Bouygues Construction and Colas finalise the acquisition of Alpiq Engineering Services
On July 31, 2018, having received the approval of the European and Swiss competition authorities, Bouygues Construction and Colas Rail, the rail subsidiary of the Colas Group, completed the closing of the acquisition of all shares in Alpiq Intec AG (Zurich) and Kraftanlagen München GmbH (Munich), whose activities were brought together in Alpiq Engineering Services. Bouygues Construction and Colas Rail were selected by the Alpiq Group to acquire these activities on March 26, 2018.
Alpiq Intec and Kraftanlagen München specialise in hard and soft services in construction and in energy, industrial and transport infrastructures. All of these activities are performed by a workforce of around 7,650 people, and generated sales of approximately 1.7 billion Swiss francs in 2017, chiefly in Switzerland (57%), Germany (24%) and Italy (12%).
This acquisition positions Bouygues Construction as a leading player in energy and services in Europe and is therefore fully in line with its development strategy for this growth market.
Through this operation, Bouygues Construction has strengthened its roots in Switzerland in businesses that closely complement those of its subsidiaries, Bouygues Energies & Services Switzerland, Losinger Marazzi, VSL and PraderLosinger. Meanwhile, the acknowledged know-how of Alpiq Engineering Services will also enable Bouygues Construction to expand its portfolio of offers, particularly for carrying out complex projects in industry and energy production. Last but not least, Alpiq Engineering Services will offer an opportunity for entering major new European markets, particularly in Germany and Italy.
Meanwhile, Colas Rail’s acquisition of Alpiq Engineering Services’ rail activities has strengthened the Colas Group rail subsidiary’s expertise in the field of catenaries, a high-value-added business, and given it access to new growth markets. Colas Rail, a leading player in the rail sector, has expanded its portfolio of solutions and know-how, penetrated the Swiss and Italian markets and strengthened its presence in Central Europe and the United Kingdom.
This acquisition took place on the basis of an enterprise value of 850 million Swiss francs (700 million Swiss francs for Bouygues Construction and 150 million Swiss francs for Colas Rail). The price paid at the closing for the acquisition of all shares was paid in cash.
