Asco Carbon Dioxide and Buse Gastek pool their strengths

The German firm Buse Gastek GmbH & Co. KG, headquartered in Bad Hönningen, is merging its business divisions for CO2 production and recovery plant construction and dry ice technology with the Swiss company Asco Carbon Dioxide Ltd, headquartered in Romanshorn. Employees of Buse Gastek working in these divisions will be transferred to Asco, a subsidiary of the German specialist in industrial gases Messer Group. Based on sales figures for 2013, the merger will result in a competitive company with an estimated annual turnover of EUR 32 million.

The joint venture will operate under the name Asco Carbon Dioxide Ltd, with Marco Pellegrino retaining his role as Managing Director. Buse Gastek’s business divisions Tank Service for Technical Gases and Cryogenic Freezers, based at the sites in Bad Hönningen and Steinheim-Bergheim, are not affected by the merger and will remain part of Buse Gastek.

The joint venture offers solutions for a wide range of CO2 sources, whether natural sources, stack gas, brewing and other fermentation processes, ammonia, hydrogen or ethylene oxide production, or a host of other industrial sources. Asco will acquire and expand a site at the Buse Gastek location in Bad Hönningen, Germany. This will house the departments for engineering and for the construction of CO2 production and recovery plants. The production of dry ice machines for the entire joint venture will be carried out in Eschlikon, Switzerland.

Completion of the transaction is subject to the conclusion of negotiations with the works committee of Buse Gastek regarding reconciliation of interests.