Kansai Helios acquires railway coatings business from Becker Industrie

On December 9, 2022, the asset purchase agreement to acquire the railway coatings business of Beckers Group, Becker Industrie SAS, Montbrison (France), was signed. Kansai Helios will - upon fulfillment of closing conditions - acquire all of Beckers' business assets in the Railway Coatings segment, such as recipes and railway homologations and customer database (excluding customers from India and China). As part of this transaction, Kansai Helios will establish a new and first subsidiary in France, Kansai Helios France SAS. The transaction is expected to close in the first quarter of 2023. This acquisition is a major step for the company to further strengthen its competitive position in the field of railway coatings in Europe and worldwide. Among other products, Beckers Group offers a wide range of innovative industrial coatings for the protection of rail vehicles, ensuring the highest quality, environmental protection and cost efficiency with a long service life. In addition to its proven solvent-based range, the company also offers a complete water-based range that meets the most demanding technical requirements. This product range and technologies will be transferred to Kansai Helios and integrated into the existing portfolio.

Dietmar Jost, Managing Director of the Kansai Helios Group, explains, "For Kansai Helios, the development and production of railway coatings has always been of great importance and in recent years we have built up a strong market position as the largest manufacturer of railway coatings in Europe with important brands such as Wefa, Rembrandtin and Helios. As quality, efficiency and the wide range of color shades, as well as advanced system solutions have been convincing rail vehicle manufacturers in more than 40 countries worldwide for decades, this acquisition perfectly rounds off the segment. Having recently acquired the shares of Westdeutsche Farben GmbH and established Kansai Helios Wefa in Essen, this acquisition is another important step for the development in the rail coatings segment." Christophe Sabas, CEO of Beckers Group, says: "This is a strategic transaction for both parties. The railway coating business will become an important part of Kansai Helios' growth strategy, while Beckers will be able to invest more energy and resources in our strategic businesses and new developments." Upon completion of the transaction process, Kansai Helios France SAS will acquire the relevant employees of Becker Industrie SAS in the railway coating business.