Safic Alcan in MBO with private equity

ERJ staff report (DS)

Paris, France -- Safic Alcan has changed owners. Management has taken an unspecified share of the equity, with the majority going to ING Parcom Private Equity

In 2004, Safic Alcan made an MBO with the support of DLMD and Alpha. One year later, and after the sale of the "natural products" division, which represented more than 70% of consolidated turnover at the time, the management team of the speciality chemicals unit took over the group.

With the support of its new majority shareholder, the management team intends to rely on the company's existing skills in the domains of synthetic rubber and speciality chemicals products as well as their sourcing capacities in China via their local presence there, in order to diversify its offer and strengthen its positions in its different European markets. It also plans to capitalise on the opportunities for external growth in a fragmented market.

Based in Puteaux, France, the Safic-Alcan group (€250M turnover, 300 employees) is one of the European leaders in the distribution of speciality chemicals.