Calgon Carbon Corp. (Pittsburgh, Pa.; www.calgoncarbon.com) and Kuraray Co., Ltd. (Tokyo, Japan; www.kuraray.com) announced that their respective Boards of Directors have unanimously approved, and the parties have entered into, a definitive merger agreement under which Kuraray will acquire Calgon Carbon for $21.50 per share in cash, which equates to an equity value of approximately $1.1 billion, and a transaction value in excess of $1.3 billion, including Calgon Carbon’s net indebtedness. The transaction remains subject to customary closing conditions, including regulatory approvals and approval by Calgon Carbon stockholders. The parties are targeting a closing by the end of December, 2017. The acquisition will be completed through a merger of a newly created subsidiary of Kuraray with and into Calgon Carbon, with Calgon Carbon as the surviving corporation.
While this acquisition will enhance Kuraray’s growth strategy and global presence in activated carbon and filtration media, it intends to operate Calgon Carbon as a separate subsidiary of Kuraray. The companies will align the organization and operation for optimal customer support from Calgon Carbon’s world headquarters in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Kuraray and Calgon Carbon have complementary products and services, and the combined organization will continue to focus on activated carbon and filtration media products.
Randy Dearth, Calgon Carbon’s Chairman, President and CEO, said of the acquisition, “Not only does this transaction deliver premium value to our stockholders, it also benefits our customers and employees by making Calgon Carbon part of a much larger, stronger global company with resources to fully support our global activated carbon, filtration media and service businesses now, and well into the future.”
Masaaki Ito, Kuraray’s Representative Director and President said, “For Kuraray, the integration of Calgon Carbon’s excellent employees all around the world, their R&D and sales expertise, and their manufacturing operations will contribute to the expansion of our carbon materials business, which leads our key strategic areas such as ‘water and environment,’ and ‘energy.’ Together, Kuraray and Calgon Carbon will help advance human health and environmental sustainability by providing high performance carbon materials to the market.”