Bundeskartellamt clears Colfax/Netzsch merger without obligations

The Bundeskartellamt has cleared the planned acquisition by the Colfax Corporation, Richmond, Virginia, USA, of all the shares in Netzsch GmbH & Co. KG as well as Netzsch Beteilungs GmbH, both based in Selb, since the planned merger is not expected to create or strengthen a dominant position.

In Germany Colfax operates through Allweiler AG, Radolfzell (which it controls) and its subsidiaries. Allweiler produces and sells centrifugal, spindle and eccentric screw pumps and on a limited scale peristaltic (hose) pumps for a wide variety of applications.

Netzsch is the parent company of an internationally active group of companies producing among others eccentric screw pumps, rotary pumps and systems for various applications in wastewater treatment, the chemical and food industry, paints and dyestuffs industry and in the waste management sector.

The merger affects the market for eccentric screw pumps and rotary pumps used in particular in the chemical and pharmaceuticals industry, the foods industry and in water and wastewater treatment technology.

The merger leads to an addition of market shares of the two parties on the market for these pumps in Germany and strengthens Netzsch’s position as leading supplier. At the same time the newly formed group will in future continue to be exposed to substantial competition by further major competitors and to considerable demand power and so the merger was cleared.