Mercer International to Acquire Biomass, Sawmill Assets in Germany

Mercer International Inc., Germany, this week agreed to acquire substantially all of the assets of one of Germany’s largest sawmills and a biomass power plant, near Friesau, Germany, for approximately $55.1 million plus defined working capital of approximately $9.0 million.

The Friesau Facility:

• Has an annual production capacity of approximately 550 million board feet (mmfbm) on a continuously operating basis and 465 million mmfbm on a customary three-shift operating basis
• Includes a modern biomass fueled cogeneration power plant, built in 2009, with an annual production capacity of approximately 13 MW of electricity and 49.5 MW of thermal energy. The plant sells electricity pursuant to a long-term fixed price green power tariff that runs to 2029
• includes two log debarking and sorting lines, two Linck primary breakdown lines, lumber kilns capable of matching sawmill production, and a two-line planer mill
• Has an experienced workforce of approximately 300 employees 
• Is located approximately 16 km west of Mercer’s Rosenthal mill and has historically been one of its largest fiber suppliers.

Based on its historical unaudited financial information, over its last three fiscal years, the Friesau Facility had average annual:

• Revenues of approximately $180 million
• Lumber production of approximately 320 mmfbm
• Energy sales of approximately $10 million
• EBITDA of approximately $13 million, comprised of approximately $9 million from lumber operations and approximately $4 million from energy sales.

Acquisition of the Friesau Facility presents the following potential operating synergies and opportunities:

• Operating synergies in the range of $4 to $7 million per year, primarily relating to the sharing of wood and biomass fuel resources and the optimization of staffing and services with the Rosenthal mill. Mercer currently expects to achieve about one-third of such synergies within 12 months of closing and the balance over the following six months;
• The opportunity to materially increase lumber production particularly at the start of 2018
• The opportunity to reduce costs and improve sales realizations at the Friesau Facility through targeted capital upgrades.

During the past two years, the Friesau Facility has been operated by its owner on a restricted basis at a level below 50% of capacity. While Mercer intends to ramp-up production upon closing, in the mill's fiber region, major sawlog contracts are generally awarded on a yearly basis. As a result, Mercer expects such production ramp-up to be materially increased, commencing at the start of 2018. After such ramp-up, it currently expects to operate the Friesau Facility to produce between 300 and 330 mmfbm of lumber per annum. During the initial integration period of the Friesau Facility, which it estimates will take about four to six months, Mercer does not expect the acquisition to contribute to its earnings. 

The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions, including receipt of requisite regulatory approvals, and is expected to complete around the beginning of the second quarter of 2017.

David M. Gandossi, CEO, said that "we are pleased to enter the European lumber sector, with the acquisition of one of Germany’s largest sawmills. The proposed acquisition also expands our existing presence in the biomass based electricity market and is in line with our long-term growth objectives. 

"This acquisition leverages our core competencies of wood procurement, production optimization and green energy production. We believe it presents a natural fit with our existing procurement activities and our expertise in bio-mass based electricity production.

"We look forward to welcoming the Friesau Facility's employees to our team and working with them as we integrate its operations," Gandossi concluded.

Mercer International Inc. is a global pulp manufacturing company.