OREANDA-NEWS. January 9, 2013. BASF signed a contract with the Munich-based Serafin Group for the sale of its CONICA Sports Surfaces business together with its site in Schaffhausen, Switzerland. Both parties agreed not to disclose financial details. Closing of the transaction is expected by the end of the second quarter of 2013.

The CONICA Sports Surfaces business includes the development, production and marketing of flooring systems for running tracks, sports halls, tennis courts and playgrounds as well as artificial turf solutions. As a niche business, CONICA Sports Surfaces is not part of the strategic focus of BASF.

“With the Serafin Group we found a new owner for CONICA who aims to generate long-term profitable growth in the sports surfaces business,” said Dr. Tilman Krauch, head of BASF’s Construction Chemicals division.

“The key factors for the acquisition are the excellent reputation of the CONICA brand, the team’s expertise, the production capacities and, last but not least, the growth opportunities in an attractive market segment,” said Philipp Haindl, one of the Managing Directors of Serafin Group. The aim is to use financial and personnel resources in order to drive forward the future development of CONICA. Serafin intends to generate additional growth in this segment through targeted investment.

At present, approximately 135 employees work at the Schaffhausen site, of which around 60 are employed in the sports surfaces business. As the new owner of CONICA Sports Surfaces, those employees will transfer to Serafin. The international sales team consisting of nine employees will receive an offer to continue working for CONICA.

Initially, the production of industrial floorings, sealants as well as special polyurethane solutions will be continued in Schaffhausen on behalf of BASF for a period of 18 months following the completion of the transaction and subsequently be relocated to another BASF site. Approximately 40 employees work in this field.

Another approximately 35 employees currently work in the development, product management and sales of industrial flooring, sealants and special polyurethane solutions at the Schaffhausen site. In the medium term, BASF intends to relocate these fields of activity to other sites of the company.

BASF informed the Head of Schaffhausen’s Department of Economic Affairs and the Economic Development and Employment Office about the sale.