Brakel, a leading European climate control and fire safety specialist for commercial and industrial buildings, has been acquired by Kingspan, a global leader in innovative high performance insulation and building envelope solutions.

For 40 years, Brakel (www.brakel.com) has been a market leader in the Benelux region and the UK in the field of high-end quality solutions for glass daylight constructions (glass roofs and skylights), ventilation systems (top hung windows and flap ventilators) and fire safety systems (fire detection, smoke and heat extraction installations) in commercial and industrial buildings. These solutions are in response to the increasing demand for a comfortable, sustainable and safe indoor climate, using natural light and outside air. They are also made from high-quality recyclable materials, such as glass and aluminium. Brakel takes care of the production, distribution in the EU and the installation as well as the maintenance of these systems in the Benelux and UK. Gimv bought a majority stake in the company in 2015, and provided additional capital for the add-on acquisition of ArginaTechnics in 2016.

“Together with Gimv, Brakel has established a stable platform with sustainable products and an increased market position. Our ambition to penetrate in the EU end market and to expand our global distribution network is being strengthened and supported by Kingspan. We find in Kingspan an outstanding shareholder to accelerate the realisation of Brakel’s ambition with a shared vision to create energy-efficient and sustainable building envelopes providing maximum comfort and safety for end users. As part of Kingspan’s Light & Air division, we find an excellent foundation for continued growth and development of the business and its employees,“ says Ton van Gerwen, CEO of Brakel.

Rombout Poos, Principal within Gimv‘s Sustainable Cities platform comments: “Gimv is proud of having supported Brakel in its further expansion during the past years. Management did an excellent job to achieve this!”

Over the entire holding period, the investment in Brakel generated a return above Gimv’s long-term average return. No further details about this transaction will be disclosed.

Frontmatec has entered into an agreement to acquire Jining Xinglong Food Machinery Manufacturing Co., Ltd. (“Xinglong”), a leading supplier of equipment to the red meat industry in China. The transaction will provide Frontmatec with market access in China and in addition a local production setup dedicated for the Chinese market. Furthermore, Xinglong will benefit from transfer of advanced technology from Frontmatec.

“We have been in close dialogue with Xinglong for nearly one year, and we are very impressed with the development of the company and the current management team. Xinglong has strong capabilities within the industry and close relationships with the largest customers in China. The acquisition enables Frontmatec to strengthen our market position and to be able to tap into the large growth potential in China.”

– Henrik Andersen, CEO

Founded in 2001, Xinglong is a reputable Chinese slaughtering equipment enterprise, offering cost-effective equipment and technologies adapted to livestock and poultry slaughtering in China and other developing countries.

“I am very pleased about the partnership agreement with Frontmatec. I am confident that the envisioned combination of the technologies and know-how of the two companies will lead to a prosperous future”

– Mr. Wang, Founder of Xinglong

China is the world’s single largest market accounting for approx. 50% of all pigs slaughtered globally. The market is expected to experience strong growth going forward driven by i) an increased demand for more automated and high speed solutions and ii) an increased focus on food safety.

“This is another big step forward for Frontmatec, and we are happy to welcome Xinglong into the Frontmatec family. I am convinced that both companies can benefit from each other and that the combination will result in a much stronger value proposition towards our customers, which will fuel future growth”

– Arne Vraalsen, Chairman of the board

Going forward, Xinglong will continue to serve the Chinese market from its current base in Jining under its current brand name. However, in order to accelerate the sales of more advanced solutions in China, Frontmatec will support Xinglong with relevant technology and competences.

The completion of the transaction is subject to final closing, which is expected to happen within the coming months.

About Xinglong

Xinglong is a leading supplier of equipment to the red meat industry in China. The main focus of the company is slaughtering solutions to pig and cattle in the mid/high line speed segment. Xinglong is mainly supplying Chinese customers, but also has customers outside China. The company is located in Jining (Shandong province) and currently employs 234 employees.

