The asset purchase agreement for the acquisition of the Railway Coatings business of Beckers Group´s company Becker Industrie SAS, Montbrison (France) was signed on December 9^th, 2022. KANSAI HELIOS will – after completion of closing conditions – acquire all business assets of Beckers in the Railway Coatings segment, such as recipes and railway homologations and customer database (excluding customers from India and China). As a part of this transaction, KANSAI HELIOS will establish a new and at the same time its first subsidiary in France, KANSAI HELIOS France SAS. The transaction is expected to close in the first quarter of 2023. This acquisition will be a great step for KANSAI HELIOS to further strengthen its competitive position in the Railway Coatings sector in Europe and worldwide.

The Beckers Group provides, among other products, a wide range of innovative industrial coatings designed to protect railway vehicles and ensure excellent cost-efficiency with long life durability. The products guarantee the highest quality and environmental protection. In addition to the proven solvent-borne range, the company also offers a full waterborne range, which meets the most demanding technical requirements. Those product range and technologies will be transferred to KANSAI HELIOS and integrated to the existing portfolio.

Dietmar Jost, Executive Director KANSAI HELIOS Group states: “For KANSAI HELIOS the Railway Coatings development and production has always been of great importance and we have achieved a strong market position in recent years, being the largest producer of Railway Coatings in Europe with important brands such as Wefa, Rembrandtin and Helios. Since quality, efficiency, and the broad range of colour shades, but also highly advanced system solutions have been convincing rail vehicle manufacturers in more than 40 countries worldwide for decades, this particular purchase rounds off the field perfectly. This business acquisition is a further step of KANSAI HELIOS in the Railway Coatings segment, following our most recent asset acquisition and establishment of KANSAI HELIOS Wefa in Essen, Germany.”

Christophe Sabas, CEO Beckers Group says: “This is a strategic deal for both parties. The Railway Coatings business will become an important part of KANSAI HELIOS’ growth strategy, while Beckers will be able to put more energy and resources behind our strategic businesses and new developments. We are very pleased to sell the Railway business to KANSAI HELIOS. Our committed Railway Coatings employees have been a very much appreciated part of Becker Industrie S.A.S. and I wish them the best of luck in the future. We know KANSAI HELIOS well and I am confident that joining the KANSAI HELIOS family will be good for the affected employees, customers and other stakeholders.”

After closing the process, KANSAI HELIOS France SAS will take over the relevant employees of Becker Industrie SAS in the railway coating business and add further resources, in order to continue the professional service customers are used to on the market, under KANSAI HELIOS.

Dietmar Jost adds: ”The Beckers Railway Coatings team is excellent and we are delighted that they have chosen the KANSAI HELIOS team to continue to serve their valued existing and new customers in France and around the world.