OpenGate Capital to acquire rail HVAC business of Knorr-Bremse

OpenGate Capital, a global private equity firm, announced today that it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Merak, the global rail HVAC business of Knorr-Bremse, a publicly listed German industrial company. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Headquartered in Getafe, Spain, Merak is a leading global provider of HVAC systems for rail vehicles, with facilities across Spain, Austria, Australia, the United States, China and India. 

The company offers a comprehensive portfolio of HVAC solutions spanning original equipment, aftermarket services, spare parts, system modernisation and overhaul. Built on more than 60 years of engineering expertise, Merak serves a global installed base and maintains long standing relationships with many of the world's leading rolling stock manufacturers.

"Merak is a high quality business with a market leading position, differentiated technology and a global customer base built over decades," said Joshua Adams, Partner at OpenGate Capital. "Throughout the process, we have been consistently impressed by the strength of the business and the expertise of its management team. We look forward to partnering with them to build on Merak's strong foundation as a focused standalone company and support its next phase of growth. Supported by continued investment in rail infrastructure and sustainable transportation around the world, we believe Merak is well positioned for long term success."

The transaction reflects OpenGate's extensive experience executing complex corporate carve-outs and cross border transactions. The acquisition is subject to customary regulatory approvals and other closing conditions and is expected to close by the end of the 2026 calendar year.

OpenGate was advised by McDermott Will & Schulte (Legal) and Macquarie Capital (M&A) on the transaction. – TradeArabia News Service