16. November 2015

ARQIS has advised IHI Corporation (IHI) on the acquisition of VTN Beteiligungsgesellschaft mbH (VTN) from the majority shareholders funds managed by BPE Unternehmensbeteiligungen G.m.b.H. and other minority shareholders. The transaction is subject to regulatory clearance by the antitrust authorities.

VTN is a leading, high quality provider of advanced heat treatment service. VTN offers a wide range of heat treatment technologies, including vacuum heat treatment, induction heating and protective atmosphere heat treatment. VTN operates five heat treatment plants in Germany (Witten-Herbede, Witten-Annen, Freiburg i.Br., Wilthen and Bielefeld) for customers particularly in the market of automotive, aviation, industrial and agricultural. In 2014, the company generated net sales of approx. EUR 30 million.

IHI, established in 1853, is a listed Japanese industrial conglomerate with a capital of approx. EUR 800 million, over 28,000 employees and sales of approx. EUR 10 billion for the year 2014. IHI’s 100% subsidiary company, IHI Machinery and Furnace Co., Ltd (IMS), is a leading supplier of vacuum furnace with more than 2,000 installations all over the world and a leading company especially for vacuum carburizing technology.

The acquisition of VTN is a step for further global expansion of IHI/IMS vacuum heat treatment technology through the European market.

The advisory services of ARQIS included legal due diligence, structural advice, as well as contract drafting and negotiations.

Advisor IHI Corporation

ARQIS Rechtsanwälte (Duesseldorf/Munich) Dr. Shigeo Yamaguchi (lead, corporate/M&A), Dr. Andrea Panzer-Heemeier (Labour), Dr. Ulrich Lienhard (Real Estate), Marcus Nothhelfer (IP); Counsel: Saskia Kirschbaum (Labour); Associates: Dr. Meiko Dillmann, Tobias Nogami Kamerling, Yohei Nagata (Corporate/M&A), Dr. Deniz Günal (Commercial), Eva Trost (Labour)