Chase Corporation to Acquire NuCera Solutions, a Portfolio Company of SK Capital
Houston, Texas, July 18, 2022 — An affiliate of funds advised by SK Capital Partners, LP (“SK Capital”) announced today that it has reached an agreement to sell NuCera Solutions (“NuCera” or the “Company”) to Chase Corporation (NYSE American: CCF), a leading manufacturer of protective materials for high reliability applications. NuCera was acquired for a purchase price of $250.0 million, pending any working capital adjustments and excluding acquisition-related costs.
Formed through the carve-out of Baker Hughes’ specialty polymer business, NuCera is a recognized leader in the production and development of high-end polymer technologies and polymerization methods serving demanding applications. NuCera differentiates itself with a broad portfolio of approximately 120 functional polyethylene and specialty polymers that serve as mission critical performance additives to customers worldwide. The Company operates globally with headquarters in Houston, Texas, a primary production facility in Barnsdall, Oklahoma, and international sales offices in France and Singapore.
“It has been a pleasure to support the development and growth of NuCera,” said Mario Toukan, Managing Director of SK Capital. “SK invested heavily in NuCera’s people, capabilities and facilities, establishing a leading platform of technology-oriented, specialty polymers. We believe NuCera is well-positioned to continue its growth under Chase Corporation’s ownership and we wish them continued success.”
Steven McKeown, Chief Executive Officer of NuCera, commented, “After a notable period of growth, we are very excited to join the Chase family which offers a strong cultural and strategic alignment to our business. Our portfolio of innovative, high-performance products is well aligned with Chase’s core philosophy of making a material difference. On behalf of everyone at NuCera, we greatly look forward to beginning our journey with the Chase team.”
“The acquisition of NuCera is transformational in advancing Chase’s strategic growth priorities. The Company’s competitive positioning, North American manufacturing footprint and captive synthesis capabilities will allow us to gain additional scale and know-how to broaden our offerings across multiple new end markets, while maintaining both a strong balance sheet and financial flexibility. NuCera’s growth trajectory and internal culture closely align with those of Chase and we are excited to welcome NuCera and their highly differentiated products to Chase Corporation and its customers,” said Adam Chase, President & Chief Executive Officer of Chase Corporation.
The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions and regulatory approvals. Lincoln International acted as sell side advisor and Goodwin Procter LLP as legal counsel to SK Capital and NuCera. Moelis acted as buy side advisor and Nelson Mullins acted as legal counsel to Chase Corporation.
About NuCera Solutions
With an 85-year history of innovative chemistry, NuCera is a global leader and pioneer in the development and manufacture of highly differentiated specialty polymers and polymerization technologies for markets that require high quality and performance: Adhesives, Candles, Coatings, Imaging, Masterbatches, Personal Care and Plastics. NuCera supplies performance chemistry to global markets from its highly flexible manufacturing facilities in Barnsdall, OK, which are supported by R&D and applications laboratories as well as pilot plant facilities. For more information, please visit www.nucerasolutions.com.
About Chase Corporation
Chase Corporation, a global specialty chemicals company that was founded in 1946, is a leading manufacturer of protective materials for high-reliability applications throughout the world. More information can be found on our website https://chasecorp.com/.
About SK Capital
SK Capital is a private investment firm with a disciplined focus on the specialty materials, chemicals and pharmaceuticals sectors. The firm seeks to build strong and growing businesses that create substantial long-term economic value. SK utilizes its industry, operating and investment experience to identify opportunities to transform businesses into higher performing organizations with improved strategic positioning, growth and profitability as well as lower operating risk. SK Capital’s portfolio of businesses generates revenues of approximately $15 billion annually, employs more than 20,000 people globally, and operates 191 plants in 32 countries. The firm currently has approximately $6.6 billion of assets under management. For more information, please visit www.skcapitalpartners.com.