en.Wedoany.com Reported - Maire recently announced that its subsidiary Nextchem has completed the acquisition of the entire share capital of the Ballestra Group for a transaction amount of €148.2 million. Ballestra is a global leading provider of process plant licensing, design, and engineering services, as well as a supplier of proprietary technologies and equipment for the chemical industry.
This acquisition significantly strengthens Nextchem's market position, expands its technology portfolio in the phosphate and potash sectors, and completes coverage of the full NPK spectrum. At the same time, it provides opportunities to enter the chemical fields related to strategic material production and recycling, which are closely linked to the development of electrification; Nextchem had previously acquired metal recovery technology through the purchase of Etek. Proprietary technologies in sulfuric acid, phosphoric acid, and hydrofluoric acid bring significant opportunities and commercial synergies, supporting new customers in the metals and mining industries. Fluorine-based technologies (with global leadership held by Ballestra's Swiss subsidiary Buss Chemtech) drive expansion along the electrification value chain, as these technologies are crucial for applications in photovoltaic panels and lithium-ion batteries. In the oleochemical sector, Ballestra designs and supplies process plants and machinery under the renowned Mazzoni brand, with its solutions for detergents, surfactants, and soaps meeting the growing demand for sustainable products in the consumer goods industry.
Through this acquisition, Nextchem integrates Ballestra's first-class technology portfolio, strong industrial expertise, and approximately 460 highly qualified employees, further enhancing the group's unique process design capabilities. The transaction also creates new cross-selling opportunities for Maire's IE&CS business unit Tecnimont in the fields of industrial plant projects, retrofits, and material transformation.
Ballestra operates its own laboratories and industrial demonstration plants in Busto Arsizio, Italy, Milan, and Basel, Switzerland. These facilities are dedicated to the development, validation, and scale-up of new technological solutions, expanding Nextchem's European innovation platform and enhancing its ability to transform chemical and engineering expertise into scalable industrial solutions, thereby supporting its growth trajectory. The acquisition price of €148.2 million has been fully paid, based on an enterprise value of €108.2 million, plus net cash of €40 million adjusted according to contractually agreed criteria. Funding comes from existing cash and a dedicated bank credit line granted to Nextchem. Ballestra will continue to operate under the leadership of Paolo Iengo, who has long-term experience in the industry and a deep technical and commercial background in the chemical and engineering fields.
Maire CEO Alessandro Bernini stated that completing the acquisition of Ballestra is an extremely important strategic and industrial milestone for the group, consolidating its positioning in high-growth potential areas and expanding its ability to support new and existing customers in the fields of phosphate fertilizers, advanced materials chemistry, and metals. Through Ballestra, the group brings proven technologies, unique capabilities, and highly valuable talent into Nextchem, helping to accelerate the development of a European technology platform with global influence. In this transaction, the sellers were advised by Freshfields and Rothschild & Co, while Maire's transaction was handled by the group's M&A, legal, and corporate teams, supported by operational due diligence from PwC.
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