A Perfect Match?
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A Perfect Match? The Unlikely Team-up of France’s Nexter and Germany’s KMW Football rivalries aside, French company Nexter and German company KMW are poised to join forces. Their merger will encourage other defense companies to reconsider their strategies in the broader European land sector. EUROPEAN DEFENSE INDUSTRIAL BASE FORUM OCCASIONAL PAPER 3 July 2014 Christina Balis A PERFECT MATCH? Given Friday’s looming historic football growing to over $43 billion by 2022, of which showdown at the Brazil World Cup, it might Europe accounts less than a third, according to seem a peculiar time for Franco-German Avascent estimates. comity. There are three main reasons why this deal Nonetheless, France’s Nexter Systems and makes sense and why this alliance has a much Germany’s Krauss-Maffei-Wegmann (KMW) greater chance of success to get past the goal this week announced a seemingly improbable line than any of the deals previously deal between a French state-owned company attempted or considered within Europe’s land that has struggled to compete overseas and a sector. Previous unfulfilled mergers include German privately held firm whose products, those between France’s Renault Trucks such as the Leopard battle taank, are of Defense (or RTD, owned by Sweden’s Volvo international renown. In their press release, Group since 2001) and Nexter and Germany’s the two parties announced that their Rheinmetall and KMW, as well as early cross- respective parent companies—French state border attempts involving French, German holding company GIAT Industries S.A. and and British firms. privately held Wegmann-Holding GmbH & The first reason is feasibility. The fact that Co. KG—will each own 50 percent of a neither company is publicly listed explains in holding company that will account for nearly large part why the deal has gone as far as it 2 billion in revenues and more than 6,000 has. State-owned and private companies have employees. more flexibility in structuring such transactions, whether within or across national borders, and are more open to As in any high-stakes contest, timing is creative approaches even if that means everything. This deal comes at a forfeiting certain near-term cost synergies. In moment when both parties’ interests as fact, the companies underscored the well as motivations are aligned. industrial-base preservation rationale behind the merger of equals in their deal announcement. As in any high-stakes contest, timing is This leads to the second key consideration in everything. This deal comes at a moment favor of this deal: the broader value when both parties’ interests as well as proposition at work for both companies. motivations are aligned. For the European KMW lacks diversification in its portfolio, and defense industry, it is a promising start to a while successful internationally, it now has to badly needed rationalization of a fragmented compete against a growing array of cost- land systems sector. Globally, this market is competitive contenders on the global scene, currently worth more than $37 billion, 1 A PERFECT MATCH? not to mention against its own government’s tightening export control policies. Although ...the new company will need to deal with the latter cannot be seen as the key driver potential portfolio conflicts as well as behind the decision to push forward with this merger—reports about talks date back to more broader market entry issues. than a year ago before the arrival of the current coalition government in Germany and development of programs without being the announced change in export regulations— dependent on governments that no longer it certainly adds to KMW’s concerns about have the financial capacity to sustain them. In sustaining the volume of recent international his words, “The European option [of orders. consolidation] could allow us access to larger scale through the merger of two companies in Nexter, on the other hand, has struggled to good [financial] health pulling together their secure international wins beyond recent skills, customers and domestic market.” isolated sales to Saudi Arabia and Indonesia, and its combat-proven VBCI infantry-fighting To be sure, the new company will need to deal vehicle has yet to secure a single export with potential portfolio conflicts as well as contract. Contrary to KMW, however, Nexter broader market entry issues. While current has successfully started to diversity into teaming arrangements between Nexter and adjacent markets, notably munitions (having RTD with regard to the French Scorpion concluded within less than a year the program, which was formally launched two acquisitions of French SNPE/Eurenco and weeks ago, and between KMW and Chemring’s European munitions business) Rheinmetall with regard to the joint and robotics (with the creation of subsidiary development of the Boxer wheeled armored Nexter Robotics a year ago). vehicle will likely have to be respected in the near term, they do raise longer-term strategy Internationally, the two firms can