Belgian-based industrial group, Tessenderlo Group, will make a strategic minority equity investment in FMC Corporation, valued at $400 million (€351 million).
In recent years, the Tessenderlo Group has invested heavily in expanding its agricultural offering, such as the construction of fertiliser plants in the Netherlands and the US, as well as the acquisition of a Swedish factory and several crop-protection brands.
Read also:
The investment in struggling agricultural sciences company, FMC Corporation, is part of that agricultural division. "It fits into the strategy to expand our agricultural platform with investments in which we take a minority stake in quality companies," explains Tessenderlo Group CEO Luc Tack. Last year, the division generated €935 million in revenue and €118 million in EBITDA (gross operating profit), accounting for one-third and 40 percent of the group total, respectively.
“FMC offers an attractive opportunity to invest in a business with meaningful long-term potential driven by a new generation of proprietary molecules that are renewing its portfolio and strengthening its competitive position,” adds Luc.
Following the investment (at a price of $13.30 per share), Tessenderlo will own approximately 20% of FMC's outstanding common stock. “We are very clear: we want to build a stable long-term policy with the management and the board of directors,” Luc told De Tijd. “Cashing out at 50 percent profit and quickly moving on to the next deal is not our way of working.”
A new way forward for FMC
“Our Board is confident that entering into this agreement is the best path forward for our company and its shareholders,” shares FMC Chairman, CEO and president Pierre Brondeau.
The Tessenderlo Group investment concludes several months of strategic M&A activities aimed at helping FMC unlock additional capital, after reporting a $2.2 billion loss last year (2025). This includes signing an agreement to sell its commercial business in India for $252 million, as well as the sale-and-leaseback of its Newark, Delaware, property for $114 million.
“We believe the strategic and operational actions taken by FMC over the last several months, combined with our significantly improved leverage and liquidity position, will deliver value to our shareholders, putting FMC on a path to growth as we strongly serve our customers and markets,” Pierre added.
BofA Securities and Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC are serving as financial advisors, and Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP is serving as legal counsel to FMC Corporation. The closing of the transaction is subject to customary conditions, including the receipt of regulatory approvals.