About Frontmatec

Frontmatec develops world-leading customized solutions for automation in the food industry, other hygiene sensitive industries and the utilities industry. We are especially renowned for our high-quality systems for the entire value chain in the meat industry – from hygiene systems to control systems, from carcass grading to slaughter lines, from cutting and deboning lines to logistics and packaging. Frontmatec employs more than 1000 employees in 10 countries with a turnover of +200M EUR.

For additional information please contact CEO Henrik Andersen (+45 29 60 69 55) or COO Kristian Madsen (+45 60 20 01 22).

Dutch private equity firm Wadinko acquired the shares in Deventer-based bed manufacturer Koninklijke Auping from NPM Capital in early November 2017. NPM Capital had been a shareholder in Koninklijke Auping since 1986.

In partnering with Wadinko, Koninklijke Auping will be able to further increase its presence and expand its operations in growth markets in the Benelux region, Germany and Scandinavia.

Sustainable business and production

In the Netherlands, the name ‘Auping’ is virtually synonymous with a good night’s sleep – a credit to the high quality, supreme comfort and stunning, contemporary designs of Auping’s box springs, beds and mattresses.
The success of the company – which was issued a Dutch Royal Warrant of Appointment in 1988 – can be attributed to its more than 125 years of expertise, coupled with the latest advances in technology, ergonomics and design.

Koninklijke Auping has been the recipient of numerous awards and certificates over the decades for its quality, reliability and design. Besides its stated objective of ‘working on tomorrow’s ultimate sleeping comfort with passion and curiosity’, Auping also aims to be a leading presence in sustainable business and production. The company believes that an inspiring and stimulating work environment plays an important role in the organisation’s talent for innovation and is committed to building a sustainable relationship with the built and natural environments. The company has embraced the cradle-to-cradle principle with this objective in mind, which should allow it to transition to fully circular production processes by 2020.

NPM Capital’s Managing Director, Bart Coopmans, is happy with Wadinko as Auping’s new shareholder: ‘Our journey with Auping over these past decades has been very successful. The company has grown immensely and has an excellent market position: the Auping Plaza concept has been implemented internationally and the e-commerce platform provides customers with online options to meet their requirements as far as sleeping comfort is concerned. With Wadinko as its new shareholder, Auping is ready for the next stage in its growth trajectory.’

More information about Wadinko and Auping

GPA Global today announced the signing of a 100% stake in MW Luxury Packaging, a leading provider of premium packaging solutions to the spirits, beverage and health & beauty industry with operations in the UK, the US, Mexico, China and Hong Kong.

Hong Kong-based GPA Global (“GPA”), an EQT Mid Market company, is a one-stop-shop premium packaging and display solutions provider with customers primarily within consumer electronics, mobile accessories and games & toys sectors. EQT Mid Market acquired GPA in March, 2017 with the mission to support the company’s continued growth and explore opportunities to expand the business into new customer verticals through synergistic acquisitions.

Founded in 1998, MW Luxury Packaging (“MW”) offers concept design, engineering, production management and distribution services. After combining the businesses, GPA’s strategy is to further strengthen MW’s supply chain and distribution capabilities, continue to develop the global clientele and capture cross-selling synergies to create a combined full-service platform.

“We are impressed by MW Luxury Packaging’s superior design capabilities and strong reputation in its core markets and industry segments. The partnership means that GPA can utilize and further develop MW’s well-established European customer network to build a strong global platform. The acquisition is an additional step in GPA’s future proofing process and EQT is excited to see the company now entering a new growth phase with accelerated development and a broadened product offering”, says Martin Mok, Partner at EQT Partners in Hong Kong, Investment Advisor to EQT Mid Market.

Tom Wang and Adam Melton, co-founders of GPA, jointly continue: “We are excited to work with MW Luxury Packaging to build a world-class premium packaging and interactive display solutions platform. With MW Luxury Packaging’s strong existing clientele in premium liquor and health and beauty, the transaction will allow GPA Global to become the leader in an expanded client segment, providing substantial cross-selling potential with our existing offerings. The strong design team as well as sales footprint in the UK, Europe and Americas also serves as a strong addition to our existing platform. We look forward to working closely together with MW Luxury Packaging and jointly develop GPA Global to the next level.”

