ATS Corporation (TSX: ATS) (NYSE: ATS) (“ATS” or the
“Company”) a leading automation solutions provider, today
announced it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire all
material assets from Heidolph Instruments GmbH & Co. KG and
Hans Heidolph GmbH (together “Heidolph”), a leading
manufacturer of premium lab equipment for the life sciences and
pharmaceutical industries, subject to closing conditions in the
agreement.
“With a comprehensive product range and a strong reputation
established over 80 years, Heidolph will be a strong addition to
our ATS Life Sciences business,” said Andrew Hider, Chief Executive
Officer of ATS Corporation. “As we continue to grow our presence in
regulated markets, Heidolph will bolster our solution set to
customers in all stages of their operations.”
Founded in 1938 and headquartered in Schwabach, Germany,
Heidolph is a leading global manufacturer and distributor of
equipment for evaporation, stirring, automation, shaking and
mixing, liquid handling, and other crucial laboratory solutions.
These adjacent strategic capabilities will complement ATS
businesses, in particular ATS Scientific Products and Avidity
Science, and allow ATS to offer comprehensive laboratory solutions.
In addition to laboratory equipment, Heidolph also offers software
solutions for laboratory workflow automation and data
documentation. In its fiscal year ended March 31, 2024, Heidolph
generated revenues of approximately €50 million and gross margins
accretive to ATS’ current gross margins, with a significant
presence in Europe and Asia. Heidolph employs over 200 individuals
in facilities in Germany, the United States, South Korea, and
China.
“As we continue to expand our value proposition for customers in
the life sciences market, the addition of Heidolph will strengthen
our portfolio of offerings,” added Prakash ‘Cash’ Mahesh, Group
Executive for ATS Life Sciences. “Furthermore, its strong
reputation, brand recognition, and strategic location on three
continents will broaden our reach while also expanding our customer
base in key life sciences segments, from initial research and
development right through to commercialization.”
The purchase price represented a valuation multiple accretive to
ATS’ current trading multiple, however specific financial terms of
the transaction were not disclosed. The transaction is expected to
close in the third calendar quarter of 2024. ATS plans to fund the
acquisition with cash and by drawing on its revolving credit
facility.
About ATS Corporation
ATS Corporation is an industry-leading automation solutions
provider to many of the world's most successful companies. ATS uses
its extensive knowledge base and global capabilities in custom
automation, repeat automation, automation products and value-added
solutions including pre-automation and after-sales services, to
address the sophisticated manufacturing automation systems and
service needs of multinational customers in markets such as life
sciences, transportation, food & beverage, consumer products,
and energy. Founded in 1978, ATS employs over 7,000 people at more
than 65 manufacturing facilities and over 85 offices in North
America, Europe, Southeast Asia and Oceania. The Company's common
shares are traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange and the NYSE under
the symbol ATS. Visit the Company's website at
www.atsautomation.com.
Forward-looking Statements
This press release contains certain statements that may
constitute forward-looking information and forward-looking
statements within the meaning of applicable Canadian and United
States securities laws ("forward-looking statements"). All such
statements are made pursuant to the “safe harbour” provisions of
Canadian provincial and territorial securities laws and the U.S.
Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking
statements include all statements that are not historical facts
regarding possible events, conditions or results of operations that
ATS believes, expects or anticipates will or may occur in the
future, including, but not limited to: the strength of the addition
to the Life Sciences (“LS”) business; the growth of the Company’s
presence in regulated markets and the impact on solutions offered;
the adjacency of Heidolph’s strategic capabilities and their
ability to complement ATS’ business and the solutions offered; the
expansion of the Company’s value proposition and the impact on its
portfolio of offerings; the expansion of the Company’s reach and
growth of its customer base; the completion of the acquisition of
Heidolph; and the manner of funding of the acquisition.
