Carmeuse and GP Group acquired 45% stake in Thailand’s leading lime company Golden Lime Public Company Limited

• Carmeuse along with GP Group acquires Golden Lime, Thailand’s leading lime company
• Deal signals Carmeuse’s entry into South East Asia

LUXEMBOURG, 06-Oct-2016 — /EuropaWire/ — Carmeuse, together with its partner GP Group, announced today the acquisition of a 45% stake in Golden Lime Public Company Limited (SET: SUTHA), Thailand’s leading lime company. The transaction triggers a tender offer to acquire the remaining publicly traded shares. The founding family will retain a minority interest in the company.

The acquisition will build on Golden Lime’s leading position in Thailand and complement the solid foundation in place with Carmeuse’s global expertise in mining, lime process technologies and innovative lime applications.

Kiatikul Monsereenusorn, Founder of the company,  will remain Managing Director of Golden Lime. Tim Van den Bossche, CEO of Carmeuse Middle East & Asia, will become chairman of the board.

“We have been waiting for the right opportunity to enter South East Asia,” said Tim Van den Bossche. “Golden Lime is the cost leader in a lime market that offers attractive growth opportunities. The company’s solid reputation and sustainable relationships with local customers, suppliers and other stakeholders form the foundation upon which to build an even stronger organization. We welcome the Golden Lime team to the Carmeuse family and look forward to start working together on the identified opportunities.“

Thailand is one of the largest consumers of lime and lime derived products in South East Asia thanks to a large and diversified industrial and agricultural base. The country is among the largest producers of sugar in the world and continues to expand its capacity. It also targets major expansion of its core infrastructure to improve its appeal and competitiveness in the region.

“We believe that the combination with Carmeuse is the right next step in the growth trajectory of Golden Lime,” said Kiatikul Monsereenusorn. “Our organization will benefit from the deep and unique know-how of the global Carmeuse organization in the fields of lime technology, process optimization and applications. It will make us stronger and position us better for future growth.”

About Carmeuse
Headquartered in Luxembourg, Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, Carmeuse (www.carmeuse.com) is a worldwide leading producer of high calcium and dolomitic lime, limestone and derived products. With operations across more than 90 locations in Europe, The Americas, Asia, Middle East and Africa, the company has been providing for more than 155 years solutions to markets as diverse as steel, construction, roads and soil stabilization, mining and non-ferrous metals, water and waste treatment, flue gas treatment, chemicals, agro-food, paper, glass, ceramics, plastic, carpet, paint, and many other applications worldwide. In 2015, the group’s turnover exceeded EUR 1.1 billion. It employs approximately 3,850 people worldwide.

About GP Group
GP Group (www.premjee.com), headquartered in Bangkok, Thailand, is active in a wide range of industries including energy, transportation, mining, construction, logistics, pharmaceuticals and software. The group has been in business for over 145 years.

About Golden Lime Public Company Limited
Golden Lime (www.goldenlime.co.th) is Thailand’s leading producer of lime and lime derived products. Headquartered in Bangkok, the company has its main operations in Saraburi. In 2014, the company went public. Its shares are listed on the Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET: SUTHA). In 2015, the company’s turnover reached THB 927 million. It employs approximately 225 people.

Contact
Carmeuse : Véronique de Coster, +32 10 48 16 02, veronique.decoster@carmeuse.com GP Group : A.S. Krishnan, +66 2 696 87 25, kris@easternenergyinc.com

SOURCE: CARMEUSE