May 31, 2016 - Wolters Kluwer Legal & Regulatory today announces that it has made a binding offer to acquire Enablon, a leading global provider of Environmental, Health, Safety & Sustainability and Operational Risk Management software and SaaS solutions, for €250 million. The acquisition, which is subject to customary closing conditions, aligns with the Legal & Regulatory division's strategy to expand its existing portfolio of legal and compliance software solutions.
Relied upon by more than 1,000 companies and 1 million users in 160 countries, Enablon offers an award-winning modular platform to manage enterprise-wide environmental, health and safety (EHS) compliance, improve sustainability and mitigate operational risks. The Enablon platform is used by major corporations worldwide, across a wide range of industries.
Enablon generated software and services revenues of approximately €45 million in 2015, of which approximately 57% was derived from North America, around 39% from Europe and the remainder from Asia Pacific and the rest of the world. The company has a positive operating margin, which currently reflects the impact of increased investment in R&D and sales and marketing to support revenue growth. Enablon's revenues are expected to grow organically to reach approximately €55 million in 2016, driven by product innovation and market expansion.
The acquisition is expected to be approximately 1% accretive to adjusted earnings in the first full calendar year after closing. Wolters Kluwer expects to achieve a return on invested capital above its after tax weighted average cost of capital within three to five years of completion.
"Enablon tightly aligns with the core value Legal & Regulatory provides to customers, which is founded in our expert solutions that enable organizations to comply with complex laws and regulations, while enhancing performance and mitigating risk," said Legal & Regulatory division CEO Stacey Caywood. "The acquisition will also immediately expand our ability to serve the enterprise needs of global organizations, and accelerate our ability to advance further in the global compliance market."
Together, Wolters Kluwer and Enablon will continue to deliver Enablon's leading solutions to customers, leveraging Wolters Kluwer's global reach and commitment to further strengthen and expand Enablon offerings globally in existing and adjacent markets.
"We are very excited by the opportunity to join Wolters Kluwer," said Dan Vogel, Enablon Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and co-founder. "Since the creation of Enablon in 2000, we have been constantly investing in our products, technology and people to benefit our growing community of customers and partners. Joining a global leader would benefit our community by accelerating the growth of our solutions and advancing our position globally."
Enablon has approximately 340 employees, with global headquarters in Courbevoie, France, and North American headquarters in Chicago.
Upon receipt of the offer, Enablon granted to Wolters Kluwer an exclusivity period during which Enablon will conduct its employee consultation process in accordance with French legal requirements.
About Wolters Kluwer
Wolters Kluwer N.V. (AEX: WKL) is a global leader in information services and solutions for professionals in the health, tax and accounting, risk and compliance, finance and legal sectors. We help our customers make critical decisions every day by providing expert solutions that combine deep domain knowledge with specialized technology and services.
Wolters Kluwer reported 2015 annual revenues of €4.2 billion. The company, headquartered in Alphen aan den Rijn, the Netherlands, serves customers in over 180 countries, maintains operations in over 40 countries and employs 19,000 people worldwide. Wolters Kluwer shares are listed on Euronext Amsterdam (WKL) and are included in the AEX and Euronext 100 indices. Wolters Kluwer has a sponsored Level 1 American Depositary Receipt program. The ADRs are traded on the over-the-counter market in the U.S. (WTKWY). For more information about our solutions and organization, visit www.wolterskluwer.com, follow us on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and YouTube.
Wolters Kluwer Legal & Regulatory is a division of Wolters Kluwer, serving customers around the world with expert information solutions, software, and services in the areas of law, business, and regulatory compliance. Customers of Wolters Kluwer Legal & Regulatory include law firms, corporate law departments, business compliance professionals, corporate legal counsel, legal educators, universities, libraries, and government agencies.
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Forward-looking Statements
This report contains forward-looking statements. These statements may be identified by words such as "expect", "should", "could", "shall" and similar expressions. Wolters Kluwer cautions that such forward-looking statements are qualified by certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results and events to differ materially from what is contemplated by the forward-looking statements. Factors which could cause actual results to differ from these forward-looking statements may include, without limitation, general economic conditions; conditions in the markets in which Wolters Kluwer is engaged; behavior of customers, suppliers, and competitors; technological developments; the implementation and execution of new ICT systems or outsourcing; and legal, tax, and regulatory rules affecting Wolters Kluwer's businesses, as well as risks related to mergers, acquisitions, and divestments. In addition, financial risks such as currency movements, interest rate fluctuations, liquidity, and credit risks could influence future results. The foregoing list of factors should not be construed as exhaustive. Wolters Kluwer disclaims any intention or obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
