en.Wedoany.com Reported - Gerresheimer will sell its plastics packaging business to UK private equity firm Apax for €1.5 billion, with the transaction assets including Centor US Holding Inc.

The sale will proceed in two parts. The portion involving Centor US Holding Inc is expected to be completed before the end of the 2026 fiscal year, while the Primary Packaging Plastics business is expected to close in the first half of the 2027 fiscal year. Upon completion, Apax will acquire Centor's U.S. plants as well as 15 plastics packaging production sites across nine countries. The two businesses generated combined revenue of approximately €570 million in 2025, with a total workforce of around 2,400 employees.

Gerresheimer CFO Wolf Lehmann stated that this transaction is an important step in optimizing the capital and financing structure and will significantly reduce the company's leverage ratio. The expected cash inflow from the transaction will be used to accelerate debt reduction, and combined with the planned comprehensive refinancing, interest expenses will decline markedly, ultimately resulting in a sustainable capital structure. At the same time, the continued advancement of the transformation program will also have a positive impact on operating cash flow and free cash flow.

Apax Partner Anders Meyerhoff stated that Centor and Primary Packaging Plastics are market leaders in prescription drug bottles and primary pharmaceutical packaging, having built a reputation for quality and reliability over decades. Apax has extensive experience in carve-out transactions and, together with its operational excellence team, will work with management to build a strong independent company positioned for long-term growth.