Latour acquires shares in Alimak Group

Latour logo

Investment AB Latour has today acquired 14,461,809 shares in Alimak Group for SEK 134 per share, corresponding to a total of SEK 1,938 m. Sellers are Apolus Holding AB whose principal owner is Triton Fund II. The acquired shares corresponds to 26.7 per cent of the votes and equity in Alimak Group. Alimak Group has a world-leading position within vertical access solutions for industry and the construction sector, with customers supported by key mega trends such as urbanization and environmental friendly energy production.

Clarification before reporting of changes in shareholding to Swedish authorities (“Finansinspektionen”)
In order to prevent possible misunderstandings due to the forthcoming reporting of changes in shareholding to Finansinspektionen, Latour want to clarify that the reporting will be made by Investment AB Latour’s principal owner, the Douglas family. The Douglas family already owns 112,526 shares in Alimak Group. The current regulations stipulate that reporting of changes in shareholdings to Finansinspektionen should then be done by the Douglas family and not by Latour, although Investment AB Latour will take the principal ownership in Alimak Group.

The total holding that the Douglas family will report to Finansinspektionen is as follows: The Douglas family 112,526 shares, Investment AB Latour 14,461,809 shares and Latour’s wholly-owned subsidiary Karpalunds Ångbryggeriaktiebolag 40,000 shares.

Göteborg, September 14, 2017

Investment AB Latour (publ)
Jan Svensson, CEO

For further information please contact:
Jan Svensson, CEO Investment AB Latour, +46 705 77 16 40

Investment AB Latour is a mixed investment company consisting primarily of wholly-owned industrial operations and an investment portfolio of listed holdings in which Latour is the principal owner or one of the principal owners. The investment portfolio consists of nine substantial holdings with a market value of about SEK 46 billion. The wholly-owned industrial operations generated a turnover of approximately SEK 8 billion in 2

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Ionisos acquires Stermed, a specialist in low-temperature sterilization, with the support of Ardian

Ardian

Dagneux (Rhône-Alpes Auvergne), September 14, 2017 – Ionisos, the leader in cold sterilisation in France and Spain, today announces the acquisition of Stermed, the French sterilisation solutions specialist, with the support of its shareholder Ardian, the independent private investment company.

Based in Civrieux d’Azergues, to the north of Lyon, Stermed specialises in low-temperature sterilisation using ethylene oxide. This highly technical and technological procedure, which requires a number of certifications, has strong growth potential, particularly driven by the medical sector. The company offers subcontracting solutions for the treatment (decontamination and sterilisation) of medical devices (surgical instruments, implants, forceps, specula, etc.) and industrial devices (laboratory equipment). The Stermed site covers 3,200 sq. m. and is equipped with four treatment units, preconditioning chambers, desorption chambers and a microbiological analysis laboratory.

Ardian has accompanied Ionisos in its development since July 2016, most notably through its external growth.

“Only a small number of companies in France currently have expertise in low-temperature sterilisation using ethylene oxide. The acquisition of Stermed reinforces our position in this promising market segment by expanding our geographic reach towards the south of France, the north being already covered by our Gien site,” says Michel Gominet, President of Ionisos.

“We are very familiar with Stermed and its teams, whose know-how is recognised. This merger reinforces our technological and industrial platform. Our geographical proximity to Stermed is also a major advantage,” adds Christoph Herkens, Managing Director of Ionisos.

“We are pleased to be joining the Ionisos group, which will enable us to continue building on our growth together, while benefiting from the Ionisos group’s expertise,” explains Matthieu Reinhardt, head of the Civrieux site.

“Ionisos is pursuing its development plan. This operation fits in perfectly with our targeted acquisition strategy. The company is establishing itself as the main player in consolidation of its market in France and Europe,” concludes François Jerphagnon, Head of the Ardian Expansion team.

ABOUT IONISOS

Ionisos is a French company founded in 1993, which manages seven plants in France, Spain and Germany. Ionisos is a specialist in ionising cold sterilisation using ionisation and ethylene oxide for the medical sector, pharmaceutical products, cosmetics and food packaging. The company is also active in crosslinking of various products used in industry, particularly automotive.

ABOUT ARDIAN

Ardian, founded in 1996 and led by Dominique Senequier, is an independent private investment company with assets of US$65bn managed or advised in Europe, North America and Asia. The company, which is majority-owned by its employees, keeps entrepreneurship at its heart and delivers investment performance to its global investors while fuelling growth in economies across the world. Ardian’s investment process embodies three values: excellence, loyalty and entrepreneurship.

