Double for Mutares: SZA Schilling, Zutt & Anschütz advises Mutares on parallel acquisitions in the steel and automotive sectors

Teams led by SZA Schilling, Zutt & Anschütz partners Dr. Martin Kolbinger and Marc-Philippe Hornung provided comprehensive legal advice to Mutares on the acquisition of the business operations of Buderus Edelstahl GmbH and S.M.A. Metalltechnik GmbH & Co. KG. Both transactions were signed almost simultaneously.

The acquisition of the business of Buderus Edelstahl GmbH, a group company of voestalpine AG, is a new platform investment to strengthen the Engineering & Technology segment of Mutares. Established in 1731, Buderus Edelstahl GmbH is a producer of high-quality special steels and is a market leader in the tool steel and engineering steel segments. With around 1,100 employees, the company generated sales of approximately €360 million in 2023. Buderus has a highly industrialized production site in Wetzlar with a maximum annual processing capacity of approximately 360 kilotons. The closing of the transaction is expected in the fourth quarter of 2024.

The business operations of S.M.A. Metalltechnik GmbH & Co. KG will be integrated into Mutares' SFC Group. S.M.A. Metalltechnik, headquartered in Backnang, Germany, specializes in the development and production of highly impermeable aluminium pipes, particularly for cooling media used in automotive applications. Internationally, S.M.A. Metalltechnik has production facilities in South Africa, Romania and China. With approximately 1,500 employees worldwide, the company is targeting sales of around €160 million in 2025. The closing of the transaction is also expected in the fourth quarter of 2024.

SZA Schilling, Zutt & Anschütz regularly advises Mutares on both the buy-side and the sell-side, most recently in the acquisition of fischer automotive systems GmbH & Co. KG.

Mutares invests in medium-sized companies and carve-outs in turnaround situations. The shares of Mutares SE & Co. KGaA are listed in the SDAX of the Frankfurt Stock Market.

SZA Schilling, Zutt & Anschütz:

Acquisition of the business operations of Buderus Edelstahl GmbH:

Dr. Martin Kolbinger (Lead, Corporate Law/M&A, Munich), Katharina Steinbrück, LL.M. (U.C. Lan) (Employment Law, Frankfurt), Maximilian Mersch, LL.M. (Nottingham) (Corporate Law/M&A, Frankfurt), Ludwig Lüst (Corporate Law/M&A, Munich), Mark Grutzeck, LL.M. (Stellenbosch) (Corporate Law/M&A, Munich), Dr. Christoph Allmendinger, LL.M. (LSE) (Real Estate Law, Frankfurt), Dr. Gerrit Krämer (Real Estate Law, Mannheim), Prof. Dr. Kristian Fischer (Public Law, Mannheim), Dr. Simon Apel (Commercial/IT, Mannheim), Dr. Jonathan Drescher (Commercial/IT, Mannheim)

Acquisition of the business operations of S.M.A. Metalltechnik GmbH & Co. KG:

Dr. Martin Kolbinger (Co-Lead, Corporate/M&A, Munich), Marc-Philippe Hornung, MBA (Co-Lead, Insolvency Law, Mannheim), Katharina Steinbrück, LL.M. (U.C. Lan) (Employment Law, Frankfurt), Maximilian Mersch, LL.M. (Nottingham) (Corporate Law/M&A, Frankfurt), Ludwig Lüst (Corporate Law/M&A, Munich), Mark Grutzeck, LL.M. (Stellenbosch) (Corporate Law/M&A, Munich), Dr. Christoph Allmendinger, LL.M. (LSE) (Real Estate Law, Frankfurt), Melissa Lauk (Real Estate Law, Mannheim)

Mutares SE & Co. KGaA (internal):

Jan Thöle (General Counsel), Denis Ahluwalia (Head of Tax)

SZA Schilling, Zutt & Anschütz Rechtsanwaltsgesellschaft mbH

SZA Schilling, Zutt & Anschütz has been one of the most respected German business law firms for over one century. With its lawyers and offices in Frankfurt, Mannheim, Munich, and Brussels, the firm advises national and international clients on all complex legal issues arising in business.