Platform Specialty to acquire Arysta LifeScience for $3.51 bn

Platform Specialty Products has reached a definitive agreement with a company backed by the Permira funds to acquire Arysta LifeScience, one of the world’s largest privately held crop protection and life science companies, for approximately $3.51 billion, subject to regulatory approval, working capital and other adjustments.
 
Once the acquisition is complete, Platform Specialty Products will combine Arysta LifeScience with previously acquired companies Agriphar and Chemtura Crop Solutions (the latter of which is still awaiting final governmental approvals). The combined entity will be run as a vertically integrated agricultural chemicals company with sales of approximately $ 2.1 billion, the tenth largest in the industry. 
 
“Bringing Arysta LifeScience under the Platform umbrella will create a broad agrochemicals offering that is uniquely positioned to provide farmers, globally, with a fulsome suite of products to address their product and geography specific needs,” said Daniel Leever, Platform’s Chief Executive Officer.
 
Current CEO of Arysta LifeScience, Wayne Hewett, will lead the new group. The transaction is expected to close in the first quarter of 2015.
 
“There are immediate benefits to joining forces with Agriphar and Chemtura. We will be able to offer customers a full complement of biosolutions, crop protection, and seed treatment products.  We also will strengthen our global footprint in key geographic areas such as Western Europe and North America,” said Hewett.
 
An entrepreneurial provider of crop protection and life science products in more than 125 countries worldwide, Arysta LifeScience specialises in marketing and distribution of respected crop protection brands and life science products that meet the needs of its global partners.