Two years ago the Czech-based Česká zbrojovka Group (CZG) purchased Colt Manufacturing, and in 2022 became Colt CZ Group – while the combined company subsequently announced that it would engage in cooperative research and development, and further specified that Colt products would continue to be manufactured in the United States.
Last month, Colt CZ Group announced that it had reached an agreement with CBC Europe S.à r.l. to purchase 100% interest in Sellier & Bellot a.s., a traditional Czech ammunition manufacturer that ranks among the oldest engineering companies in the Czech Republic and worldwide.
Sellier & Bellot’s products have been manufactured under its trademark since 1825 – about a decade before Samuel Colt founded his first firearms firm. The Czech-based company’s product portfolio includes a wide range of hunting and sporting ammunition and components for pistols and revolvers, rifles, shotguns, and rimfire cartridges. Sellier & Bellot also remains a major supplier of small arms ammunition to military and law enforcement customers worldwide. It has approximately 1,600 employees and operates its main production facility in Vlašim, Czech Republic.
Brazilian-based CBC Global Ammunition, which exports to more than 130 countries and is one of the largest suppliers to NATO and allied forces, has owned Sellier & Bellot since 2009.
“We are proud to welcome one of the oldest and most important producers of small caliber ammunition, Sellier & Bellot, to Colt CZ Group. This acquisition fits into our long-term strategy to expand not only in our core segment of small arms, but also in related areas, with ammunition being a natural complement to our products. We look forward to working with the management of Sellier & Bellot, its employees, partners, and customers, as well as the new opportunities that the connection with Sellier & Bellot will undoubtedly bring to our entire Group,” said Jan Drahota, CEO and chairman of the board of directors of Colt CZ Group. “We are pleased that CBC believes in our story and our strategy and is to become the second largest shareholder of Colt CZ Group.”
The final number of CBC shareholding in Colt CZ Group has yet to be determined, while the acquisition will be financed through a combination of Colt CZ Group’s existing cash resources and debt financing. As part of the deal, CBC Global Ammunition will gain a 27-28% stake in Colt CZ, becoming its second-largest shareholder behind René Holeček, which owns Česká zbrojovka Partners SE.
The transaction is subject to regulatory approval in various countries and is expected to close in the first half of 2024.
