IK Investment Partners (“IK”), a leading Pan-European private equity firm, is pleased to announce that the IK VIII Fund (“the Fund”) has reached an agreement with Mentha Capital and the founders to acquire Optimum Group (“Optimum” or “the Group”), a European printing and labelling company. Financial terms of the transaction are not disclosed and the completion of the transaction is subject to regulatory approvals.
Optimum Group is a printer of self-adhesive labels, banding and shrink sleeves, primarily serving the food and retail market. The Group operates through five printing facilities, of which four in the Netherlands and one in Belgium.
Optimum is active in the faster-growing segments within the Benelux labelling market, which is estimated to be worth approximately €700 million. In particular, the Group focuses on the food labelling market, which has grown by over 5% year-on-year. Optimum has a broad offering but is looking to expand its technological capabilities, such as inkjet technology, and end-market coverage in the food, beverage, chemicals, pharmaceutical and logistics sectors.
Bart de Boer, CEO of Optimum, said: “Label printers such as Optimum are well-positioned in the value chain to benefit from underlying volume growth drivers. With the support of IK, we will be able to invest in new digital technologies to print smaller batches more efficiently, enhancing our service offering. We will also be able to reach new customers through our international expansion and will further develop and expand our current product portfolio. Given service quality has always been our key priority and many of our core customers have worked with us for over 10 years, our partnership with IK will enable us to better serve our loyal customer base and continuously offer them new products.”
Remko Hilhorst, Partner at IK Investment Partners and advisor to the IK VIII Fund, said: “We were impressed with Optimum’s ability to outpace market growth thanks to its unique offering. Given underlying economic performance and the Netherlands’ strong position in food export, Optimum’s core market is expected to grow above market average. This investment is representative of our increased focus on the Benelux region and we look forward to working with the management team to grow the company’s relationship with its existing customers through increased cross-selling and geographic expansion.”
For further questions, please contact:
IK Investment Partners
Remko Hilhorst, Partner
Phone: +44 207 304 4300
Mikaela Hedborg
Director Communications & ESG
Phone: +44 77 87 573 566
mikaela.hedborg@ikinvest.com
Optimum Group
Bart de Boer, CEO
Phone: +31 85 273 2333
About Optimum Group
A diverse group of printing companies, specialized in the field of UV flexo and digital printing, together they form a strong top three player in the Benelux self-adhesive label and flexible packaging market. The group primarily serves customers in the food, retail, logistics and chemical industries. For more information, visit www.optimumgroup.nl
About IK Investment Partners
IK Investment Partners (“IK”) is a Pan-European private equity firm focused on investments in the Nordics, DACH region, France, and Benelux. Since 1989, IK has raised more than €9 billion of capital and invested in over 110 European companies. IK funds support companies with strong underlying potential, partnering with management teams and investors to create robust, well-positioned businesses with excellent long-term prospects. For more information, visit www.ikinvest.com
