Triton sells COBEX to Tokai Carbon

Frankfurt / Wiesbaden (Germany), Tokyo (Japan) 17 June 2019 – Funds advised by Triton (“Triton”) have signed an agreement to sell COBEX, a leading manufacturer and supplier of carbon and graphite products used in the aluminum, primary iron and other smelting industries, to Tokai Carbon Co., Ltd. (“Tokai Carbon”), a pioneer in the Japanese carbon products industry, for an Enterprise Value of EUR 825 million. Triton acquired COBEX, the former Cathodes, Furnace Linings and Carbon Electrodes business of SGL Group in 2017.

“We would like to thank the management team and the employees for their contribution to COBEX’s successful development during Triton’s ownership. Tokai Carbon is the ideal partner for COBEX going forward and this partnership will be beneficial for both companies,” said Peder Prahl, Director of the General Partners of the Triton funds.

“COBEX is a recognised innovation leader in material science and products. Thanks to its market leading position in high performance carbon and graphite solutions, COBEX enjoys long-standing, trusted partnerships with numerous customers around the world. Triton has now taken the next step to ensure a successful and sustainable future for COBEX,” adds Rohin Jain, Investment Advisory Professional at Triton.

“We thank Triton for being a stable investor and good partner. With Triton’s support and thanks to its sector expertise and know-how we have successfully gone to a stand-alone company and were able to foster COBEX’s position as a global market leader at the same time,” said Frank Goede and Andrzej Hotlos, Managing Directors of COBEX. “We welcome Tokai Carbon as a new owner and look forward to a successful future.”

“We are excited about acquiring COBEX as we believe that there is high growth potential of the business and it would help us realize our mid-term management plan T-2021. COBEX will allow us to expand our international footprint and to establish a production platform in Eastern Europe. We look forward to working with COBEX and move towards a successful future together”, said Hajime Nagasaka, President and CEO of Tokai Carbon.

About COBEX

COBEX is a global leader in the manufacture of carbon and graphite products for the primary aluminum and iron making industry and other metallurgical smelting processes. COBEX’s core areas of expertise lie in the manufacture of cathodes, furnace linings and carbon electrodes in premium quality and with maximum consistency. COBEX enjoys long-standing, trust-based partnerships with numerous customers around the world. Through innovative solutions, COBEX helps its customers create added value and optimize total cost of ownership. A highly skilled team with years of experience in product development and application assists our customers with their technical knowledge and expertise. COBEX is based in Wiesbaden, Germany. The company also has two plants in Poland and sales and technical services in China.

For further information: www.cobexgroup.com/en/

About Tokai Carbon

Founded in 1918, Tokai Carbon has for over 100 years been the market leader in the production and sale of a broad range of high-quality carbon and graphite products servicing numerous global customers in wide range of industries such as steel, autos, semiconductors, and electronic components. Tokai Carbon has developed and delivered cutting-edge know-how for carbon products to meet customers’ needs. Tokai Carbon maintains a global network of 42 business locations across 10 countries in Asia, Europe and North America. It posted consolidated sales of JPY 231 billion and total assets of JPY 317 billion in the fiscal year ending December 31, 2018. Tokai Carbon is listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange.

For further information: www.tokaicarbon.co.jp/en/

About Triton

Since its establishment in 1997, Triton has sponsored nine funds, focusing on businesses in the industrial, business services, consumer and health sectors. The Triton funds invest in and support the positive development of medium-sized businesses headquartered in Europe. Triton seeks to contribute to the building of better businesses for the longer term. Triton and its executives wish to be agents of positive change towards sustainable operational improvements and growth.
The 37 companies currently in Triton's portfolio have combined sales of around €14.9 billion and around 73,000 employees.

For further information: www.triton-partners.com

Press Contacts

Triton

Anja Schlenstedt

Phone: +49 69 9210 2190

Tokai Carbon

Tsunayuki Sato

Phone: +81 3 3746 5228

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