Lonza Specialty Ingredients
(Bain Capital & Cinven)
Our Approach
- We offer highly tailored and relevant buyside support and advice
- We leverage off an extensive global network built over two decades
- We evaluate buy-and-build potential offering global access through Mergers Alliance
We employed these capabilities when we advised Bain Capital and Cinven on their CHF 4.2bn joint acquisition of Lonza’s Specialty Ingredients business.
Sector
Chemicals & Ingredients
Public or Private: Public
Client Position: Buyer
- Company Profile
- Transaction Background
Bain Capital and Cinven are global Private Equity firms, both with substantial experience and expertise within the chemical sector.
The target, Lonza’s Specialty Ingredients business, is a provider of specialty chemicals for microbial control solutions based at a production facility in Switzerland. Its products are used in disinfectants, preservatives, personal care products, coatings and other industrial applications.
- Lonza launched a competitive auction of its Specialty Ingredients business in 2020
- In particular, Opus assisted its clients on their evaluation of Lonza Specialty Ingredients as a platform for consolidation within the highly attractive microbial control sector
Danny first joined Opus in the Summer of 2020 and has subsequently worked on transactions across a range of sectors including Energy Transition, Chemicals and The Built Environment.
Prior to this, Danny graduated with a First Class Honours in Engineering Science from the University of Oxford. Outside of academics, Danny achieved two full blues for competing in the 2017 & 2018 rugby union varsity matches.
Thalia joined Opus at the beginning of 2019. Since joining the firm, Thalia has advised clients and gained transactional experience in the Energy Transition and Climate Change, Financial Services, Consumer and Retail and Healthcare sectors.
She previously spent over 3 years at PwC in the London Region Assurance practice, where she qualified as a Chartered Accountant, focusing on mid-market private and public listed companies across a wide range of sectors.
Thalia holds a BA in French from the University of Oxford and is a member of the ICAEW.
Having a PhD in Chemistry and subsequently over 20 years as a sector focused investment banker, Chris brings an exceptionally strong chemical sector pedigree to Opus. He has an extensive network within the global chemical space, in its broadest definition, and has significant experience advising on complex sell-sides and buy-sides for corporates, family-owned companies and private equity clients as well as IPOs and leveraged financing.
Chris began his banking career at Deutsche Bank and later Bank of America Merrill Lynch. More recently, he led the EMEA Chemical teams of Nomura and The Royal Bank of Canada. Prior to joining Opus in 2019, Chris was Corporate Development Director for Wilmcote Holdings plc, a UK listed acquisition vehicle with the sole purpose of acquiring, and subsequently building via M&A, a chemical platform asset.
Chris has a PhD in Chemistry and MA in Natural Sciences from the University of Cambridge, UK.
Verdesian Life Sciences
(AEA)
Our Approach
- We provide highly tailored buyside support and advice
- We leverage our extensive global network
- We evaluate M&A growth potential
We employed these capabilities when we advised AEA Investors on its acquisition of Verdesian Life Sciences.
Sector
Chemicals & Ingredients
Public or Private: Private
Client Position: Buyer
- Company Profile
- Transaction Background
AEA is a global private investment firm with over $15 billion assets under management, headquartered in New York.
The target, Verdesian Life Sciences, is a leading US agrochemicals platform that develops patented biological and nutritional fertilizer enhancers, seed treatment and inoculant technologies for high-value specialty crops, row crops, and turf and ornamental markets. Verdesian’s products promote sustainable agricultural practices by improving nutrient uptake and reducing the need for conventional chemicals.
- Paine Schwartz Partners launched the competitive sale process of Verdesian in Q4 2020
- Verdesian is a uniquely positioned business in the NAFTA bio/specialty fertilizer space
- Opus assisted AEA on their evaluation of Verdesian as a platform for acquisition-led growth within this highly attractive sector