It recently acquired Pirelli and KrausMaffei, and China National Chemical Corporation has now purchased a stake in Mercuria Energy Trading, an integrated energy and commodities company with a (2014) turnover of US$106 billion. The Chinese chemical company has taken a 12 per cent share in the shareholding structure of Mercuria.
It isn’t all tyres at Michelin – the firm behind the esteemed Red Guide series has announced its acquisition of online restaurant reservation company BookaTable. Michelin says the transaction demonstrates an “intention to accelerate its development” in Europe’s online restaurant reservation market.
Leading chemical group China National Chemical Corporation, or ChemChina, has agreed to acquire machinery manufacturer KraussMaffei Group from Onex Corporation for a cash enterprise value of 925 million euros. ChemChina’s acquisition of the KraussMaffei Group covers the German company’s three brands of products, including the KraussMaffei Berstorff range of extruders, roller head systems and cap strip systems for the tyre industry. The transaction is subject to closing conditions including customary regulatory approvals.
It’s now over a year since Cooper Tire & Rubber completed the sale of its share in the Cooper Chengshan (Shandong) Tire Company Ltd joint venture. At the time, company chairman, chief executive and president Roy Armes mentioned that Cooper would “identify and develop alternative sources” for the tyres produced at the Cooper Chengshan plant; he identified a further joint venture as one potential option. The tyre maker reports it has realised this alternative source and has entered into an agreement to purchase a majority of China-based Qingdao Ge Rui Da Rubber Co., Ltd (GRT).
The merger agreement signed between Bridgestone Retail Operations and The Pep Boys – Manny, Moe & Jack in October 2015 has been terminated, and in its place the US automotive service and retail chain has signed a definitive agreement under which Icahn Enterprises will acquire Pep Boys for US$18.50 per share in cash. Simultaneous with the demise of the Bridgestone agreement, Icahn Enterprises, on behalf of Pep Boys, paid Bridgestone a $39.5 million termination fee
Italy’s leading aftermarket tyre distributor, the Fintyre Group, has reached an agreement to acquire the Pneusmarket network from the Marangoni Group. This transaction marks Fintyre’s entry into the tyre retail business.
During the closing days of last year, Bridgestone Americas announced that the Bridgestone Retail Operations subsidiary would not counter bid the latest bid from Icahn Enterprises to acquire The Pep Boys – Manny, Moe & Jack. This meant a Happy New Year for Carl Icahn, who now looks set to add the brand and the 800+ Pep Boys outlets to his portfolio.
Pirelli & C. S.p.A. is to officially reverse merge with Marco Polo Industrial Holding S.p.A. This transaction will be submitted to the extraordinary shareholders’ meetings on 15 February 2016, with a view to completing during the first half of 2016.
The bidding war for The Pep Boys – Manny, Moe & Jack has entered a new round, with Icahn Enterprises L.P. offering an extra dollar per share to acquire the US automotive aftermarket retail and service network – a total of around US$56 million more than the offer it made earlier this month. This higher figure has found favour with the Pep Boys Board of Directors – after consultation with legal and financial advisors it determined on 20 December that Icahn’s proposal to acquire Pep Boys for US$16.50 per share in cash constitutes a ‘Superior Proposal’.
The chief financial officer of Kesoram Industries reports that the company will invest Rs 3 billion (£29.3 million) into passenger car radial tyre production. Tridib Kumar Das told Indian financial daily Business Standard that the investment will be made in addition to the Rs 5 billion already spent on the car radial project, and that the company intends to bring its passenger car radials to market in May 2016.
After determining the US$15.50 per share merger agreement proposed by Icahn Enterprises superior to Bridgestone’s $15.00 a share deal, The Pep Boys – Manny, Moe & Jack gave the tyre maker until 5:00pm (EST) last Friday to return with new and more attractive merger terms. Bridgestone Retail Operations (BSRO) did just that, and the two parties have now amended the terms of the merger agreement originally signed on 26 October.
The Board of Directors at US automotive aftermarket retailer The Pep Boys – Manny, Moe & Jack has declared the US$15.50 per share merger agreement received by Icahn Enterprises superior to the $835 million Bridgestone Retail Operations was prepared to pay, not least because it isn’t subject to due diligence or financing conditions, and it contains a ‘hell or high water’ anti-trust covenant. Pep Boys have now lobbed the ball back into Bridgestone’s court, and the tyre maker has two days to come back with a better offer.
US automotive aftermarket chain The Pep Boys – Manny, Moe & Jack gives word that its Board of Directors have determined the proposal from Icahn Enterprises L.P. to acquire Pep Boys for US$15.50 per share in cash would be expected to result in a “Superior Proposal” (as defined in the company’s agreement and plan of merger with Bridgestone Retail Operations, LLC). This opinion was reached after consultation with the company’s independent legal and financial advisors, however at this stage Pep Boys are still on track to take up the Bridgestone share offer.
Bridgestone Americas’ cash tender offer to acquire US automotive service and retail chain The Pep Boys – Manny, Moe & Jack for US$15.00 a share has been challenged by Icahn Enterprises L.P. The New York-based master limited partnership and owner of automotive aftermarket distributor Auto Plus has written to the Pep Boys’ board, proposing to pay a cash sum of $15.50 per share to acquire the entire outstanding stake in the company – an offer it believes “clearly superior” to the Bridgestone transaction.
With Michelin buying a stake in Allopneus as well as the complete Blackcircles business in the Spring; and with Apollo purchasing Reifen.com in November, it is fair to say we witnessed a trend towards manufacturer investment in online tyre businesses this year. Dig a little deeper and we are beginning to learn more about how tyre manufacturers are approaching this unavoidably important strategic area. With 2015 being something of a landmark year in this respect, Tyres & Accessories met with Blackcircles founder and managing director Mike Welch in Edinburgh to find out more.
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