Panasonic Reaches Agreement to Acquire All Shares of Area Cooling, a Polish Refrigeration Equipment Manufacturer

OSAKA, Japan--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Panasonic Corporation today announced that its Cold Chain Solutions Company (hereinafter referred to as Panasonic) has entered into an agreement with Cooling Solutions S.L. to purchase all the shares of its subsidiary Area Cooling Solutions Sp. z.o.o. , a Polish refrigeration equipment manufacturer (hereinafter referred to as Area Cooling) [1]. This transaction is a strategic step for Panasonic to strengthen its condensing unit business in the European market and to accelerate its ongoing global expansion.

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The Kigali Amendment [2] to the Montreal Protocol [3] and the European Union's F-Gas Regulation [4], among other regulations, restrict the production, consumption, import, and export of HFCs, which are widely used as refrigerants in cold chain equipment, and require a transition to alternative refrigerants with a lower global warming potential. Europe has been at the forefront of these environmental initiatives, aligning with the region’s commitment to climate neutrality and customer preferences for greener technologies. Panasonic, which has established itself as the leading manufacturer of CO2 condensing units in the Japanese market, sees Europe as its most important market for the future.

Area Cooling is an innovative company that is aggressively investing in growth areas such as inverter-controlled condensing units and CO2 condensing units. Its products have technological affinities with Panasonic's condensing units, as they have long used Panasonic-designed compressors. This company profile led Panasonic to determine that this acquisition would expedite the reinforcement of the foundation for its European business. The acquisition does not include the distribution business of compressors and other HVACR components Area Cooling is currently operating.

Area Cooling and Panasonic will share resources and create synergies in the condensing unit business to develop products that better meet customer needs, manufacture locally in Europe, and increase the presence of Panasonic condensing units in the European market.

About Area Cooling

Company name--------------------Area Cooling Solutions Sp. z o.o.

Representative---------------------Josep Ventura

Address------------------------------ul. Relaksowa 27, 55-080 Nowa Wieś Wrocławska, Poland

Business-----------------------------Design, manufacture, and sale of industrial and commercial refrigeration equipment

Establishment----------------------1995

Number of employees------------Approximately 160

Notes:

[1] This agreement will be formally entered into after the general terms and conditions of the agreement, including the approval of the relevant authorities, have been fulfilled.

[2] Adopted in 2016. Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) were added to the list of substances subject to regulation under the Montreal Protocol.

[3] An environmental treaty adopted in 1987 and entered into force in 1989 to protect the ozone layer, formally known as the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer. This international agreement sets targets for phasing out or eliminating the production and consumption of substances that may deplete the ozone layer, as well as regulating imports and exports.

[4] Regulations enacted in Europe in 2006 to reduce the environmental impact of fluorinated gases. This regulation covers hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), perfluorocarbons (PFCs) and sulphur hexafluoride (SF6).

About Panasonic Corporation

Panasonic Corporation offers products and services for a variety of living environments, ranging from homes to stores to offices and cities. There are five businesses at the core of Panasonic Corporation: Living Appliances and Solutions Company, Heating & Ventilation A/C Company, Cold Chain Solutions Company, Electric Works Company and China and Northeast Asia Company. The operating company reported consolidated net sales of 3,494.4 billion yen for the year ended March 31, 2024. Panasonic Corporation is committed to fulfilling the mission of Life Tech & Ideas: For the wellbeing of people, society and the planet, and embraces the vision of becoming the best partner of your life with human-centric technology and innovation. Learn more about Panasonic: https://www.panasonic.com/global/about/.

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Source: Panasonic Corporation

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Source: Business Wire