Semperit: Portfolio expansion and growth through acquisition

• Rico Group, a leading liquid silicone-processing group, to be fully acquired
• Semperit is expanding technology, automation and material know-how
• Growth potential through attractive markets
• Acquisition strengthens market presence in North America

Vienna and Thalheim near Wels, 17 April 2023 - The Semperit Group announced today that it will acquire 100% of the Austrian Rico Group GmbH, a globally leading supplier of silicone injection moulds and manufacturer of liquid silicone components. The acquisition agreement was signed today in Upper Austria. Closing is expected in the third quarter 2023.

Semperit strategically expands radius of action

CEO Karl Haider is very satisfied with the acquisition: “Rico is a very attractive company and represents a strategic expansion in terms of product portfolio, processing technologies, automation and materials. With Rico’s engineering know-how, new and attractive markets will be increasingly developed, and growth created.”

In its almost 200-year corporate history, Semperit has gained a wealth of experience with elastomers and their value chain. Now Semperit is integrating the elastomer specialist Rico into the group of companies. The long-term potential of the transaction for the Semperit Group primarily lies in high-quality toolmaking for high-precision and complex solutions and the automation of production steps for the manufacture of large quantities. Furthermore, the acquisition strengthens market access in North America, where Rico has had its own production facilities for many years.

Semperit focuses on continuity and welcomes Rico’s highly qualified employees to the Group. The independence of the Rico Group will be maintained in the operational areas, and after the takeover the corporate functions will be supported by Semperit. Semperit continues to focus on the expansion course already embarked upon by Rico and will therefore seamlessly continue the construction of the plant expansion in Thalheim. Likewise, the expansion in the USA and in Switzerland will be fully supported.

Rico Group as ideal complement

Rico Group was founded 29 years ago in Thalheim near Wels. The company is a global market leader in mould making and liquid silicones, offering highly complex, precise, customised overall solutions in high volumes. Rico Group employs around 500 people and now consists of five companies, three of them in Austria, one in Switzerland and one in the USA. Rico Group generates currently revenues of approx. EUR 90 million per year and is on a consistent growth path.

Alfred Griesbaum, one of the three owners and founders of Rico Group, comments on the sale: “Semperit is our guarantee for continuity and growth, because Semperit is a company that understands our business, appreciates our Upper Austrian roots and can make three out of one plus one. With this promising perspective, handing over to Semperit was easy for us as founders.”

Rico Group covers the entire liquid silicone value chain – from prototype development to highly complex mould making and large-scale cleanroom production. The company is considered an international leader, especially in mould manufacturing and multi-component injection moulding products. Rico serves industrial customers with its customised solutions and supplies products for health care & life science, household & sanitation, electrification and mobility.

Strong growth in silicone applications

The annual growth rate of silicone will be around 7% until 2027, while the market for silicone applications in Western Europe and the US amounts to approximately USD 8 billion (2023).

About Semperit

The publicly listed company Semperit AG Holding is an internationally oriented group that develops and produces polymer products for the industrial and medical sectors, selling them in over 100 countries around the world: hydraulic and industrial hoses, conveyor belts, escalator handrails, construction profiles, cable car rings, products for railway superstructures, and examination and surgical gloves. Founded in 1824, this long-standing Austrian company has its headquarters in Vienna, Austria. The Semperit Group employs around 6,500 people worldwide in its continued and discontinued operations, including some 3,100 in Asia and approximately 900 in Austria (Vienna and production site Wimpassing, Lower Austria). The Group has 16 manufacturing facilities worldwide and numerous sales offices in Europe, Asia, Australia, and America. In the 2022 financial year, the Group generated revenue of EUR 779.8 million and an EBITDA of EUR 100.5 million in continued operations.