Cree, Inc. announces the execution of a definitive agreement to sell its Lighting Products business unit (Cree Lighting), which includes the LED lighting fixtures, lamps and corporate lighting solutions business for commercial, industrial and consumer applications, to Ideal Industries, Inc. for approximately $310 million. Cree expects to receive an initial cash payment of $225 million, subject to purchase price adjustments, and has the potential to receive a targeted earn-out payment of approximately $85 million based on an adjusted EBITDA metric for Cree Lighting over a 12-month period beginning two years after the transaction closes.
“Cree has made significant progress over the last 18 months in sharpening the focus of our business to become a semiconductor powerhouse in Silicon Carbide and GaN technologies. Over that time frame, we have grown Wolfspeed by more than 100 per cent, acquired the Infineon RF business, more than doubled our manufacturing capacity of Silicon Carbide materials, and signed multiple long-term supply agreements, which, in aggregate, are in excess of $500 million. With the addition of today’s lighting divestiture news, Cree is well positioned as a more focused semiconductor leader,” said Gregg Lowe, CEO of Cree.
IDEAL is a fourth-generation, family-owned, global company, serving in electric power control and management. Cree Lighting’s portfolio and SmartCast Technology are complementary to IDEAL’s advanced control business and channel of suppliers, distributors, agents, and customer relationships.
“Our combined technology and expertise will continue to build on Cree Lighting’s history of leadership and fits with the advanced systems IDEAL has pioneered over the past 103 years,” said Jim James, Chairman and CEO of Ideal Industries, Inc.
