NEXTCHEM’s acquisition of Ballestra strengthens MAIRE’s technology portfolio, expanding sustainable fertilizer, chemical, electrification, and recycling capabilities worldwide.
MAIRE has announced that its subsidiary NEXTCHEM has entered into a binding agreement to acquire 100% of the share capital of Ballestra Group, a globally recognized provider of proprietary technologies, plant licensing, engineering services, and specialized equipment for the chemical and fertilizer industries. The transaction represents a strategic step forward for NEXTCHEM, significantly broadening its technology portfolio and strengthening its presence in sustainable and specialty chemical markets.
Established in 1960 and headquartered in Milan, Ballestra S.p.A. serves as the holding company for a diversified international group that includes BUSS ChemTech AG in Switzerland and Ballestra Engineering and Projects Pvt. Ltd. in India. Together, the group operates across more than 120 countries, employs approximately 450 people, and maintains offices throughout Europe and Asia. Ballestra supports a strong and diversified base of blue-chip clients and has demonstrated its technological leadership through the successful installation of more than 6,400 plants worldwide.
A defining strength of Ballestra Group lies in its extensive intellectual property portfolio and deep research and development capabilities. These are continuously reinforced through proprietary pilot plants located in Italy and Switzerland, which act as innovation hubs for testing, validating, and scaling up new industrial processes before commercial deployment.
Ballestra has built a long-standing reputation in the detergents, surfactants, and oleochemicals segments, providing advanced solutions to chemical producers as well as major FMCG companies. Its activities span technology licensing, detailed engineering services, and the supply of proprietary equipment marketed under the well-known Mazzoni name. This equipment is manufactured and assembled at Ballestra’s own production facilities in Busto Arsizio, Italy, ensuring quality control and technological consistency.
Beyond detergents, Ballestra’s chemicals division plays a critical role in the development of advanced technologies for sulfuric and phosphoric acid production. These acids are essential inputs for phosphate-based solutions, NPK fertilizers, and other specialty fertilizer products. The addition of Ballestra’s phosphate, sulfur, and potassium-based fertilizer technologies meaningfully expands NEXTCHEM’s offering, complementing its existing capabilities in nitrogen-based fertilizers and enabling a more complete nutrient technology portfolio.
BUSS ChemTech, acquired by Ballestra in 2021, further enhances the group’s technological breadth. The Swiss subsidiary is a global leader in fluorine derivatives and gas-liquid reaction processing plants. Notably, hexafluorophosphate technologies developed by BUSS ChemTech are critical for solar cell manufacturing, lithium-ion batteries, and specialty gases used in modern power grid upgrades—key enablers of global electrification. The company is also active in pyrolysis technologies designed to recycle hard-to-process plastic waste, contributing to circular economy initiatives and industrial decarbonization.
Through this acquisition, NEXTCHEM gains access to a robust suite of proprietary technologies spanning potassium, nitrogen, sulfur, and phosphate value chains, while also supporting applications in electrification, recycling, emissions reduction, and energy efficiency. The deal also creates significant cross-selling opportunities with MAIRE’s Integrated Engineering & Construction Services division, leveraging Ballestra’s strong commercial backlog and execution track record.
As of the end of September 2025, Ballestra’s consolidated backlog stood at €275 million and is expected to exceed €315 million by year-end. Full-year 2025 revenues are projected at approximately €235 million. The transaction values Ballestra at an enterprise value of €108.3 million. Based on an adjusted consolidated net cash position of €18.2 million as of December 31, 2024, the implied purchase price is approximately €126.5 million. The acquisition will be financed through a combination of available cash and credit facilities and is expected to close in the first half of 2026, subject to customary conditions.
Commenting on the transaction, Alessandro Bernini, CEO of MAIRE, stated that the acquisition aligns perfectly with the group’s strategic plan, reinforcing NEXTCHEM’s mission to enable decarbonization through proprietary technologies while expanding into high-growth end markets driven by electrification, recycling, and efficiency improvements.
