and customer base will add to the resilience of our business model. With this important milestone in our group’s growth path we are delivering on our value creation strategy.” Through the merger with Sematic, Wittur will expand its product range and customer base and benefit from Sematic’s know-how in the customized engineering segment. Wittur is also expected to take advantage of Sematic’s complementary international presence, notably including North America. The increased product diversification and the more balanced geographic footprint should in turn help Wittur in the more stable recurring aftermarket and modernization business. At the same time, Sematic is expected to benefit from Wittur’s extensive product range, effective sales network and customer access. Wittur greatly values the long history of the Sematic brand and remains committed to the proud heritage of Sematic’s founding family. While the combined company will operate under the Wittur name, Sematic will continue as a brand. Current Wittur CEO Dr. Walter Rohregger who has headed the Group since 2012 will lead the merged entity as Group CEO. He has some 25 years of experience in various global businesses and lived in Asia for more than ten years. The combined company will benefit from Dr. Walter Rohregger’s longstanding engineering expertise and extensive experience in implementing growth strategies and operational improvements. Sematic CEO Dr. Stefano Socci will join the executive management team of the combined entity. Sematic’s current chairman, Dr. Roberto Zappa, who represents the family of Sematic founder Francesco Zappa, has agreed to continue to support the combined company as a member of the Supervisory Board of the merged entity. Dr. Roberto Zappa’s positions in the industry including his role as President of the main Italian Lift Association (AssoAscensori), Vice President of the European Lift Association (ELA) and President of the local Metalmechanics Group within Confindustria will be an extremely valuable contribution to the merged business. Dr. Roberto Zappa, Sematic Chairman of the Board, added: “Merging with Wittur is an absolutely logical step which fits perfectly with Sematic’s vision for the future supply chain of the industry backed with a strong shareholder structure. Once all statutory steps for the transaction are completed, the market will enjoy dealing with an independent, innovative and competent global components and elevator supply company, offering products and services that are developed around the needs of our customers and create added value.” Dr. Michael Siefke, Chairman of the Board of Wittur, commented: “Today, we open a new chapter in the history of Wittur and Sematic. We are absolutely convinced that the combined company will be better placed to meet our customers’ demands in the future by creating a truly global company with global reach and an even broader and flexible production. In particular, I am pleased that Dr. Roberto Zappa will join the Supervisory Board, supporting us with his unique industry expertise and network.” Investor Relations contact Wittur Holding AG Media contacts FTI Consulting Patric Garvin Italy: About the Sematic Group About Bain Capital About The Carlyle Group 2015-08-11 Dissemination of a Corporate News, transmitted by DGAP – a service of EQS Group AG. The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. The DGAP Distribution Services include Regulatory Announcements, Financial/Corporate News and Press Releases. Media archive at www.dgap-medientreff.de and www.dgap.de |
385343 2015-08-11 |
Aktuelle News
Aktuelle Berichte
Anstehende Events
Webcasts
Events Funktionen
Weitere Funktionen
29
Nov 16
Wittur Holding GmbH
Conference Call on the publication of the 9M 2016 report of Wittur Group