About the Deal

French publicly listed AIR LIQUIDE, world leader in gases, technologies and services for industry and health, sold its subsidiary Cryotherm, the German market leader of storage and transfer facilities for cryogenic liquid gases to its management and private investors. With this transaction AIR LIQUIDE continues its strategy to focus its business on core activities.

AIR LIQUIDE is the world leader in gases, technologies and services for industry and health. The company supplies customers in 80 countries in extremely diverse industries such as steel industry, food and beverage, electronics or pharmaceuticals. AIR LIQUIDE is publicly listed and achieves sales of € 15bn with roughly 50,000 employees.

Cryotherm is a specialist for the construction and manufacturing of a full range of vacuum super insulated containers and transfer pipes for cryogenic liquid gases that are used in many different industries such as research, biotechnology, medicine and health, chemicals, automotive and food. Besides standard and customized products it provides engineering capabilities for an outstanding customer portfolio of blue chip companies and SMEs. Cryotherm is a cost efficient quality leader with a well established brand name.

What we did

Capitalmind Investec advised AIR LIQUIDE on the sale of Cryotherm throughout a competitive limited auction process with strategic as well as financial investors. At the end a group of private investors backed the incumbent management of Cryotherm as buyer, because it was able to best generate value for AIR LIQUIDE for a stable and Germany focused business. The transaction ensures that Cryotherm can continue its successful niche strategy and can now further internationalize its business.

Ervin Schellenberg, Managing Partner Capitalmind Investec: “We faced two major challenges during the transaction: to position Cryotherm as a platform for international growth in an almost stable market and to manage the carve-out from gas giant AIR LIQUIDE while at the same time preserving Cryotherm’s market leading position. With the company’s management backed by private investors a buyer was found, who guarantees for an ongoing successful business as independent entity and for a further close business cooperation with AIR LIQUIDE.”