Eppendorf AG. (3/19/20). "Press Release: Eppendorf Acquires Centrifuge Business of Koki Holdings Co., Ltd.". Hamburg & Tokyo.

	Organisation	Eppendorf AG
	Today	Eppendorf SE
	Group	Eppendorf (Group)
	Organisation 2	Koki Holdings Co., Ltd., Centrifuge & Processing (C&P) business (himac brand)
	Group	Eppendorf (Group)
	Product	ultracentrifuge
	Product 2	private equity
	Index term	Koki Holdings–Eppendorf: investment, 202003– acquisition €na of Koki’s Centrifuge + Processing business by Eppendorf from KKR
	Person	Fruhstorfer, Peter (Eppendorf 201912– Co-CEO before Head of Business Area Sample Handling)
	Person 2	Morisawa, Atsushi (Koki Holdings 202003 CEO)

> Eppendorf strengthens one of its core businesses and expands centrifuge business

> Koki Holdings focuses on the power tool business

> Eppendorf becomes a global full-line provider of high-performance premium centrifuges and consolidates its leading market position

> Financial terms were not disclosed

Eppendorf AG and Koki Holdings Co., Ltd., have reached an agreement that Eppendorf will acquire Koki’s centrifuge business, including the premium himac brand. A corresponding agreement was signed by both companies in Tokyo. The acquisition marks a targeted step by Hamburg-based Eppendorf AG to expand its centrifuge business and solidifies its strong market position as one of the world’s leading makers of high-end centrifuges for the pharma and life science industries as well as academic and commercial research.

Koki Holdings will focus on developing its position as a comprehensive provider of power tools aiming to become a leading global company through strategic investment, accelerated technology and product development.

“We are excited to acquire Koki’s centrifuge business and its premium himac brand. These high-performance products are an ideal fit for Eppendorf's centrifuges business and highquality standards,” said Dr. Peter Fruhstorfer, Co-CEO of Eppendorf AG. “With this acquisition, Eppendorf will become a full-line provider of high-performance premium centrifuges on a global level. This gives us access to new customer groups and offers opportunities for further growth.” The centrifuge business is one of Eppendorf's core businesses, Fruhstorfer continued, which will be sustainably strengthened by the acquisition.

“We are excited to have Eppendorf as a partner in acquiring our Centrifuge & Processing (C&P) business, which has held a first-place business track record in Japan for over 65 years,” said Atsushi Morisawa, CEO of Koki Holdings. “With Eppendorf’s investment through this acquisition, I am sure the Koki-originated C&P business will earn an extraordinary positioning in the global market. With that, Koki Holdings will strategically focus on the power tool industry to become the top brand globally.”

Koki Holdings Co., Ltd., develops and produces ultracentrifuges and floor-standing centrifuges under the brand name himac in Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan, which is north of Tokyo. The parties have agreed not to disclose the purchase price.

Koki Holdings Co., Ltd. was established in 1948 as manufacturer of power tools, including tools used in coal mining. In 1954, Koki began a centrifuge product business that earned a high reputation in the Japanese and global market. Koki Holdings will continue to focus on the power tools business by developing superior products and services aiming to become a leading global company in the industry.

About Eppendorf

Eppendorf is a leading life science company that develops and sells instruments, consumables, and services for liquid, sample, and cell handling in laboratories worldwide. Its product range includes pipettes and automated pipetting systems, dispensers, centrifuges, mixers, spectrometers, and DNA amplification equipment as well as ultra-low temperature freezers, fermentors, bioreactors, CO2 incubators, shakers, and cell manipulation systems. Consumables such as pipette tips, test tubes, microtiter plates, and single-use bioreactors complement the range of highest-quality premium products. Eppendorf products are most broadly used in academic and commercial research laboratories, e.g., in companies from the pharmaceutical and biotechnological as well as the chemical and food industries. They are also used in laboratories that perform clinical or environmental analysis, in forensic laboratories, and in industrial laboratories where process analysis, production and quality assurance are performed. Eppendorf was founded in Hamburg, Germany in 1945 and currently has more than 3,500 employees worldwide. The company has subsidiaries in 26 countries and is represented in all its other important markets by distributors.

About Koki Holdings Co., Ltd.

Koki Holdings Co., Ltd., is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of power tools, pneumatic tools, and life science equipment. Its lineup covers approximately 1,300 products, including drivers, drills,?nailers, grass and hedge trimmers, vacuum cleaners, high-pressure washers, ultracentrifuges and other laboratory equipment.

With a 70-year history, Koki Holdings boasts the world’s highest technological capabilities and a high level of customer trust. Its sales network now extends to 95 countries worldwide, including Japan and countries in Europe, the Americas, Asia, Oceania, the Middle and Near East, and Africa.?

The Centrifuge & Processing Equipment business that Koki Holdings entered in 1954 specializes in centrifuges. Koki’s himac brand currently holds the top share in its domestic market and has a strong presence in the world.

Media Contact Eppendorf AG:

Dr. Ralph Esper
Barkhausenweg 1
22339 Hamburg
Phone: +49 40 538 01-195
Mobile: +49 170 79 80 778
Mail: esper.r@eppendorf.de

Media Contact Koki Holdings Co., Ltd.:

Takeo Tamagawa
Koki Holdings Co., Ltd.?
Phone: +81 3-5783-0628?
Mail: pr@koki-holdings.co.jp

Record changed: 2023-06-05