Helios to grow under new owner, Kansai Paint

After the constructive negotiation process Helios Group got a new strategic owner, one of the world’s top 10 paint manufacturers, Kansai Paint Group. Pursuant to the SPA that was signed on December 6, Kansai Paint will acquire 100% of shares in Helios Coatings Group. The transaction is expected to be complete in March 2017. Signed SPA presents a milestone for a new development of Helios Group’s companies as Helios will become the European centre of Kansai Paint.

With the purchase of Helios Group, Kansai Paint intends to increase presence across the Europe and to consolidate the position as the premier coating company, also with Helios brands under its umbrella. Being under the wing of strategic owner Kansai Paint, presents various new opportunities to Helios. It will become Kansai Paint’s European centre of innovation, R&D, production and distribution. Kansai will also support Helios to build a strong position in global procurement.

After the signing, David Kubala, one of the two CEO’s of Helios Group stated:

"I am glad and proud to say that we have a new strategic shareholder Kansai Paint who is one of the top 10 companies in the world’s coating industry.”

Hubert Culik the CEO of Helios Group at this point stressed: "Helios’ new strategic owner has a strong commitment to R&D and a long history of innovation in coating industry. Helios will now become a part of this efficient, wide-ranging research and development activities for new technologies and products adapted to market needs.”

After the SPA signing in Vienna, Mr Hiroshi Ishino, the President of Kansai Paint along with two other representatives of Kansai, visited the headquarters of Helios Group in Slovenia, where they had the opportunity to address Slovene employees and journalists. Additionally they also met with the Minister of Economic Development and Technology Mr Zdravko Počivalšek. Together with the Helios Group management board they discussed the future development opportunities of Helios in Slovenia and in Europe.

On his visit in Slovenia the president of Kansai Paint, Hiroshi Ishino stressed:

"We are glad that we have found a company like Helios, with a compliant business philosophy and a great potential to become even more important in the European coating business. We want to develop Helios to be a strong European center of innovation, with the best knowledge and expertise in different segments of coatings”,

In Helios Group we believe that the top league in coating industry will bring us new drive and a development platform for the thing we all have in common – a passion for smart coatings.