French metals recycling and environmental services company Derichebourg Environnement SAS has signed an agreement to acquire Germany's Scholz group. The transaction announced on Tuesday is expected to close in the second half of 2026, subject to regulatory approvals and other customary closing conditions. The purchase price has not been disclosed.
According to Scholz, the combination will create "a European heavyweight" in the circular economy for ferrous and non-ferrous metals. The company described Derichebourg as a "a family-influenced leading recycling and waste management company". Its parent firm, Derichebourg S.A., is listed on the Paris stock exchange. The group currently operates in 13 countries and employs around 5,500 people worldwide.
Scholz describes itself as one of the key companies in raw materials recycling in Germany and Europe. It operates more than 180 sites worldwide including joint ventures and employs over 3,500 people. Its main German entity is Scholz Recycling GmbH, headquartered in Essingen in the federal state of Baden-Württemberg.
Read more on the background to the transaction, including the challenges at Scholz’s former owner Chiho Environmental Group, and Derichebourg’s strategic objectives here:
...
