Applus+, a Spanish industrial testing, check-up and accreditation corporation, would be sold by its private equity owner. According to people familiar with the matter, the investors were considering a stock market listing for the company.

Due to the increasing demand for safety inspection in industries like oil and gas, Carlyle Group, a buyout firm, was eyeing a sale of Applus+. Carlyle would like to be part of the increasing number of private equity firms that were taking advantage of stock market's progress.

Carlyle asked banks to help manage a project that would allow the company go public in London or Madrid by 2014.

Carlyle refused to give a comment regarding its plans.

In 2007, Carlyle bought Applus+. Since then, Applus+ doubled its earnings at Eur1.48 billion equivalent to US$1.9 billion.

In 2012, the Barcelona-headquartered company documented Eur171 million in earnings before interest, tax, depreciation, and amortization. This was up 22% on the same year and was further improved through purchases.