Beckers announces sale of global Railway Coatings business to Kansai Helios

Beckers Group announces that it has reached an agreement to sell its Railway Coatings business to Kansai Helios for an undisclosed sum. The asset purchase agreement for the sale of the railway coatings business of Beckers´ company Becker Industrie SAS, Montbrison (France) was signed on December 9th, 2022. After completion of closing conditions, Kansai Helios will acquire all business assets of Becker Industrie SAS in the Railway Coatings segment.

The transaction is an outcome of Beckers’ strategic review and part of the transformation of Beckers into a focused sustainable innovation-based leader. It allows Beckers to increase efficiency and reinvest into strategic core segments and new products.  

As a part of this transaction, Kansai Helios will establish its first subsidiary in France, Kansai Helios France SAS. With this acquisition Kansai Helios will further strengthen its competitive position in the railway coatings sector in Europe and worldwide.  

After closing the process, Kansai Helios France SAS will take over the relevant employees of Becker Industrie SAS in the Railway Coatings business and add further resources in order to ensure continuity of the professional service that customers are used to. The transaction is expected to close in the first quarter of 2023. Beckers will continue to serve its Railway customers in India and China. 

Christophe Sabas, CEO Beckers Group says: “This is a strategic deal for both parties. The Railway Coatings business will become an important part of Kansai Helios’ growth strategy, while Beckers will be able to put more energy and resources behind our strategic businesses and new developments. We are very pleased to sell the Railway business to Kansai Helios. Our committed Railway Coatings employees have been a much-appreciated part of Becker Industrie S.A.S. and I wish them the best of luck in the future. We know Kansai Helios well and I am confident that joining the Kansai Helios family will be good for those employees, customers and other stakeholders. 

Dietmar Jost, Executive Director Kansai Helios Group states: “For Kansai Helios the Railway Coatings development and production has always been of great importance, and we have achieved a strong market position in recent years, being the largest producer of railway coatings in Europe with important brands such as Wefa, Rembrandtin and Helios. Beckers’ innovative industrial coatings designed to protect railway vehicles products guarantee the highest quality and environmental protection. The purchase rounds off our portfolio perfectly. This business acquisition is a further step of Kansai Helios in the railway coatings segment, following our most recent asset acquisition and establishment of Kansai Helios Wefa in Essen, Germany.” 

Dietmar Jost adds: ”The Beckers Railway Coatings team is excellent and we are delighted that they have chosen the Kansai Helios team to continue to serve their valued existing and new customers in France and around the world."