combine questions. Ultimately, the two partners will forces in pursuit of new opportunities in the need to rationalize somewhat their portfolio of Middle East, notably UAE and Qatar, and vehicles even as the consolidation of their Asia, with India being among the attractive industrial footprint will inevitably take longer. near-term targets. Closer to home, Denmark is another attractive target. As Nexter CEO The third reason for the likely success of this Philippe Burtin stated before the French deal is a shared motivation for concluding it national assembly last fall, the company’s now. The owners of both companies have an vision is to be an integrated company that interest in gradually extracting themselves takes advantage of synergies with the from their respective businesses. Clashes armaments and munitions business while between Manfred Bode, chairman of the having sufficient scale to allow the supervisory board and the company’s long- 2 A PERFECT MATCH? time CEO until 2006 when Frank Haun took Germany’s politicians are unlikely to show a over, and the silent members of the von red card. Braunbehrens family, which owns slightly Other European players will now be forced to more than half of the holding company, have rethink or accelerate their strategies. This been reported in recent years. The Bode and includes Rheinmetall (now facing a similarly von Braunbehrens families are known to have sized competitor and one-time partner in its had disagreements on how to run the business own backyard), Volvo Group (left with a as well as philosophical differences regarding subscale “government sales” business, selling to certain third countries, particularly essentially comprised of French defense assets in the wake of the Arab Spring. The French RTD and Panhard), Thales (who may now government, on the other hand, should need to accelerate the strategic review of its welcome a much-needed cash infusion from a TDA armaments subsidiary), and partial sale of Nexter—a move that also Finmeccanica (whose new leadership may feel supports the French defense ministry’s target more compelled to divest the Italian of securing €6 billion in exceptional receipts company’s Oto Melara subsidiary), as well as over the next five years—particularly when BAE Systems and General Dynamics, such a sale also ensures them the status of transatlantic leaders in the land sector and the equal partner. original champions of consolidation in Whether this deal succeeds or fails will reveal Europe. a lot about the viability of defense industrial consolidation in Europe. However, the 2012 Other European players will now be failed combination of BAE Systems and EADS forced to rethink or accelerate their (now renamed Airbus Group) need not spoil strategies. the odds. First of all, the size of this deal is significantly smaller. The combined KMW- Friday’s showdown between Germany and Nexter group will have less than 15% the France will result in one team going home revenues and employees of Airbus Defence crestfallen, disappointing a nation that must and Space, the new Airbus Group subsidiary wait years for another shot at glory while the that emerged out of the ashes of the aborted winner advances to the final. The merger of 2012 merger. BAE and EADS also had the Nexter and KMW is also a decisive moment worst of both worlds in trying to sell their for French and German interests. But in this combination to investors and their respective case, unlike on the playing field at Estádio governments, not just to one government as is Maracanã in Rio de Janeiro, both sides can the case here. The French government, which come out winners—while leaving several is keen on promoting defense exports, is spectators feeling sidelined. expected to sign off on the Nexter deal and 3 A PERFECT MATCH? Christina Balis leads Avascent’s The European Defense Industrial European operations. Based in Paris, Base Forum is an Avascent initiative she supports corporate and financial to explore and debate issues critical to clients operating in or looking to expand the performance and long-term viability to Europe and adjacent geographies. of Europe’s defense establishment. She has experience providing strategic Designed to engage and inform advisory services, assessing market representatives from both the private opportunities, and supporting merger and public sectors, including the and acquisition activities across a financial community and academic diverse set of defense, civil, and institutions, this forum seeks to provide commercial markets. Dr. Balis worked senior executives and decision-makers for a number of years as a consultant with objective, nonpartisan analyses to with Avascent before transitioning to support strategic action across industry. Prior to rejoining Avascent in Europe’s diverse defense technology late 2011, she was vice president for and industrial base. strategy and corporate development at Serco Inc., the US subsidiary of Comments, questions, and requests to international service company Serco receive future updates may be sent to : Group plc.