Gerresheimer announced on Wednesday, July 29, the sale of Centor US Holding Inc., as well as its global Primary Packaging Plastics business to Apax Funds.

The purchase price, including debt, for the two business units combined is based on an enterprise value of approximately EUR 1.5 billion (USD 1.71 billion).

The sale of Centor is expected to close by the end of financial year 2026, while the sale of the global Primary Packaging Plastics business is expected to close in the first half of financial year 2027. Gerresheimer said it will use the expected cash inflows to optimize its capital and financing structure.

16 production sites in nine countries

Under the transaction, Apax will acquire Gerresheimer’s U.S. prescription drug dispensing packaging systems business and its global primary plastic packaging business. The deal includes the Centor site in the United States as well as 15 primary plastic packaging manufacturing sites across nine countries.

In 2025, the two businesses generated combined revenue of approximately EUR 570 million and employed around 2,400 people.

“Centor and Primary Packaging Plastics are market leaders in prescription vials and primary pharmaceutical packaging, built on a decades long reputation for quality and reliability,” highlighted Anders Meyerhoff, Partner at Apax.

“Healthcare packaging plays a critical role in patient safety, with Centor’s and Primary Packaging Plastics’ products used to dispense medicines safely to millions of patients every day. As an independent company backed by the Apax Funds, the business will have the capital to invest in capacity, innovation and US expansion, building on its global leadership,” added Mehmet Tar, Principal at Apax.

“This transaction is an important milestone in optimizing our capital and financing structure, decreasing our leverage significantly,” commented Wolf Lehmann, CFO of Gerresheimer AG.

The sale comes in the wake of internal investigations into the group’s accounting practices, resulting in a delayed release of its financial results.

Last year, the German manufacturer announced its intention to divest its molded glass business.