Zodiac liferaft business to be sold to Survitec

Survitec Group Limited, one of the global leaders in safety and survival equipment, has announced its plans to acquire the Zodiac commercial SOLAS (Safety of Life at Sea) liferaft business. This would further enhance Survitec’s plans for global expansion in the marine industry.

Founded in 1898, Zodiac is a world leader in the manufacture of liferafts for merchant ships, ferries, and cruise ships. The Zodiac brand is well known and highly regarded within the marine safety industry and would enhance Survitec’s existing marine safety product range. In particular the addition of Zodiac Liferaft & Marine Evacuation Systems to Survitec’s existing offering would create a broader group of complementary products, as well as extend its geographic footprint into France, Spain, South America, The Middle East and Asia.

Survitec was acquired by global private equity firm Warburg Pincus in 2010. With the backing of its new shareholders, Survitec is pursuing its global expansion strategy and strengthening its position in the marine, defence and aerospace safety markets by growing organically and through acquisitions both within existing and new territories.

Survitec Group CEO Doug Baxter commented on the transaction; “Bringing the Zodiac commercial liferaft business into the Survitec Group is an extremely complimentary acquisition that reinforces our position in the marine safety sector. Both companies have a history of technical innovation in the manufacture and supply of high quality products. Together we can build on this to ensure our continued growth in the marine industry.”

The business will be integrated into the Survitec Group under the brand Survitec-Zodiac, joining the other established brands of RFD, DSB, EV and Beaufort.

The acquisition of Zodiac SOLAS (ZSO) is subject to standard regulatory approval.

Since the acquisition by Warburg Pincus in 2010, Survitec also acquired two other marine business; Seaweather Marine in the UK, and also the commercial marine business of Revere in the USA.