Freudenberg acquires Capol GmbH

The Freudenberg Group based in Weinheim, Germany, is acquiring the shares of Capol GmbH based in Elmshorn, Germany, from financial investor Riverside, a move that will take effect immediately. Capol would then become a division of the Freudenberg Chemical Specialties (FCS) Business Group.
The Freudenberg Group supplies seals and vibration control technology, filtration, nonwovens, surface treatment products, lubricants and release agents, as well as medical technology and mechatronic products. The Freudenberg Group employs more than 37,000 people in 57 countries and generated sales of more than EUR6.3 billion (USD8.5 billion) in 2012.
Freudenberg Chemical Specialties is based in Munich. Founded in 2004 as a new business group within the Freudenberg Group, the company innovates in the fields of special lubricants and release agents. There are four divisions which are active in more than 50 countries: Kluber Lubrication, Chem-Trend, OKS and SurTec.
Capol is a major supplier of glazes, sealing agents, and release agents for the confectionery industry. These products ensure that confections do not get sticky or absorb moisture, nor will they dry out. The company also helps optimize the production process. Capol was established in 1975 and has a workforce of 57 at three locations in Germany, Great Britain and the U.S.A., marketing its products in nearly 50 countries throughout the world. The products are marketed under the brand names Capol, Capolex, and Fix Gum and are made using state-of-the-art manufacturing equipment.
“The acquisition of Capol is a further milestone in our strategy of strengthening and expanding the chemical specialties business area in the long term,” Mohsen Sohi, speaker of the board of management of the Freudenberg Group, said.
“The food industry is a key growth market,” he said.
“For Capol, being part of the Freudenberg Group will give us an opportunity to develop our business in the long term, to make our activities more international and to access new markets and market segments,” said Matthias Seemann, managing director of Capol GmbH.
“Additives for the food industry are an attractive market segment in the long term. Capol fits very well with Freudenberg Chemical Specialties. There are considerable similarities between our business models,” says Hanno D. Wentzler, CEO of FCS.
(August 8, 2013)