FGvW Advises Swiss SSE on Acquisition of Central European Explosives Business of the Australian Orica Group

SSE Holding SA (SSE), parent company of the Societé Suisse des Explosifs Group with headquarters in Brig, Switzerland, has acquired the explosives business of the Australian Orica Group in Germany, Poland, Czech Republic and Slovakia. The transaction concluded on September 29, 2016 in particular includes the acquisition by SSE of the operating companies of Orica in Germany (including production at the Würgendorf site), Poland, Czech Republic and Slovakia. At the same time, long-term mutual supply agreements were concluded between SSE and Orica.

“This acquisition is perfectly in line with our long term strategy to be one of the leading actors in Central Europe”, explains Daniel Antille, CEO of SSE. “It clearly represents a strategic step forward for our group by adding around 45 million euro in our sales. We are very proud to get closer to Orica with long term agreements and will focus our energy in the coming months to integrate over 180 new employees in our structure.”

In the course of the transaction, SSE was provided with comprehensive legal advice by our M&A team of the Freiburg office under the guidance of Dr. Sven Ufe Tjarks. In this process, the FGvW team worked closely together with the Swiss law firm Kellerhals Carrard, the polish law firm DZP Domański Zakrzewski Palinka and the Czech and Slovak law firm bpv Braun. In Germany, tax consulting services were provided by the auditing and tax consulting firm Bansbach GmbH in Freiburg and Stuttgart. SSE was advised by the Corporate Finance Group AG in Bern and Geneva, Switzerland, who acted as M&A lead advisors and in the Financial Due Diligence.

FGvW has worked together with the well-known Swiss law firm Kellerhals Carrard for a number of years and closely collaborates via the PECS network with the lawyers practising in Basel, Bern, Lausanne/Sion and Zurich. The firms regularly provide support for international transactions and also maintain an intensive exchange of technical expertise.

The Société Suisse des Explosifs (SSE) operates in the areas of civil explosives, fine chemicals and pyrotechnics. Over its 120-year history the company has developed from a regional manufacturer of explosives to an internationally oriented company with a number of divisions. The headquarters of SSE is located in the municipality of Brig, in the heart of the Swiss Alps.

Orica (ASX:ORI) is the largest supplier of commercial explosives and ignition systems for the areas of mining and infrastructure, a leading global supplier for the expansion of mines and tunnels and a leading supplier of sodium cyanide for the extraction of gold. The company with its headquarters in Melbourne, Australia, is listed on the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX) in Sydney and included in the share index S&P/ASX 50, which represents the 50 largest companies listed on the Australian stock exchange.

Advisors for SSE Holding SA

Friedrich Graf von Westphalen & Partner mbB, Freiburg, Germany
Dr. Sven Ufe Tjarks, senior associate (co-ordination, corporate, M&A)
Dr. Frank Jungfleisch, partner (corporate, M&A)
Dr. Friederike Schäffler, partner (real estate law, approvals)
Stephanie Krüger, senior associate (employment law)
Dr. Morton Douglas, partner (IP)