Culligan / Waterlogic merger inquiry

The CMA investigated and cleared the anticipated acquisition by Osmosis Buyer Limited (Culligan) of Firewall Holding S.à. r.l. (Waterlogic)

From:
Competition and Markets Authority
Published
23 June 2022
Last updated
26 October 2022 — See all updates
Case type:
Mergers
Case state:
Closed
Market sector:
Retail and wholesale
Outcome:
Mergers - phase 1 clearance with undertakings in lieu
Opened:
23 June 2022
Closed:
9 December 2022

Statutory timetable

Phase 1 date Action
26 October 2022 Undertakings in lieu of reference accepted
7 October 2022 to 21 October 2022 Consultation on proposed undertakings in lieu of reference
2 September 2022 CMA to consider undertakings offered
18 August 2022 Decision announced
23 June 2022 to 7 July 2022 Invitation to comment
23 June 2022 Launch of merger inquiry

Phase 1

Undertakings in lieu of reference accepted

26 October 2022: The CMA has accepted undertakings in lieu of reference for the anticipated acquisition by Osmosis Buyer Limited (Culligan) of Firewall Holding S.à. r.l. (Waterlogic).

Undertakings in lieu of reference consultation: closed

7 October 2022: The CMA is consulting on proposed undertakings in lieu of reference offered by BDT Capital Partners LLC and Firewall Holding S.à. r.l. for the anticipated acquisition of Firewall Holding S.à. r.l. by Osmosis Buyer Limited.

CMA to consider undertakings offered

2 September 2022: The CMA considers that there are reasonable grounds for believing that the undertakings offered by BDT Capital Partners LLC and Firewall Holding S.à. r.l. or a modified version of them, might be accepted by the CMA under the Enterprise Act 2002.

Reference unless undertakings accepted

18 August 2022: The CMA has decided, on the information currently available to it, that it is or may be the case that this merger may be expected to result in a substantial lessening of competition within a market or markets in the United Kingdom. This merger will be referred for a phase 2 investigation unless the parties offer acceptable undertakings to address these competition concerns.

Launch of merger inquiry

23 June 2022: The CMA announced the launch of its merger inquiry by notice to the parties.

Invitation to comment: closed

23 June 2022: The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) is considering whether it is or may be the case that this transaction if carried into effect, will result in the creation of a relevant merger situation under the merger provisions of the Enterprise Act 2002 and, if so, whether the creation of that situation may be expected to result, in a substantial lessening of competition within any market or markets in the United Kingdom for goods or services.

To assist it with this assessment, the CMA invites comments on the transaction from any interested party.

Contact

Please send written representations about any competition issues to:

general.enquiries@cma.gov.uk

Published 23 June 2022
Last updated 26 October 2022 + show all updates

  1. Full text of the decision to accept undertakings in lieu of reference published.

  2. Undertakings in lieu of reference accepted and published.

  3. Consultation notice, proposed undertakings, full text of decision to consider undertakings offered, and full text of phase 1 decision published.

  4. Decision to consider undertakings offered published.

  5. Phase 1 decision announced: Reference unless undertakings accepted.

  6. First published.