The ACCC will not oppose the proposed merger of Piscine Luxembourg Holdings (Zodiac) and Fluidra, S.A. (Fluidra).
Zodiac and Fluidra are global companies supplying residential swimming pool equipment in Australia. Combined, they would have a significant Australian market share in some products such as pool pumps, filters, water treatment, cleaners and automation systems.
However, the ACCC considered that remaining competitors would provide sufficient competitive constraint following the merger.
“Any deal that combines two of the largest suppliers in an industry requires close scrutiny from the ACCC. We spoke to a range of customers and other industry participants and most of them believed that several strong competitors remained,” ACCC Commissioner Roger Featherston said.
“A combined Zodiac and Fluidra would continue to face competition from remaining global players, who have a full range of products available in Australia and are able to expand. The ACCC also found that there are other local competitors and specialist manufacturers in particular pool equipment segments.”
Background
Zodiac supplies a range of equipment used in residential pools including pumps, filters, automatic cleaners, water treatment equipment and automation systems. Zodiac’s main market is North America. In Australia, Zodiac’s products are marketed under the brands Jandy, Polaris, Zodiac, iAquaLink, Nature2, Caretaker and Baracuda.
Fluidra is a global manufacturer of residential and large-scale commercial swimming pool products based in Spain. Fluidra’s main market is Europe. In Australia, Fluidra’s products are marketed in Australia under the brands AstralPool, Hurlcon, Viron and Purex.