$1.6bn Mauser Group acquisition

Private equity firm Clayton, Dubilier & Rice will buy Mauser Group for $1.6bn.

Mauser manufactures and supplies plastic and steel drums and intermediate bulk containers (IBCs) for the chemical, industrial and food and beverage industries, among others.

Rigid industrial packaging

Vindi Banga, operating partner, CD&R, former member of the Unilever Executive Board, will assume the role of chairman of the Mauser Supervisory Board at the close of the transaction, expected in the third quarter of 2014. 

David Novak, partner, CD&R said Mauser is a competitively well-positioned, resilient business with strong exposure to the higher growth sub-segments of the rigid industrial packaging market in North America and Europe.

“We believe the company will continue to benefit from the combination of attractive, end-market growth and new operating improvement initiatives,” he said.

Peter Schaefer, CEO, Mauser said the firm welcomed the benefit of CD&R’s management and operating experience.

57 production facilities

Credit Suisse AG, Barclays, BNP Paribas, ING Capital LLC, Natixis and Nomura Securities International have committed to providing debt financing for the transaction.

Debevoise & Plimpton LLP and Clifford Chance acted as legal advisors and Credit Suisse Securities (Europe) Limited acted as financial advisor to CD&R.  

Mauser has 4,400 employees across 57 production facilities in 18 countries in Europe, North America, Latin America and Asia.