HANOVER, Germany and Fairlawn, Ohio – Continental, an international automotive supplier, tire manufacturer and industrial partner headquartered in Hanover, Germany, announced today that it has concluded an agreement with The Carlyle Group, Washington, D.C., relating to the purchase of Veyance Technologies Inc., Fairlawn, Ohio, for approximately 1.4 billion euros. 

Veyance operates globally in the field of rubber and plastics technology and in 2013 recorded sales of approximately 1.5 billion euros – roughly 90 percent of which were achieved outside the automotive industry. Veyance has 27 plants around the world and a workforce of about 9,000 employees at the end of 2013. The acquisition is subject to the approval of the responsible anti-trust  authorities.

“Veyance’s business and geographic presence complements Continental’s existing global footprint, and the planned integration of Veyance into our ContiTech division will expand our position in rubber and plastics technologies on a worldwide basis,” said Dr. Elmar Degenhart, chairman of Continental’s Executive Board in Hanover. “Furthermore, this acquisition will enable Continental to come a step closer to its strategic goal of increasing further our proportion of sales to industrial customers and private end users. ContiTech itself will achieve some 60 percent of its sales outside the automotive OE sector in future.”

He continued, “Veyance will make an immediate  positive contribution to the corporation’s profitability once the transaction has been concluded. The acquisition can be financed from cash and available credit lines.”

Added Heinz-Gerhard Wente, member of Continental AG’s Executive Board and CEO of the ContiTech division, “Veyance Technologies will complement our ContiTech division in key markets where our presence is limited, particularly in the U.S. and South America. Plants in Mexico, Canada, China, Australia and also South Africa will provide additional opportunities. Veyance and ContiTech complement each other geographically, and ContiTech’s Conveyor Belt Group and Fluid Technology business units in particular will benefit from an enhanced global presence. The Power Transmission Group and Air Spring Systems also will achieve positive results from the merger.”

“We are proud of what the Veyance management team has accomplished and believe the combination of Veyance and Continental will even more effectively meet customers’ needs globally,” stated Martin Sumner, managing director of The Carlyle Group.

In 2013, ContiTech’s and Veyance’s merged pro forma sales will add up to approximately 5.4 billion euros, and they employ about 39,000 people worldwide. Veyance Technologies achieves about half of its sales in the U.S. Other important markets include Latin America, Africa, China and other Asian countries. The product focus is on conveyor belts, hoses, power transmission belts and air springs.

“ContiTech and Veyance are a great fit for each other,” said John S. Hamilton, CEO of Veyance Technologies Inc. “In addition to the complementary geographic and product mix, we bring an organization and culture which delivers on our commitments to customers, employees and our communities. We look forward to becoming valuable members of the ContiTech team to continue building upon our shared culture of innovation and providing value to customers.”