Anticimex has acquired 100 percent of ISS’s pest control activities in 12 countries, including Australia, as well as ISS’s washroom businesses in Australia, Italy and New Zealand.
Anticimex has acquired 100 percent of ISS’s pest control activities in Australia, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Spain and Switzerland for an enterprise value of approximately DKK 2 billion. The activities acquired by Anticimex also include ISS’s washroom businesses in Australia, Italy and New Zealand.
As part of the transaction ISS and Anticimex have agreed on a strategic partnership covering the 12 countries in which ISS’s pest control activities are acquired, making Anticimex the preferred partner for the delivery of pest control services to ISS customers. For ISS the divestment reflects an increased strategic focus in the affected countries, resulting in a more focused business platform, and will contribute to the continued deleverage of ISS.
The combined group, to be named Anticimex, will have more than 3000 employees serving around 2.2 million customers in Australia, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland. In 2012, the combined pro-forma sales amounted to approximately SEK 3.2 billion.
“The combination of Anticimex and the pest control activities we have acquired from ISS creates an international pest control company and is a perfect match between two specialist companies that share the same business philosophy, local entrepreneurship and focus on pest control. We look forward to build on our strong market positions and leverage our leading know-how, quality services, methods and values.
“We are also very happy to have agreed on a strategic partnership with ISS and look forward to becoming an even more interesting partner for insurance companies and other partners and clients in Anticimex markets,” Olof Sand, CEO of Anticimex, comments.
“As part of our journey to become the world’s greatest service organisation we are increasingly streamlining and strengthening our business platform. Ahead of our discussions with Anticimex we carefully considered our ownership of the pest control activities in the relevant countries. As we concluded the review it was clear that our pest control business in these countries was not central to our strategy going forward and that Anticimex would be in a better position to realise the full potential of these activities. Through the strategic partnership with Anticimex we will continue to offer our customers in these markets high quality pest control services,” Jeff Gravenhorst, CEO of ISS A/S, states.
“We will use the proceeds from this divestment to further deleverage ISS. In addition, as a consequence of this divestment, the ISS management in the affected countries will be able to further strengthen focus on those activities that are core to their local business platforms,” Gravenhorst continues.
ISS has grown its pest control operations via acquisitions since 2002 and is one of Europe’s largest providers of pest control, with leading positions also in Australia and New Zealand. The business is primarily focused towards the commercial sector, but also serves the residential sector, especially in Italy and Australia. After the transaction, ISS will continue to have material pest control activities, primarily in emerging markets.
The transaction is subject to approval from the relevant authorities and is expected to close at the end of May 2013.
