Czech ammo maker Colt CZ to buy Brazilian-owned competitor

SAO PAULO — Czech firearms and ammunition producer Colt CZ plans to buy competitor Sellier & Bellot for $350 million, the former announced Monday.

Pending “regulatory approval in various countries,” Colt CZ is expected to finalize the deal in the first half of 2024, according to the news release.

The Brazil-based holding company CBC Global Ammunition owns Sellier & Bellot, which was founded in 1825 and employs approximately 1,600 people. Sellier & Bellot’s main production facility is located in in Vlašim, Czech Republic.

Colt CZ has a presence in the Czech Republic, the United States, Canada, Sweden, Switzerland and Hungary . It employs more than 2,000 people and is majority owned by Česká zbrojovka Partners SE.

As part of the deal, CBC Global Ammunition will gain a 27%-28% stake in Colt CZ, becoming its second-largest shareholder behind René Holeček, which owns Česká zbrojovka Partners SE.

CBC Global Ammunition exports to more than 130 countries and is one of “the largest suppliers to NATO and allied forces, worldwide,” according to the firm. It has three factories in Brazil, including its headquarters; two factories in Europe, in Germany and the Czech Republic; and its Magtech Ammunition subsidiary in the United States, which serves as the lead distributor to the American market for all the brands made by the group.

CBC employs 3,500 people and produces more than 1.5 billion rounds of ammunition each year, not including rimfire cartridges and shotshells, the company notes on its website.

“The successful contribution of one of CBC Global Ammunition Group’s flagship companies to Colt CZ Group in exchange for a significant shareholding marks the starting point of an impactful strategic collaboration. We are convinced of Colt CZ management’s long-term vision and believe the transaction will lead to remarkable value creation between the ammunition and firearms segments,” Fabio Mazzaro, CBC’s chief financial officer, said in a statement.

He added that Magtech Ammunition will continue to sell Sellier & Bellot ammunition in the American market.

“We are proud to welcome one of the oldest and most important producers of small caliber ammunition, Sellier & Bellot, to Colt CZ Group,” Jan Drahota, chief executive of Colt CZ Group, said in a statement. “This acquisition fits into our long-term strategy to expand not only in our core segment of small arms, but also in related areas, with ammunition being a natural complement to our products.”

Pedro Pligher is a Latin America correspondent for Defense News. He has reported on politics, economics and the Brazilian small arms industry.

圣保罗——捷克枪械和弹药生产商柯尔特CZ周一宣布，计划以3.5亿美元收购竞争对手塞利尔和贝洛特公司。

根据新闻稿，在获得“各国监管部门的批准”后，Colt CZ 预计将于 2024 年上半年完成这笔交易。

总部位于巴西的控股公司CBC Global Ammunition拥有Sellier & Bellot公司，该公司成立于1825年，拥有约1600名员工。Sellier & Bellot的主要生产基地位于捷克共和国弗拉希姆。

Colt CZ 在捷克共和国、美国、加拿大、瑞典、瑞士和匈牙利均设有分支机构。该公司拥有 2000 多名员工，由 Česká zbrojovka Partners SE 控股。

作为交易的一部分，CBC Global Ammunition 将获得 Colt CZ 27%-28% 的股份，成为仅次于 René Holeček 的第二大股东，后者拥有 Česká zbrojovka Partners SE。

CBC Global Ammunition的产品出口到130多个国家，据该公司称，它是“全球最大的北约及盟军供应商之一”。该公司在巴西设有三家工厂（包括其总部）；在欧洲设有两家工厂，分别位于德国和捷克共和国；其位于美国的子公司Magtech Ammunition是该集团旗下所有品牌在美国市场的主要分销商。

CBC公司在其网站上指出，该公司雇佣了3500名员工，每年生产超过15亿发弹药，还不包括边缘发火式弹药和霰弹。

CBC全球弹药集团首席财务官法比奥·马扎罗在一份声明中表示：“CBC全球弹药集团旗下旗舰公司之一成功向柯尔特CZ集团注资，换取了大量股份，这标志着双方意义深远的战略合作正式启动。我们对柯尔特CZ管理层的长远愿景深信不疑，并相信此次交易将为弹药和枪械两大业务板块带来显著的价值创造。”

他还补充说，Magtech Ammunition 将继续在美国市场销售 Sellier & Bellot 的弹药。

“我们非常荣幸地欢迎历史最悠久、最重要的轻口径弹药生产商之一 Sellier & Bellot 加入 Colt CZ 集团，”Colt CZ 集团首席执行官 Jan Drahota 在一份声明中表示。“此次收购符合我们的长期战略，即不仅拓展我们核心的轻武器业务，还要拓展相关领域，而弹药正是我们产品的天然补充。”

佩德罗·普利格尔是《防务新闻》的拉丁美洲通讯员。他曾报道过政治、经济和巴西小型武器工业。