PwC Corporate Finance advises Thommen-Furler AG (“TFAG”) on the acquisition of alcosuisse ag (“alcosuisse”) from the Swiss government.

On January 31, 2018, the Federal Council decided to sell alcosuisse ag, the former profit centre of the Swiss Alcohol Board and sole importer of ethanol products, to TFAG. PwC acted as lead advisor to TFAG throughout the buy-side process.

With the sale to TFAG, the Swiss government completes another important stage of the partial revision of the Alcohol Act, which started on January 1, 2017 by the transformation of alcosuisse from a profit centre to a limited company. The transaction is expected to be completed in mid-2018. Until the next stage in the revision process of the Act – the liberalisation of the ethanol market on January 1, 2019 – the monopoly for the importation of ethanol will remain unchanged and the buyer is not allowed to generate any profit until then.

For more than 100 years, alcosuisse has been providing the Swiss economy with high-quality ethanol products in over 50 different grades at cost-covering prices. With processing facilities in Delémont (JU) and Schachen (LU) and c. 38 FTEs, alcosuisse supplies over 1’500 Swiss-based customers with ethanol products.

TFAG, headquartered in Rüti bei Büren (BE), is specialised in the distribution of chemicals and lubricants, environmental technology, and the disposal and recycling of industrial and hazardous waste. With c. 250 employees, the medium-sized company generates revenues in excess of CHF 120 Mio. and operates branches in Ziefen (BL) and La-Chaux-de-Fonds (NE).