InProCoat (IPC), a leading German group in the area of industrial corrosion and fire protection, has entered into a strategic partnership with the Belgian ALRO Group (ALRO), a specialist in coating and painting plastic and metal parts for cars as well as trucks and a portfolio company of the European investment company Gimv. In collaboration with IPC, ALRO Group will apply fire-resistant coatings in electric vehicles ('EVs'). With this, ALRO Group is responding to the new e-models that many car manufacturers are launching and to the challenges imposed by the fire safety of the batteries within the cars. The electrification of the vehicles on our roads is gathering pace. With a concern for greater sustainability and driven by climate standards and emerging legislation, many car brands are rolling out their e-models more quickly. An increasing pain point for electric cars is the fire safety of batteries. Lithium-ion battery cells can overheat, which in a chain reaction ('thermal runaway') can lead to a rapid and life-threatening fire.

InProCoat Rhein-Saar GmbH, Kreuztal, Germany

Founded as a medium-sized company in Kreuztal in 1920, InProCoat (formerly Schneider + Co.) developed into an internationally active specialist and service provider for coating solutions for steel and non-ferrous metal surfaces with a focus on fire protection and pipe coatings. The family-run company with around 120 employees operates four plants and is particularly valued by its customers for its high level of innovation.

ALRO Group, Dilsen-Stokkem, Belgium 

Since it was founded in 1976, Alro Group has grown from a small coating company into a well-known group, specialised in coating or painting plastic and metal parts for cars and trucks. The Alro Group employs around a thousand people and has grown strongly in recent years in surface treatment solutions for e-mobility. This includes the anti-corrosion coating of battery housings of a number of important Western European EVs, applying advanced laser technology in the context of
electrical conductivity requirements. 

The IMAP team exclusively advised the shareholders of InProCoat during a structured, competitive M&A process and supported them in negotiating and successfully closing the strategic partnership.