[Berlin, ] Effective as of 1 July 2013, NHBB New Hampshire Ball Bearings Inc., located in New Hampshire, USA, and itself a wholly-owned subsidiary of Tokyo Stock Exchange-listed Minebea K.K., acquired German CEROBEAR GmbH, based in Aachen-Herzogenrath.
CEROBEAR GmbH was founded in 1989 at the Aachen Technology Centre as a spin-off of the Fraunhofer Institute for Production Technology. Today, CEROBEAR GmbH employs over 100 people and is a world leader in the manufacture of ceramic ball bearings. Ceramic ball bearings are a key product for industries and processes with the highest technical requirements and have applications in e.g. the semi-conductor and aerospace industries, as well as high-performance motorsports. Private equity investor 3i previously held an interest in CEROBEAR GmbH; the company’s founding shareholders then re-acquired control over it and through their own efforts, drove CEROBEAR GmbH’s further expansion. The most important foreign markets for CEROBEAR GmbH are the USA, England, France, Switzerland, China and Japan.
Minebea was founded in 1951 in Tokyo and at the time, was the first manufacturer specialising in the production of miniature ball bearings. Today, the Minebea conglomerate employs 55,000 people and is, among other things, the largest miniature ball bearings manufacturer in the world. Minebea maintains 30 production and development sites throughout the world.
GÖRG advised the seller, a Mittelstand holding company of CEROBEAR GmbH’s founding shareholders, who remain active in CEROBEAR GmbH’s business, on the preparation and implementation of the complex transaction, as well as on all supporting documentation.
Advisors to Seller
GÖRG Partnerschaft von Rechtsanwälten
Dr. Roland Hoffmann-Theinert, Lead Partner, Berlin
Dr. Thomas Winkemann, Partner, Tax, Berlin
Georg Reuter, Partner, Real Estate, Berlin
Dr. Oliver Spieker, Partner, IP, Berlin
Dr. Axel Dahms, Partner, Employment), Berlin
Christopher Wright, Counsel, M&A, Berlin
Dr. Christian Bürger, Associated Partner, Competition, Cologne
Advisors to Minebea/NHBB
Baker & McKenzie
Dr. Jon Marcus Meese (M&A, Munich, lead) and team
