Weinheim. August 8, 2013. The Freudenberg Group is acquiring the shares of Capol GmbH, Elmshorn, from financial investor Riverside with immediate effect. This acquisition lays the foundations for Capol to become a further division of the Freudenberg Chemical Specialities (FCS) Business Group. Capol is a major supplier of glazes and release agents for the confectionery industry. The company was established in 1975 and has a workforce of 57 at three locations in Germany, Great Britain and the USA; Capol markets its products in about 50 countries throughout the world.
“The acquisition of Capol is a further milestone in our strategy of strengthening and expanding the chemical specialities business area in the long term,” Dr. Mohsen Sohi, Speaker of the Board of Management of the Freudenberg Group, emphasizes. “The food industry is a key growth market.”
“For Capol, being part of the Freudenberg Group will give us an opportunity to develop our business in the long term, to make our activities more international and to access new markets and market segments,” Dr. Matthias Seemann, Managing Director of Capol GmbH, explains. The company is a successful supplier in the market for confectionery industry additives. With its portfolio of release agents, glazes and sealing agents, Capol ensures that confectionery products do not stick or absorb moisture and have an attractive surface; special coatings protect them from drying out. This makes confectionery more attractive and durable. In addition, Capol products help in optimizing production processes.
“Additives for the food industry are an attractive market segment in the long term. Capol fits in very with Freudenberg Chemical Specialities. There is considerable agreement between our business models,” says Hanno D. Wentzler, CEO of FCS. “This segment is subject to similar success factors and mechanisms to the markets of existing divisions. Finally, it makes sense for us to enter this market in terms of the diversification of risks.”