Switzerland’s SGS plans to merge with France’s Bureau Veritas

Switzerland’s Société Générale de Surveillance (SGS SA) is in talks to merge with France’s Bureau Veritas SA to create Europe’s largest inspection and certification company with a combined market value of $35 bln.

SGS shares rose more than a quarter in 2024, boosting the company’s market value to CHF17.6 billion ($19.3 billion). Bureau Veritas’ market capitalization is estimated at 13.5 billion euros ($13.9 billion).

The proposed transaction will require the support of investment company Wendel SE, which is the majority shareholder of Bureau Veritas with a 26.5% stake, as well as the approval of the French government. The Lac1 fund, controlled by state-owned Bpifrance SACA, acquired a 4% stake in Bureau Veritas in 2024.

Bureau Veritas is a French inspection and certification company. The company provides services in certification, industrial auditing, technical inspection, technical supervision, and occupational safety and health. The company has offices in 140 countries and includes 83 thousand employees.

SGS S.A. is a Swiss company in the sector of independent examination, control and certification. Its portfolio of services includes quantity and quality control of goods, certification of products and management systems for compliance with the standards of international and national legislation. The company is divided into nine departments, each of which focuses on providing services for a specific industry. The headquarters are located in Geneva, Switzerland. Groupe Bruxelles Lambert (19.11%) is the majority shareholder of the company.

Tags: inspection, SGS, certification