Michelin’s Acquisition of Flex Composite Group Puts It at the Helm of High-Tech Fabric and Film Leadership

Michelin’s Acquisition of Flex Composite Group Puts It at the Helm of High-Tech Fabric and Film Leadership

(IN BRIEF) Michelin has successfully completed its acquisition of Flex Composite Group (FCG) as part of its Michelin in Motion 2030 strategy, cementing its position as a leader in high-tech engineered fabrics and films. FCG, a European leader in this field, specializes in polymer composite solutions for applications such as marine, supercars, electric vehicles, sports, and construction, reporting €202 million in revenue in 2022 and demonstrating impressive organic growth. This acquisition is expected to increase Michelin’s High-Tech Materials activities’ revenue by around 20%, enhance innovation synergies, boost growth, and maintain a strong financial footing.

(PRESS RELEASE) CLERMONT-FERRAND, 27-Sep-2023 — /EuropaWire/ — Michelin completed today the acquisition of Flex Composite Group, under the terms announced on June 19, 2023 and after obtaining all of the necessary approvals for the transaction.

Michelin and FCG have thus created a leader in high-tech engineered fabrics and films. This acquisition is part of the Michelin in Motion 2030 strategy and marks a significant step forward in the development of the Group’s polymer composites activities. The new entity will leverage Michelin’s unrivalled innovation and R&D capabilities, and benefit from FCG’s advanced customers intimacy and industrial process expertise.

FCG is a European leader in engineered fabrics and films with applications in highly technical markets such as marine, supercars & electric vehicles, sports, or construction. FCG masters a wide range of polymer composite solutions, adjacent to those already developed by Michelin. The company has 400 employees. It primarily operates in Europe, in fast-growing markets with strong demand dynamics catering to high-end customers. In 2022 FCG reported €202 million revenue. Over the 2015-2022 period, the company achieved average organic growth of 11%, with an EBITDA margin of 25 – 30%.

Key highlights of the transaction:

• Creating a leader in high-tech engineered fabrics and films, increasing by c. 20% the revenue of Michelin’s High-Tech Materials activities.
• An important step in developing Michelin beyond mobility and positioning the Group as a key player in polymer composite solutions, in line with its Michelin in Motion 2030
• Leveraging both companies’ distinctive capabilities to unlock deep-innovation synergies in a broad range of products and applications.
• Improved Michelin’s growth profile, margin accretive transaction for the Group and the Specialty segment, positive cash generation and EPS impact.
• Acquisition financed with available cash, preserving Michelin’s strong financial position.

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SOURCE: MICHELIN