Lenzing AG: B&C Group and Suzano Enter Into Long-term Partnership
June 12 2024 - 4:13AM
Business Wire
New York- and São Paulo-listed Suzano S.A. acquires a 15
percent stake in Lenzing AG from B&C Group
B&C Group (“B&C”) and Suzano S.A. (“Suzano”) today
announce that Suzano has entered into a long-term partnership with
B&C with respect to its majority stake in Lenzing AG (“Lenzing”
or “the company”), the Vienna-listed leading global supplier of
cellulosic fibres for the textile and non-wovens industry.
Under the terms of the agreement, Suzano will acquire a 15
percent stake in Lenzing from B&C and the two shareholders will
form a long-term syndicate which will hold the majority stake
(52.25 percent) in the company. Subject to the closing of the
transaction, B&C will hold a 37.25 percent stake in Lenzing and
keep the role as controlling member of the new syndicate, with
Suzano holding the minority stake of 15 percent. The price per
share will be EUR 39.70, with a total acquisition purchase price of
EUR 230 million to be fully paid at closing.
As part of the long-term partnership, Suzano has the option to
acquire an additional 15 percent stake in the company from B&C
until the end of 2028. The agreement also stipulates that B&C
will remain a committed long-term shareholder in the company.
With an annual net revenue of more than EUR seven billion in
2023, Brazil-headquartered Suzano is the world’s largest market
pulp producer. The company, which is celebrating its centennial
year, has a long-standing track record of both operational
excellence and commitment to sustainability at all stages of its
processes, expertise that will complement Lenzing’s existing
business model. Suzano is no direct competitor of Lenzing and has
extensive experience in pulp, a raw material with significant
importance for Lenzing.
Moving forward, B&C and Suzano plan to support Lenzing’s
further development by focusing on driving revenue growth,
improving profitability and expanding the company’s international
competitiveness.
Walter Schalka, CEO of Suzano, said: “Lenzing is already a
leading global supplier of premium cellulosic fibres for the
textile and non-wovens industry and we recognize opportunities
exist for further growth with its established technology, product
range and technical knowledge. Our deep-rooted understanding of
pulp production and cost excellence makes Suzano, alongside
B&C, an ideal partner for Lenzing as it seeks strengthening its
competitive position and global presence. For us, this represents a
continuation of our strategy focused on investments which enlarge
our addressable market in scalable and competitive business models
and move us closer to the end-consumer.”
Wolfgang Hofer, Chairman of B&C Group: “We see this
partnership as a win-win-win situation for each party involved.
With Suzano, B&C will add a financially strong key shareholder
for Lenzing with extensive experience and strong reputation on the
international financial markets. Suzano as the leading global pulp
producer gains proximity to new markets thanks to this transaction.
For Lenzing, this transaction means a commitment of both partners
to strengthen Lenzing’s position as a global market leader for
sustainable cellulosic fibres.”
In line with the foundation purpose of B&C Private
Foundation, the new partners have agreed on a long-term commitment
to the existing Lenzing site which will ensure the company’s
headquarters, production facilities and key R&D activities
remain located in Austria. The partnership also guarantees the
continued listing of Lenzing shares on the Vienna stock
exchange.
The transaction is subject to approval by the relevant
regulatory authorities.
About Suzano S.A.
Suzano is the world’s largest producer of market pulp. Our
responsibly grown raw materials are used in products reaching over
two billion people in more than 100 countries, including tissue and
toilet paper, books, printing and writing paper, diapers and period
products, packaging, textiles, and a range of innovative
applications that can replace products made from fossil fuels.
Our pulp is made using biomass produced from farmed eucalyptus
trees, offering a biodegradable, renewable and recyclable raw
material for consumer and industrial use. We plant 1.2 million
trees a day on our farms and only harvest what we plant. We manage
around 26,000 km2 of land and around 40% of this is protected for
permanent conservation, with a zero-deforestation policy across all
of our operations.
Suzano’s history goes back over 100 years. We are listed on the
B3 stock exchange in Brazil (SUZB3) and the NYSE (SUZ) in the
United States.
Learn more at: suzano.com.br/en
About B&C Group
The B&C Private Foundation (www.bcprivatstiftung.at) is an
independent foundation. Since its inception in December 2000, its
goal has been to foster Austrian entrepreneurship and strengthen
Austria’s position as a business hub. B&C acts as a stable core
shareholder in Austrian industrial companies through its holding
companies, the B&C Group (www.bcgruppe.at). B&C is core
shareholder of Lenzing AG and holds majority stakes in Semperit AG
Holding (54.2%) and AMAG Austria Metall AG (52.7%). Through B&C
Innovation Investments, B&C Group has been investing in
tech-driven growth companies since 2016. It currently holds stakes
in Awake Mobility, Citrine, Contextflow, Flightkeys, Frequentis,
Kinexon, Klarx, Neoom, ParityQC, TriLite und TTTech.
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version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240612561637/en/
Press Contact: B&C-Group: Jürgen Gangoly,
Spokesperson, Phone: +43 664 2000260, Email: j.gangoly@bcholding.at
Suzano S.A.: Hawthorn Advisors, Email:
suzano@hawthornadvisors.com
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