EANS-Adhoc: Lenzing AG Lenzing Sells Business Unit Plastics
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Strategic management decisions/Company Information
17.04.2013
Consortium led by Invest AG is the new owner
As part of its efforts to further concentrate on its core business of
manufacturing fibers, Lenzing AG agreed to sell 85% of its shareholding in the
Business Unit Plastics (Lenzing Plastics GmbH) to an Austrian bidding consortium
led by Invest AG, the investment company of the Raiffeisen Banking Group Upper
Austria based in Linz. The valuation equals close to 8 EBITDA multiples of the
2012 financial year. This decision was preceded by a multi-stage bidding process
in which the new owner proved to the best bidder.
In the 2012 financial year Lenzing Plastics generated total sales of EUR 109.4
mn and an EBITDA of EUR 11.2 mn.
"For strategic reasons Lenzing aims to increasingly focus on its core fiber
business, which currently already accounts for 90% of consolidated sales. With
this change of ownership we will enable the excellent company Lenzing Plastics
to grow further and optimally exploit business opportunities under a new and
experienced industrial owner", says Lenzing's Chief Executive Officer Peter
Untersperger in justifying the decision to dispose of the company. Moreover, the
present consortium comprises a stable, Austrian solution featuring a responsible
owner.
The fact that Lenzing will maintain an interest in Lenzing Plastics as a
minority shareholder underlines its ongoing connection to the company, whose
production operations have been located at the Lenzing site for decades. Lenzing
Plastics will continue to make use of infrastructure services provided by
Lenzing AG.
"We see outstanding future and development potential in this high-tech Upper
Austrian company, and consider Lenzing AG to be an excellent partner to further
develop the company", says Heinrich Schaller, Chief Executive Officer of
Raiffeisenlandesbank Upper Austria.
Invest AG currently features a funding volume of EUR 150 mn consisting of about
25 participatory stakes in Austria and Southern Germany. It will support Lenzing
Plastics with equity capital and contribute its experience in growth financing.
The consortium, in which Invest AG holds a 30% stake, also includes OÖ
Beteiligungsgesellschaft m.b.H. & Co OG (18%) and Tyrol Equity AG (30%). Johann
Huber, the current Managing Director of Lenzing Plastics GmbH, and Christian
Reisinger, who was previously a longstanding Member of the Management Board of
Lenzing AG, also belong to the consortium (together 7%). "We are convinced that
we will be able to accompany Lenzing Plastics jointly into a promising future
thanks to our successful and experienced team", Heinrich Schaller adds.
The sale of Lenzing Plastics is subject to approval by the corporate bodies as
well as anti-trust authorities. The closing of the transaction is expected at
the end of the second or beginning of the third quarter of 2013.
Further inquiry note:
Lenzing AG
Mag. Angelika Guldt
Head of Corporate Communications
Phone: +43 (0) 7672 701-2713
E-mail: a.guldt@lenzing.com
Raiffeisenlandesbank Oberösterreich AG
Harald WETZELSBERGER
Public Relations und Medienservice
Phone: +43 (0) 732 6596 22009
E-mail: wetzelsberger@rlbooe.at
end of announcement euro adhoc
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issuer: Lenzing AG
A-A-4860 Lenzing
phone: +43 7672-701-0
FAX: +43 7672-96301
mail: a.guldt@lenzing.com
WWW: http://www.lenzing.com
sector: Chemicals
ISIN: AT0000644505
indexes: WBI, ATX, Prime Market
stockmarkets: free trade: Berlin, official market: Wien
language: English