Beijer Ref Ab and HRP Holdings Limited merger investigation

First published by Admin on August 04, 2016 in the following categories: Latest

The Competition and Market Authority (CMA) has carried out an investigation in to the merger of companies Beijer Ref Ab and HRP Holdings Limited.

The CMA carried out an investigation, based on information from third parties and Beijer, as to whether there was still competitive factors that would not breach competition law after the merger.

The investigation found that the parties were close competitors, but they were not the only competitors in the area that customers had access to. It was found that customers had multiple different accounts with different suppliers in the area and that customers would receive a range of quotes from the suppliers.

On a national basis, the CMA found that, although the merged parties were close competitors, they were not the closest, and there were other strong competitors that customers could, and do, buy from.

About the companies

Beijer Ref Ab is a globally active company from Sweden that is a wholesale supplier of refrigeration products – these include refrigeration components and systems. Beijer also sold heat pumps and air conditioning products.

Beijer operates as two companies within the UK – Dean and Wood Limited and Refrigeration Wholesale Limited.

HRP is a wholesale supplier of air conditioning, air source heat pumps, refrigeration systems and components.

Before the merger took place, Beijer owned 44% of issued share capital of HRP. Beijer ultimately obtained the remaining 56% of the shares of HRP once the merger had taken place.

What was the outcome?

Based on the evidence from the investigation that took place, the CMA found that the merger of the two companies had not amounted to the lessening of competition within the market locally or nationally. Therefore it would not be a breach of competition law.

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