Heubach, SK Capital to Acquire Clariant’s Pigments Business

The Heubach Group, in partnership with SK Capital Partners, announced a definitive agreement to acquire Clariant’s Pigments Business. The combined business will operate under the Heubach name, creating a global pigments leader generating more than €900 million ($1.09 billion) in annual sales.
 
The transaction values Clariant Pigments at approximately CHF 805 million ($900 million), with additional consideration of CHF 50 million contingent on the 2021 financial performance of the business unit. As part of the transaction, Clariant will be reinvesting for a minority stake in the combined business, demonstrating its continuing commitment to the success of Clariant Pigments and the substantial growth opportunity in the combination with Heubach.

Heubach is a leading global producer of organic, inorganic, and non-toxic anti-corrosive pigments, operating four global production locations and employing approximately 1,000 people. Clariant Pigments is a leading global provider of organic pigments, pigment preparations and dyes, operating 13 global production sites and employing approximately 1,900 people.
 
The combination of Heubach and Clariant Pigments is expected to be highly synergistic. The businesses share a complementary product portfolio and a regionally compatible asset footprint, which will allow for an expanded product range and wider geographical coverage to better serve customers. The combined business will continue to prioritize innovation, quality, technical service and product development in order to provide an enhanced value proposition for its customers.
 
“We have been in pigments for more than 200 years,” Johann Heubach, CEO of the Heubach Group, noted. “My late father and I set out to drive consolidation in the pigments industry, and the combination of Heubach and Clariant Pigments is a major milestone in this vision. We are extremely excited to have gained SK Capital as a partner and we are eagerly looking forward to capitalizing on their expertise in integrating and operating businesses in the global chemical industry.
 
“The fit between Heubach and Clariant Pigments is perfect,” Heubach observed. “The combination of industry leading technologies, a product portfolio serving a wide range of customer requirements and global production and service footprint will give the newly formed Heubach Group the ability to serve our global customer base in the coatings, plastics, inks and specialty applications fields with industry leading products and services.”
 
“Clariant Pigments is a premier global colorant solutions provider, and, together with our new partners, the Heubach Group and Clariant, we see a tremendous opportunity to create significant value for all stakeholders,” Aaron Davenport, a managing director of SK Capital, noted.
 
“We are pleased to announce the agreement with Heubach and SK Capital for the sale of our pigments business,” Conrad Keiijzer, CEO of Clariant, added. “We are confident that with Heubach and SK Capital, we have found the right new owners of this business, for our customers, our colleagues and our other stakeholders.”
 
Closing of the transaction is subject to customary conditions and approvals and is expected to take place in the first half of 2022.