Permira to acquire CABB International from Bridgepoint

Permira is to acquire CABB International, a manufacturers of fine chemicals from Bridgepoint. The transaction is expected to complete in June 2014, subject to regulatory approvals and customary closing conditions.

PRESS RELEASE

Permira, the European private equity firm with global reach, today announced that a company owned by the Permira funds has entered into an agreement to acquire CABB International, one of the leading manufacturers of fine chemicals from Bridgepoint. The transaction is expected to complete in June 2014, subject to regulatory approvals and customary closing conditions.

CABB is a vertically integrated global supplier of fine and specialty chemicals and custom manufacturing solutions. The company is one of the leading suppliers of custom synthesized active ingredients and intermediates for the agrochemical market and other end-markets and is the leading supplier of monochloroacetic acid (“MCA”), a chemical intermediate used in a variety of end-markets and applications including agrochemicals, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, flavors, fragrances, vitamins and surfactants. CABB was founded in 2003 through the reorganization of Clariant’s acetyls operations and is headquartered in Sulzbach, Germany.

Dr. Martin Wienkenhöver, CEO of CABB Group, said: “In the past three years – under the ownership of Bridgepoint – CABB has made tremendous headway. Today CABB is a well-known and trusted partner for a large number of blue chip companies in the agrochemical, chemical and pharmaceutical industry. Together with Bridgepoint, the management of CABB established a sustainable growth strategy and we are looking forward to continue with and accelerate our successful growth path with the support of Permira.”

Torsten Vogt, Co-Head of the industrial team at Permira, said: “CABB is perfectly positioned as a leading global supplier of fine chemicals, specialty chemicals and intermediates to a variety of growing global industries including the agrochemicals industry, which we know well. We will leverage our long-standing expertise of the food value chain and in the chemicals industries built through the funds’ investments in Cognis and Netafim among others to support CABB’s standalone growth strategy in the years ahead.”

Marc Zügel, Co-Head of Bridgepoint Germany said, “CABB has performed strongly. It has generated excellent organic and acquisition-led growth, increased profits, consolidated its leadership position, and has expanded its facilities and established new operations in China and Finland. We wish the management team and the company continued success as they begin a new relationship with their new shareholder.”