The founder of MW, Anthony Dowler, who will become a shareholder in GPA and continue to develop the company’s growth strategy, concludes: “GPA Global offers an exciting business model with strong reputation and credibility across a number of markets and verticals. With an extensive sales, design, sourcing, manufacturing and distribution team in Asia, I believe GPA will provide MW with the platform to continue to expand its footprint with existing and new clients. We are confident that the partnership will bring on tremendous synergies and allow the combined business to serve our customers at a whole new level.

Link to the EQT Update on www.eqtpartners.com

Yesterday, Piab announced the acquisition of US-based SAS Automation – a leading developer and manufacturer of mechanical grippers and robotic end-of-arm tooling systems. The strategic add-on complements Piab’s existing product offering and strengthens its relevance to the customer base.

EQT VII portfolio company Piab is a global technology leader within industrial automation and robot components. Founded in 1951 by the Swedish Tell family, Piab supplies a broad set of vacuum ejectors, conveyors and suction cups for lifting and holding objects in automated factory processes. Piab’s products drive productivity and energy-efficiency, and improve the working environments for customers across a broad range of end-markets.

Underlying megatrends, including an increasing number of manufacturing sectors prone for automation, higher wages and productivity requirements, alongside a rapidly growing global e-commerce market are all supporting an increasing demand for automation and robotization in the smart factory. The company’s line-critical products are used across multiple industries, primarily within packaging, automotive, food and pharmaceuticals. The importance of cost-efficiency and work environment within these industries underpin Piab’s strong growth trajectory.

“Since EQT VII acquired Piab in January 2016, management has accelerated measures to strengthen Piab’s position, both organically and through the acquisitions of adjacent technology leaders Kenos and Vaculex. With the three completed add-ons so far including SAS Automation, we see clear revenue synergies enabled by offering an expanded product portfolio through the existing channel network. Piab will now be able to respond to customers demand for a single supplier of both vacuum-based and mechanical gripping technology”, says Harry Klagsbrun, Partner and Investment Advisor to EQT VII.

The eastern growth opportunity

With the add-on of SAS Automation, Piab takes an important step forward to becoming a one-stop gripper shop, while in parallel fortifying its presence across North America. Similarly, Piab has strengthened the management team in Asia and are accelerating growth in the region, particularly in China. As the country is expected to be the number one global consumer of industrial and collaborative robot systems going forward, it is natural that it is one of Piab’s focus markets for continued global expansion.

“China alone expects to enjoy a 20% annual growth of industrial robots over the foreseeable future, which is one of many reasons for why we feel confident that the market hold significant growth potential for our business. In order to be able to capture this growth, we have over the last year scaled up our operations with both strengthened regional and local leadership”, says Anders Lindqvist, CEO at Piab.

Investments in R&D and commercial excellence

With some 60 years of experience, Piab is the frontrunner in a highly fragmented market. With more than 50% of sales generated from patented products, Piab enjoys a technology leadership with innovative, high-quality and mission-critical products in an environment where customers continuously require new technology solutions. Supported by EQT VII, Piab continues to drive for advancements in R&D with the ambition to future-proof the business through an increasingly diversified product offering.

Recent launches across segments include a new vacuum conveyor dedicated to fragile products, food contact suction cups and the new piCOMPACT all-in-one vacuum ejector. The piCOMPACT with IO-link demonstrates Piab’s strong potential within Industry 4.0. Condition information is sent real-time to the operator enabling predictive maintenance and auto-orders. Looking ahead, Piab has a well-stocked product pipeline with new launches across all product segments.

In addition to leadership improvements across Asia, Piab’s management team has recently been further strengthened with senior and second-level leadership in the US, Europe, and Latin America. To truly stay local-with-locals and secure the necessary expertise on the ground, Piab has reinforced its regional commercial organization in the US, Germany, Brazil and Spain, both through a growing direct sales force as well as a broader distributor network.

Piab’s entry into mechanical gripping through the acquisition of SAS Automation, the acceleration of growth in China, as well as increased investments into R&D and commercial excellence are all key parts in delivering on Piab’s long-term strategy, which is well on track.