Düsseldorf, 7 November 2011. The international law firm Linklaters advised the Swiss-based company Berlac AG on the acquisition of the German-based Cetelon Group from the private equity fund Steadfast Capital. Berlac AG prevailed in a bidding process against numerous other bidders. As part of the acquisition the Cetelon Group’s existing liabilities were also refinanced. The Parties agreed to keep the purchase price confidential.
The Berlac Group specialises in the manufacture of paints, lacquers and pastes for coating and colouring plastic and metal surfaces. The Berlac Group is especially well-known as an innovative supplier of solutions for complex coating applications. Berlac products are used in automotive manufacture, telecommunications, the ski and snowboard industry and in the eyewear and watch sectors. The lion’s share of Group sales is generated in Asia and Germany. With the acquisition of the Cetelon Group, the Swiss-based company continues its strategy of pursuing growth in premium niche markets.
With its three operating subsidiaries Cetelon Lackfabrik GmbH, Weckerle GmbH and Cetelon Nanotechnik GmbH, the Cetelon Group is the leading German supplier of decorative and functional specialised paint systems for niche applications in the automotive and electronics industries. Most recently, Cetelon Group’s 170 employees generated sales of about €44 million.
A Linklaters team led by Oliver Rosenberg (tax, Düsseldorf) and Mario Pofahl (corporate/M&A, Frankfurt) advised Berlac AG on the acquisition. The team also included Dr Markus Appel (corporate/M&A, Berlin), Tobias Nuß (Frankfurt), Mirko Marschall von Bieberstein (corporate/M&A, Frankfurt), Anna Burghardt (corporate/M&A, Berlin), Dr Björn Strehl (banking, Frankfurt), Matthew Devey, Matthias Füssel, Nicolas Roggel (all employment, Frankfurt), Sebastian Dey (capital markets, Berlin), Dr Jens Matthes, Dr Fabian Ziegenaus (both IP, Düsseldorf), Dr Carolin Reese (corporate/M&A, Düsseldorf), Nikolas Eschen (real estate, Frankfurt), Thorben Eisenbeiß (employment, Munich), Dr Tim Mundhenke and Kirsten Placke (both tax, Düsseldorf).
