Cologne, 25.07.2024 – RSBG SE, the investment arm of the RAG-Stiftung foundation, has sold a majority interest in the Masco Group (Masco) to Ardian, a world-leading private investment firm. Masco is a group of engineering, consulting and technology companies operating in global markets which serve the life sciences industry. With more than 1,000 employees, Masco supports over 6,000 customers worldwide with its products and solutions for manufacturing pharmaceutical and biotech applications.
The Borella family and Masco Group’s current management team will reinvest alongside Ardian, while Luca Borella will continue to lead the company as CEO. Industry experts Angelos Papadimitriou and Claudio Colombi will join the Board of Directors as Chairman and Director, respectively. RSBG acquired a majority stake in Masco in 2017. Since then, RSBG and Masco have jointly pursued an accelerated buy-and-build strategy. With four landmark acquisitions in five years, the product portfolio and geographical presence of Masco have been successfully expanded inorganically.
An international CMS team headed by lead partner Dr Malte Bruhns advised RSBG on all legal aspects of the transaction. RSBG has regularly relied on the legal expertise of CMS for many years. A CMS team advised RSBG on acquisition of the Masco Group in 2017 (led by CMS partner Klaus Jäger) and also during the acquisition of KeyPlants (2021) and Xils (2023) (headed in each case by CMS partner Dr Malte Bruhns).
Established in 1912, Milan-based Masco provides a range of bespoke products and services to the biopharma and life sciences industry. These include high-purity water systems, bioprocessing equipment, modular off-site fabricated facility solutions, process engineering and laboratory, validation, and automation services. Masco’s global footprint includes seven facilities located across Europe, North America, and Asia.
RSBG SE has its headquarters in Essen and is the investment arm of the RAG-Stiftung foundation. As an industrial investment company of the RAG-Stiftung foundation, RSBG has been investing since 2014 in high-growth future markets, sectors and industries that are being shaped by global technology trends. Its focus is on innovative and successful medium-sized companies. RSBG currently manages a portfolio of more than 85 companies with over 12,500 employees worldwide.
RSBG SE
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