Emerson sells its board business to private equity
Emerson will receive approximately $300 million in cash and will retain a 49 percent non-controlling interest in the business, which will operate as an independent company.
The business is based in Carlsbad, California, but grew with the acquisition of Motorola’s embedded business in 2008 for $620m, which included board makers Force and Blue Wave Systems, as well as Artesyn in 2007 for $100m. It had revenue of approximately $1.4 billion in 2012 and will compete directly with Kontron and the embedded divisions of GE and Curtiss-Wright.
“After extensive consideration, we have found an arrangement to exit this business in a manner that maximizes its value for our shareholders,” said Emerson Chairman and Chief Executive Officer David Farr. “The embedded computing and power business is a technology leader in the industry it serves, but no longer fits strategically in our portfolio. The transaction with Platinum will allow us to immediately focus on our core businesses while also participating in the upside from repositioning the business as it focuses on growth as an independent company.”
"We have forged a strong partnership with Emerson, coming together in a way that will create success for everyone,” said Tom Gores, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Platinum Equity, which mostly concentrates on plastics and metal manufacturing operations. “We will build on the foundation established under Emerson to further position the business as a strong and innovative competitor in the marketplace.”
The transaction is expected to close in approximately three to six months, upon securing regulatory approvals in various countries.Sales and earnings from the embedded computing and power business will continue to be reported in Emerson’s 2013 results, which will include a noncash pretax goodwill impairment of $503 million related to the business. Share repurchase will be increased by $600 million to offset associated earnings dilution.
"Platinum Equity worked closely with Emerson to craft a transaction solution customized to meet both Emerson’s needs and the needs of the business,” said Jacob Kotzubei, the partner at Platinum Equity who led the team pursuing this transaction. “We are excited to work with Emerson and the EC&P management team to help grow the business and reinforce its position as a premier provider of highly engineered customized power and embedded computing products.”
www.platinumequity.com
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