Three more mergers and acquisitions occurred in the bathroom industry

Since December, there have been a number of acquisitions in the foreign bathroom industry. The investors include Watts Water Industries, Kohler, and HORNBACH, and the acquirees include plumbing company Josam, sauna manufacturer KLAFS, and barrier-free bathroom renovation company Seniovo.

If related subsidiaries are included, Kohler and Watts Water Industries have made multiple acquisitions within a year. The scale of the company has further expanded, and the degree of industry integration has continued to increase.

Watts Water Industries acquires Josam Company

On December 11, American plumbing company Watts Water Technologies announced through its subsidiary the acquisition of Josam Company, a manufacturer of drainage and plumbing products, for an undisclosed amount.

Founded over 100 years ago, Josam Company serves commercial, industrial and residential end markets with high-quality, customized products. Watts Water Industries stated that this acquisition will enhance its product portfolio, expand the company’s water solutions, increase cross-selling opportunities and promote performance growth.

This is Watts Water Industry’s second investment in a peer company within 4 mjeseca. In August this year, Watts Water Industry announced the acquisition of Bradley, an American sanitary ware company, for US$303 million (approximately RMB 2.202 billion). After deducting the benefits brought by tax policies, the net transaction volume was approximately US$268 million (approximately RMB 1.948 billion). Yuan).

Following the completion of the acquisition, current Bradley Chairman and CEO Bryan Mullett will remain at Bradley and serve as the company’s president.

Watts Water Industry is a supplier of plumbing products. The company’s history can be traced back to 1857. Its main products include valves, joints, piping systems, heating systems, itd. U 2022, Watts Water Industry’s sales will reach US$1.98 billion (approximately RMB 14.396 billion), a year-on-year increase of 9.4%. In the second quarter of 2023, sales were US$533 million (approximately RMB 3.875 billion), a year-on-year increase of 1%.

Kohler acquires sauna maker KLAFS

On December 4, Kohler announced the acquisition of sauna and steam room manufacturer KLAFS from the Egeria Group. The transaction is expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2024, and the transaction amount is undisclosed.

Following the merger with Kohler, KLAFS CEO Phillip Rock and CFO Jens Friedrich will continue to assume leadership roles, and KLAFS will join forces with ANN SACKS, KALLISTA, Robern and Kast Concrete Basins and other high-end design brands to join Kohler’s luxury brand department.

Regarding this acquisition, David Kohler, Chairman and CEO of Kohler Company, said that KLAFS is an international market leader with a strong reputation and shares Kohler’s passion for innovation and delighting customers, and looks forward to welcoming the KLAFS organization. Join Kohler to drive continued growth in the company’s sauna and spa solutions business.

KLAFS is headquartered in the Schwäbisch Hall region of Germany and has approximately 850 employees in Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Poland, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Spain and Mexico.

The company’s main products include saunas, solariums, infrared cabins, steam rooms, swimming pools and related health equipment and accessories. KLAFS sells its products through a network of direct-to-consumer showrooms located throughout Europe, targeting primarily residential and commercial (including hotels, fitness centers, spas, itd.) customers.

It is worth mentioning that this is the third acquisition by Kohler and related companies this year. In May this year, Kohler announced the acquisition of British sanitary ware company Kast Concrete Basins, and in July, Kohler affiliate Kohler Mira also announced the acquisition of shower hot water system manufacturer Recoup Energy Solutions.

Kohler previously divested its power business and focused on the kitchen and bathroom business. Multiple acquisitions have also shown the industry its determination to strengthen the kitchen and bathroom business.

HORNBACH acquires Seniovo

According to foreign media reports, starting from December 1, German DIY retail store operator HORNBACH Baumarkt AG will take over Seniovo, a startup company specializing in barrier-free bathroom renovations. Od 2017, Seniovo has implemented more than 3,000 accessible or low-threshold bathroom renovations.

After being merged into HORNBACH, Seniovo will bring serialized and standardized professional perspectives and knowledge on bathroom renovation to the group, further strengthening HORNBACH’s capabilities in this field. In the future, HORNBACH’s expert consultants in 97 stores in Germany will be able to provide customers with more targeted barrier-free bathroom renovation suggestions and services.

Since the beginning of this year, many mergers and acquisitions have occurred in the bathroom and plumbing industry. Larger ones include Villeroy & Boch’s acquisition of Ideal Standard Group, Roca’s acquisition of a majority stake in German furnace manufacturer Keramischer OFENBAU Holding GmbH, Swiss piping system manufacturer Georg Fischer’s acquisition of Finnish HVAC giant Uponor, and Fujun Group. Acquired four major home furnishing brands, itd. Regardless of the purpose of the acquisition, it is foreseeable that mergers and acquisitions will continue to occur at a time when the boundaries of various fields in the home furnishing industry have become blurred and crossover has become the main theme of the industry.