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BASF to Sell CONICA Sports Surfaces to Serafin Group


WEBWIRE

-Serafin will take over Schaffhausen site
-Serafin Group intends to boost growth of CONICA



Ludwigshafen, Germany – – BASF signed a contract with the Munich-based Serafin Group for the sale of its CONICA Sports Surfaces business together with its site in Schaffhausen, Switzerland. Both parties agreed not to disclose financial details. Closing of the transaction is expected by the end of the second quarter of 2013.



The CONICA Sports Surfaces business includes the development, production and marketing of flooring systems for running tracks, sports halls, tennis courts and playgrounds as well as artificial turf solutions. As a niche business, CONICA Sports Surfaces is not part of the strategic focus of BASF.



“With the Serafin Group we found a new owner for CONICA who aims to generate long-term profitable growth in the sports surfaces business,” said Dr. Tilman Krauch, head of BASF’s Construction Chemicals division.


“The key factors for the acquisition are the excellent reputation of the CONICA brand, the team’s expertise, the production capacities and, last but not least, the growth opportunities in an attractive market segment,” said Philipp Haindl, one of the Managing Directors of Serafin Group. The aim is to use financial and personnel resources in order to drive forward the future development of CONICA. Serafin intends to generate additional growth in this segment through targeted investment.



At present, approximately 135 employees work at the Schaffhausen site, of which around 60 are employed in the sports surfaces business. As the new owner of CONICA Sports Surfaces, those employees will transfer to Serafin. The international sales team consisting of nine employees will receive an offer to continue working for CONICA.



Initially, the production of industrial floorings, sealants as well as special polyurethane solutions will be continued in Schaffhausen on behalf of BASF for a period of 18 months following the completion of the transaction and subsequently be relocated to another BASF site. Approximately 40 employees work in this field.



Another approximately 35 employees currently work in the development, product management and sales of industrial flooring, sealants and special polyurethane solutions at the Schaffhausen site. In the medium term, BASF intends to relocate these fields of activity to other sites of the company.



BASF informed the Head of Schaffhausen’s Department of Economic Affairs and the Economic Development and Employment Office about the sale.



About Serafin

The philosophy of Serafin is based on the entrepreneurial tradition of its owner’s family. Serafin was founded with the aim to build a diversified group of companies with a long-term focus on steady growth. The strategy is to acquire companies across five industry segments. Currently, Serafin is active in two business segments including “Plastics” and “Consumer Goods”. With more than 600 employees the Group generates total revenues of 150 million Euro. The value-driven development of Serafin is supported by the advisory board consisting of Prof. Dr. Bernd Gottschalk, Dr. Clemens Haindl, Wolfgang Ley and Prof. Dr. Heinrich von Pierer.



About the Construction Chemicals division

BASF’s Construction Chemicals division is the leading supplier of chemical systems and formulations for the construction industry. Continuous innovation and tailor-made solutions ensure its customers are more successful. Its product portfolio comprises admixture systems, cement additives, solutions for underground construction, repair systems and performance grouts, expansion control systems, waterproofing solutions and sealants, flooring systems, tile fixing systems, wall systems and solutions for wood protection. The division operates production sites and sales centers in more than 60 countries and achieved sales of about €2.2 billion with approximately 7,000 employees in 2011.



About BASF

BASF is the world’s leading chemical company: The Chemical Company. Its portfolio ranges from chemicals, plastics, performance products and crop protection products to oil and gas. We combine economic success, social responsibility and environmental protection. Through science and innovation we enable our customers in almost all industries to meet the current and future needs of society. Our products and system solutions contribute to conserving resources, ensuring healthy food and nutrition and helping to improve the quality of life. We have summed up this contribution in our corporate purpose: We create chemistry for a sustainable future. BASF posted sales of about €73.5 billion in 2011 and had more than 111,000 employees as of the end of the year. BASF shares are traded on the stock exchanges in Frankfurt (BAS), London (BFA) and Zurich (AN). Further information on BASF is available on the Internet at www.basf.com.



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