Madison Air buys German fan maker EBM-Papst for €4.8B
What's the deal? US industrial group Madison AirDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → is acquiring German ventilation specialist EBM-PapstDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → at a net sale price of €4.775 billion, valuing the family-owned business at €5.1 billion. EBM-Papst, based in Mulfingen, Baden-Württemberg, makes fans and motors; Madison Air specialises in ventilation, filtration and cooling systems. The deal awaits regulatory approval and is expected to close by the end of 2026.
Why now? Chief executive officer Klaus GeißdörferDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → expanded EBM-Papst's business supplying cooling technology to data centres in 2026. The companies cited strong prospects in data centres and AI infrastructure, sectors driving demand for cooling.
What's the endgame? Geißdörfer said the two firms complement each other, with Madison Air barely present in Europe and Asia where EBM-Papst is well established. EBM-Papst will also benefit from better access to the US market, he said. Mulfingen remains EBM-Papst's headquarters; the current shareholder families will exit after the sale.
By the numbers: EBM-Papst employs more than 13,000 people worldwide, 5,800 of them in Germany. In its financial year ending in March 2026, revenue rose 6% to about €2.24 billion, or 12% growth in its core business after exiting several segments. Madison Air, a listed company with 9,000 employees, most recently reported revenue of $3.5 billion.
What could go wrong? The transaction still requires clearance from regulators before it can be completed.
The signal: The acquisition reflects how the AI-driven data centre boom is reshaping industrial supply chains, with cooling and ventilation technology now a strategic prize. Madison Air chief executive officer Jill WyantDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → said the firms can build on their existing foundations.
Read more: Der Tagesspiegel
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