Ansell to acquire Microgard

Founded in 1975, Microgard manufactures and supplies chemical protective clothing and has sales in over 75 countries, with a manufacturing facility in Xiamen, China.

Microgard has grown rapidly, primarily in EMEA and APAC, with sales of approximately $40 million in calendar year 2014 and 750 employees worldwide. The agreement, which is subject to German anti-trust clearance and customary closing conditions, is expected to complete during the second quarter of calendar year 2015.

"This acquisition is another critical step in building the Ansell body protection business as part of the Industrial Global Business Unit,” says Magnus Nicolin, chief executive officer and managing director at Ansell. "Microgard’s innovative range of chemical clothing for industrial, chemical, oil & gas, and life science customers complements our previous acquisitions, including Trellchem high-end chemical protective clothing from Trelleborg Protective Products, High Five entry-level disposable clothing and Onguard chemical protective footwear from Barriersafe Solutions International. Together with our current chemical protective glove range, we now have a world-class portfolio of chemical protection solutions, leveraging our strong global footprint and Ansell Guardian solution selling capabilities to help customers improve protection and productivity in a wide-range of end user verticals.”

"We are pleased that Microgard is joining forces with Ansell, the recognised world leader in protection solutions,” says Graham Stonehouse, Microgard founder and chairman. "Ansell’s global reach, commitment to quality, and record of innovation will deliver immediate value to our business, our people, and our partners.