Forward-looking statements are inherently subject to significant
known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors that may
cause the actual results, performance, or achievements of ATS, or
developments in ATS’ business or in its industry, to differ
materially from the anticipated results, performance, achievements,
or developments expressed or implied by such forward-looking
statements. Important risks, uncertainties, and factors that could
cause actual results to differ materially from expectations
expressed in the forward-looking statements include, but are not
limited to, the impact of regional or global conflicts; general
market performance including capital market conditions and
availability and cost of credit; performance of the markets that
ATS serves; industry challenges in securing the supply of labour,
materials, and, in certain jurisdictions, energy sources such as
natural gas; impact of inflation; interest rate changes; foreign
currency and exchange risk; the relative strength of the Canadian
dollar; risks related to customer concentration; risks related to a
recession, slowdown, and/or sustained downturn in the economy;
impact of factors such as increased pricing pressure, increased
cost of energy and supplies, and delays in relation thereto, and
possible margin compression; the regulatory and tax environment;
the emergence of new infectious diseases or any epidemic or
pandemic outbreak or resurgence, and collateral consequences
thereof, including the disruption of economic activity, volatility
in capital and credit markets, and legislative and regulatory
responses; the effect of events involving limited liquidity,
defaults, non-performance or other adverse developments that affect
financial institutions, transaction counterparties, or other
companies in the financial services industry generally, or concerns
or rumours about any events of these kinds or other similar risks,
that have in the past and may in the future lead to market-wide
liquidity problems; energy shortages and global prices increases;
the consequences of activist initiatives on business performance,
results, or share price; the impact of analyst reports on price and
trading volume of ATS’ shares; that the transaction does not
strengthen the LS business; that the Company does not grow or
bolster its solutions to customers; that Heidolph’s capabilities
fail to complement ATS’ business as expected; that the expected
expansion of ATS’ value proposition or portfolio of offerings is
not realized; that the Company’s reach or customer base are not
expanded as expected; that closing is delayed or prohibited as a
result of the inability to complete closing conditions; that the
transaction is not funded as expected; and other risks and
uncertainties detailed from time to time in ATS' filings with
securities regulators, including, without limitation, the risk
factors described in ATS’ annual information form for the fiscal
year ended March 31, 2024, which are available on the System for
Electronic Data Analysis and Retrieval+ ("SEDAR+") at
www.sedarplus.com and on the U.S. Securities Exchange Commission’s
Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis and Retrieval System (“EDGAR”)
at www.sec.gov. ATS has attempted to identify important factors
that could cause actual results to materially differ from current
expectations, however, there may be other factors that cause actual
results to differ materially from such expectations.
Forward-looking statements are necessarily based on a number of
estimates, factors, and assumptions regarding, among others,
management's current plans, estimates, projections, beliefs and
opinions, the future performance and results of the Company’s
business and operations; the ability of ATS to execute on its
business objectives; the closing of the acquisition substantially
in accordance with the expected timing; the ability to successfully
integrate the acquisition; and general economic and political
conditions, and global events, including any epidemic or pandemic
outbreak or resurgence.
Forward-looking statements included in this press release are
only provided to understand management’s current expectations
relating to future periods and, as such, are not appropriate for
any other purpose. Although ATS believes that the expectations
reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, such
statements involve risks and uncertainties, and ATS cautions you
not to place undue reliance upon any such forward-looking
statements, which speak only as of the date they are made. ATS does
not undertake any obligation to update forward-looking statements
contained herein other than as required by law.
SOURCE: ATS Corporation
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version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240807352286/en/
For more information, contact: David Galison Head of
Investor Relations ATS Corporation 730 Fountain Street North
Cambridge, ON, N3H 4R7 (519) 653-6500
dgalison@atsautomation.com
For general media inquiries, contact: Matthew Robinson
Director, Corporate Communications ATS Corporation 730 Fountain
Street North Cambridge, ON, N3H 4R7 (519) 653-6500
mrobinson@atsautomation.com
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