Villeroy & Boch completes takeover of Ideal Standard and becomes one of the largest manufacturers of bathroom products in Europe

Villeroy & Boch has successfully completed the acquisition of all the operating companies of the Ideal Standard Group. Having obtained all necessary authorizations from the competition authorities, Ideal Standard will now be integrated into the Villeroy & Boch Group as an independent component.

Through this integration, Villeroy & Boch becomes one of the leading manufacturers of bathroom products in Europe, with almost 13.000 employees and an international production and distribution network. Ideal Standard complements the Villeroy & Boch business model in a remarkable way. Their complementary strengths in terms of regional presence, distribution strategies as well as product and market portfolio strengthen the Group's competitiveness.

The Management Board of Villeroy & Boch AG remains unchanged and remains under the leadership of its President Gabi Schupp. Jan Peter Tewes continues to manage the activities of Ideal Standard and reports to Gabi Schupp.

For Gabi Schupp, Chairman of the Management Board of Villeroy & Boch AG: « By taking over Ideal Standard, we are continuing our strategic growth consistently, expanding our core businesses and expanding further internationally. We are confident that the two companies are also culturally aligned. We have in common not only traditional brands, but also values such as a strong orientation towards quality and service, a strong sense of quality design and a continued ambition for innovation. We welcome our new colleagues and look forward to shaping our future together. »

For Andreas Schmid, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Villeroy & Boch AG: « With the takeover of Ideal Standard, we have achieved the largest acquisition in the history of Villeroy & Boch. This integration allows us to strengthen our resilience in a persistently complex market environment, improve synergies and put in place the best conditions for profitable growth. »

For Jan Peter Tewes, Managing Director of Ideal Standard International NV: « As a new component of the Villeroy && Boch Group, we look forward to this collaboration. The strengthening of our regional presence, the combination of our private client business and project management skills, as well as our ideally positioned activities in the taps segment, are examples of the considerable potential that we will exploit with our customers, partners and collaborators. »

The combined company will also remain true to its established brands in the future. Ideal Standard will be integrated as a standalone component within the company organization. Mettlach remains the Group's headquarters while Ideal Standard will continue to be managed from Brussels.