Swiss media group Tamedia and advertising sales company Goldbach Group have come to an agreement regarding a takeover bid.
Tamedia has announced a public tender offer for Goldbach Group at CHF35.50 (€30.30) per share. This amounts to a purchase price of around CHF216 million (€184 million) for 100% of the shares. Following the takeover, Tamedia wants to delist Goldbach Group from the SIX Swiss stock exchange.
Goldbach Group, with around 340 employees in Switzerland, Germany and Austria, will continue operating as an integrated marketing company within the Tamedia media group at its current location in Küsnacht.
Michi Frank will remain in the position of CEO of Goldbach. He is scheduled to become a member of the management board of Tamedia and will continue overseeing Goldbach with the current management team.
The goal of the combination is to become one of the marketing companies with the most extensive penetration in Switzerland and to advance the activities in Germany and Austria.
With its over 50 media and digital platforms, Tamedia reaches a large target group-specific part of the Swiss population. Goldbach Group, on the other hand, is a leader in the marketing of electronic media in Switzerland.
Based on their reach, Tamedia and Goldbach intend to develop new technologies and innovative forms of advertising for their clients. Furthermore, together with Neo Advertising in which Tamedia also holds a majority interest, the companies are planning to expand the out-of-home advertising segment.
“The combination of Tamedia, Goldbach and Neo Advertising provides us with the opportunity to offer our clients in Switzerland and abroad extensive 360-degree choices in future in the areas of TV, radio, print, online and out-of-home advertising,” said Christoph Tonini, CEO of Tamedia. “This is an opportunity for the Swiss media market, as it is not least to the benefit of our journalistic media.”
“Goldbach is doing very well, but it should be assumed that the market will change significantly in the coming years,” said Michi Frank, CEO of Goldbach Group, adding that digitisation is shaking up the advertising industry. “With Tamedia we are in an optimal position to contribute to these changes in the Swiss advertising market and to support our partners and clients with leading technical solutions.”
The acquisition plans will be submitted to the Swiss Federal Competition Commission.
