CZG announces acquisition of Colt
Česká zbrojovka Group (CZG) has announced that it has successfully closed on its acquisition of 100% of the equity interest in Colt Holding Company LLC for $220million in cash and stock.
Colt Holding Company is the parent company of the US firearms manufacturer, Colt’s Manufacturing Company, as well as its Canadian subsidiary, Colt Canada Corporation.
CZG and Colt are confident that the merger will bring significant operational, commercial and R&D synergies for the combined business.
The combined businesses generated Pro-forma aggregated annual sales in excess of $570million and have more than 2,000 employees in the Czech Republic, the United States, Canada and Germany.
The acquisition occurred following the lengthy process of securing all necessary regulatory approvals from the Canadian and the US authorities, which is traditionally reluctant to allow foreign companies to purchase US defence firms.
Colt recently found itself in a position of financial difficulty when the organisation filed for bankruptcy in June 2015.
The contributing factors to the bankruptcy included: bad management, product portfolio and imprudent financial engineering.
Colt officially exited bankruptcy, with its emergence from Chapter 11 restructuring, in January 2016.
This acquisition reflects the renewed confidence in Colt’s financial stability and quality of its products.
More from Defence Notes
-
What the future holds for Ukraine and NATO under a Trump administration
Although Trump’s geopolitics policy for Europe remains unclear, defence analysts from the US and Europe predict how his incoming administration would attempt to handle critical issues on the continent.
-
RUSI deputy: UK needs longer procurement plans and improved awareness of US sift to Indo-Pacific
The UK budget announced in Parliament on 30 October was the first by a Labour government in 14 years which has also launched a review into defence procurement programmes.
-
Australia outlines longer punch and brings local industry onboard
The Australian government has placed a focus on Guided Weapons and Explosive Ordnance (GWEO) which has included the purchase of additional long-range rocket systems and investments in local production of missiles.
-
UK boosts defence budget by 5.3%, but is this enough?
The UK budget announced in Parliament on 30 October is the first by a Labour government in 14 years. While it sees a boost in defence spending, this comes in the face of fiscal challenges and the effects of inflation.
-
UK makes big moves to fix “broken” defence procurement system ahead of major review
The changes are intended to meet greater need and deliver more value for money.
-
US companies invest in production capabilities to satisfy DoD’s hunger for cutting-edge capabilities
BAE Systems, Booz Allen Hamilton and Lockheed Martin have been betting on new facilities and innovative manufacturing technologies to speed up the development of new solutions.