HEUKING advises SMT Scharf AG on majority acquisition by Yankuang Energy Group Company Limited and transition to Frankfurt Stock Exchange’s Regulated Market (Prime Standard)

A HEUKING team, led by stock corporation and capital markets law experts Dr. Mirko Sickinger, Partner, and Lena Pfeufer, Salaried Partner, both based in Cologne, advised SMT Scharf AG on the acquisition of 52.7% of its shares by Yankuang Energy Group Company Limited. The team also guided the company through the subsequent transition of its shares to the Regulated Market of Frankfurt Stock Exchange (Prime Standard).

The legal services included drafting the contract, ongoing advice on stock corporation and capital market law, and supporting the fulfillment of closing conditions. This involved assistance with various domestic and foreign approval procedures, as well as guidance on group financing and corporate governance. In addition to facilitating the transaction, which was closed at the end of last week, HEUKING also assisted with uplisting the shares to the Regulated Market of Frankfurt Stock Exchange and the Prime Standard sub-segment, successfully completed on the first trading day, September 24, 2024.

SMT Scharf AG is a leading global provider of tailored transport solutions and logistics systems for underground mining. The company specializes in developing, manufacturing, and maintaining transportation equipment for mining and tunnel construction sites. Its flagship product, derailment-proof rail systems, is primarily used in hard coal mines, as well as for the underground mining of gold, platinum, and other ores. These systems can transport materials and personnel with payloads of up to 48 tons on gradients of up to 35 degrees. In addition to rail systems, SMT Scharf AG supplies the mining industry with chairlifts and, since 2018, has expanded its portfolio to include rubber-tired diesel and electric vehicles such as loaders, scissor lifts, and underground trucks for mining and tunnel construction. To further diversify its business, the company successfully added electronic components and control systems for mining and other industries to its product range in 2019. SMT Scharf group operates its own companies in seven countries and has a network of commercial agencies worldwide.

China’s Yankuang Energy Group Company Limited operates across various industries, including mining, high-end chemicals and new materials, new energy, advanced equipment manufacturing, and intelligent logistics. It is part of the larger Chinese energy conglomerate, Shandong Energy Group Co., Ltd., which is listed on four major stock exchanges both in China and internationally.

Counsel to SMT Scharf AG
HEUKING:
Dr. Mirko Sickinger, LL.M.,
Lena Pfeufer (both Lead, both Capital Markets, Corporate / M&A),

Dr. Kirsten Thiergart (Corporate / M&A), Köln / Düsseldorf,
Sven Radke, LL.M. (Corporate / M&A),
Franziska Marisa Decker, M.A. (Business for Legal Professionals), (Corporate / M&A), all Cologne,
Dr. Christoph Gringel (Capital Markets), Frankfurt,
Wolfram Meven (Foreign Trade), Düsseldorf,
Michael Neises (Capital Markets),
Christian Staps (Corporate / M&A),
Dr. André Hofmann, LL.M. (Banking & Finance),
Dr. Christoph F. Wetzler (Banking & Finance), all Frankfurt,
Dominik Eickemeier (IP, Media & Technology),
Svea Kunz (IP, Media & Technology), both Cologne,
Dr. Bodo Dehne (Corporate / M&A), Düsseldorf,
Sarah Radon, LL.M. (University of Pennsylvania), (Corporate / M&A), Düsseldorf,
Michael Kreisler, LL.M. (Foreign Trade), Berlin/Düsseldorf,
Dr. Finn-Michael Liebscher (Corporate / M&A), Frankfurt,
Anna Richter, LL.M. (Corporate / M&A), Cologne,
Beatrice Stange, LL.M. (King's College London), (Antitrust), Düsseldorf,
Dr. Christoph Katerndahl (Employment), Cologne