20. April 2017.
German STADA and Hemofarm, as its important part, are entering a new chapter in the development, following the decision of the Executive and Supervisory Board of STADA to accept the offer of the two globally respected equity funds Bain Capital and Cinven for the acquisition of shares worth EUR 5.318 billion. As one of the leading pharmaceutical companies in the world, STADA aspires to even more intensive internationalization of business operations and achieving the very top of global economy where only transnational companies can be leaders.
‘This is the strongest investment agreement that has ever been negotiated in Germany’ – Dr Matthias Wiedenfels, CEO and Chairman of the Executive Board of STADA Group, emphasized while addressing the employees at Hemofarm headquarters in Vršac.
While presenting the vision of further growth and development of the company, he also pointed out that the indicated offer was reinforced by an Agreement which guarantees further development of all key business units of STADA as well, including also Hemofarm as the largest pharmaceutical manufacturer and exporter in Serbia and in the region.
It was noted during the meeting that Bain Capital and Cinven were equity funds with a several-decade long reputation, primarily in the area of the healthcare and pharmaceutical sector, as well as that in their previous investments, they always contributed to further development of the companies they invested in.
‘We share with them the view on significance of the development of generic industry, the aspiration to further growth, as well as the care for people’ – Matthias Wiedenfels, CEO of STADA Group, concluded.
The face-to-face conversation of Dr Wiedenfels with employees, which was live streamed by a video-link also for the employees in all Hemofarm’s plants and representative offices in the South-East Europe, is also an example of German good corporate practice, transparent way of doing business and responsible attitude towards employees who are always able to actively participate in the dialogue about important issues related to operations development.
Dr Ronald Seeliger, CEO of Hemofarm and Vice President of STADA Group for South-East Europe, pointed out that Hemofarm had been in a similar position ten years ago as well, when the acquisition by STADA Group was completed.
‘That investment, worth several hundreds of millions of euro, represented a combination of the German business efficiency and the knowledge and commitment of people in Hemofarm, and such a combination has raised Hemofarm to the level of the regional leader in pharmaceuticals production and export’. Seeliger has reminded that Hemofarm presently exports to 38 countries, that it has more than 3000 employees and state-of-the art factories, operating in compliance with the highest international pharmaceutical standards, which are located in Serbia, Montenegro and Republika Srpska.
Therefore, as it was concluded at the meeting, a new change in the ownership structure actually gives an additional motivation for strengthening the positions in the existing markets, as well as an opportunity to win the new ones on all continents. The path to further development of STADA is a new opportunity for growth of Serbian Hemofarm, and thereby its additional contribution to the Serbian economy.
