06. February 2019

ARQIS has advised Kyocera on the purchase of all shares in H.C. Starck Ceramics GmbH, a European advanced ceramics manufacturing and sales company based in Selb, Germany, through Kyocera Fineceramics GmbH.

Seller is H.C. Starck GmbH. The closing of the transaction is subject to the approval by the regulatory authorities.

Kyocera Fineceramics GmbH is the Germany-based European headquarters of Kyocera Corporation, which is listed in Japan. Since its establishment in 1959, Kyocera has provided components for a wide range of markets including industrial equipment, communications devices, medical devices, and renewable energy equipment, and has supported the development of numerous other industries by utilizing technology cultivated over many years of research, development, and manufacturing of fine ceramics.

In recent years, while Kyocera has been making investments to increase production capacity of fine ceramic components in Japan and the U.S., the company currently does not have facilities to manufacture fine ceramic components in Europe. By using manufacturing assets gained in the H.C. Starck Ceramics acquisition, Kyocera will be able to respond quickly to clients in Europe, satisfying growing market demand for fine ceramic components used in industrial machinery.

H.C. Starck Ceramics possesses reaction bonded silicon carbide (RBSiC) processing technology— a new technology for Kyocera — which enables production of high rigidity, large complex shaped materials. The newly acquired company also brings highly efficient production equipment using cutting-edge technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI).

The H.C. Starck Group is part of the portfolio of the private equity investors Advent International and The Carlyle Group.

Advisors to Kyocera::

ARQIS Rechtsanwälte (Dusseldorf/Munich): Dr. Shigeo Yamaguchi, Dr. Meiko Dillmann (both lead, Corporate/M&A), Dr. Andrea Panzer-Heemeier (Labour Law), Dr. Tobias Brors (Data Protection), Dr. Ulrich Lienhard (Real Estate), Marcus Nothhelfer (IP & Commercial), Dr. Mirjam Boche (W&I Insurance). Counsel: Dr. Deniz Günal (Corporate/M&A), Dr. Philipp Maier (IP & Commercial). Associates: Dr. Florian Kotman (Lead Associate; Corporate/M&A), Carina Engelhard, Martin Weingärtner (both Labour Law), Jennifer Huschauer (Real Estate), Sina Janke (Compliance).

Held Jaguttis (Cologne): Dr. Simeon Held, Dr. Malte Jaguttis, Bernard Altpeter (all Public & Environmental Law/Regulatory).

RCAA (Frankfurt): Evelyn Niitväli (Antitrust).