Ardian maintains a truly global network, with more than 470 employees working through twelve offices in Paris, London, Frankfurt, Milan, Madrid, Zurich, New York, San Francisco, Beijing, Singapore, Jersey, Luxembourg. The company offers its 610 investors a diversified choice of funds covering the full range of asset classes, including Ardian Funds of Funds (primary, early secondary and secondary), Ardian Private Debt, Ardian Buyout (including Ardian Mid Cap Buyout Europe & North America, Ardian Expansion, Ardian Growth and Ardian Co-Investment), Ardian Infrastructure, Ardian Real Estate and Ardian Mandates.

ABOUT STERMED

A specialist for over 20 years in low-temperature sterilisation using ethylene oxide, Stermed offers subcontracting solutions in decontamination and sterilisation adapted to health products and more specifically medical devices. Stermed is based in Civrieux d’Azergues, just outside Lyon, and has four sterilizing chambers of various sizes (4, 10, 16 and 18 pallets).

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Almi Invest invests in SweGan

Almi Invest

Almi Invest invests 1.5 million in Linköping company SweGaN. The company has developed a patented process to produce semiconductor materials, which can be very important in areas such as telecom, which can produce significantly more energy-efficient base stations. The issue of 6 million is also participating private investors.

Almi Invest invests SEK 1.5 million in Linköping company SweGaN. The company has developed a patented process to produce semiconductor materials, which can be very important in areas such as telecom, where it can produce significantly more energy-efficient base stations. In the issue of a total of 6 million is also participating private investors. The money will go to increase Swegans production.

SweGaN sells a material, known as epiwafers coated with gallium nitride, which customers use to develop their own components. The company has developed a unique process for providing superior performance, higher efficiency and lower energy consumption than current methods. This is of great interest in telecom and space industry, where the need for increased bandwidth and lower power consumption is large. Devices based on SweGaNs technologies can reduce energy consumption in a base station with 20 – 30 percent, while the capacity increases 10 to 100 times.

– SweGaNs technology with its superior performance is unique, says Pär Carlshamre, Investment Manager at Almi Invest. It provides a disruptivt materials that can create components that no one has thought about before.

SweGaNs technology can be used in telecommunications, defense and aerospace industries. The company has already paying customers from research and development labs of component manufacturers and universities. SweGaNs strategy is now developing its offering from simply selling their material to even design their own new components.

– This investment enables us to take the next step and purchase your own reactor, which is needed to produce our material, says SweGaNs founder and CEO Olof Kordina. That way we can scale up our business and meet a real need in the market.

 

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ATESTEO acquires straesser, a leading vehicle testing service provider

3I

3i Group plc (“3i”) today announces that ATESTEO, an international drivetrain testing specialist in which 3i invested in 2013, has acquired a majority stake in straesser, a leading player in road testing and vehicle test driving services. The acquisition expands ATESTEO’s offering in the field of road trials, opening up significant growth potential.

Ulf von Haacke, Partner & Head of Industrial at 3i, commented:

“3i is pleased to support ATESTEO in this second add-on this year, following the acquisition of a drivetrain testing site in Munich in January. Both straesser and ATESTEO already have leading market positions and are growing strongly in their respective markets. They are highly complementary and together will be well positioned to lead the way in testing the quality of increasingly electrified and autonomous automotive technology.”

Wolfgang Schmitz, Chairman of the Management Board of ATESTEO, added:

“We continue to develop our portfolio of services for the benefit of our customers. By acquiring a majority stake in straesser, we are expanding our offering into an important growth market and extending our range of services to pre-series and series production tests, vehicle endurance runs, vehicle testing, and workshop activities for test vehicles. Together, we are a one-stop shop offering a comprehensive testing portfolio for the industry and we look forward to working with our new colleagues at straesser both in Germany and across Europe”.

straesser is headquartered in Kernen, near Stuttgart in Germany, and has over 280 employees. Its customer base comprises a wide range of well-known automotive manufacturers, suppliers and development and engineering service providers. Testing is carried out on proving and testing grounds as well as on public roads around the world.

straesser will continue to operate under its own name, but within the ATESTEO Group. Rolf Strässer will remain Managing Partner.

-Ends-

For further information, contact:

3i Group plc
Silvia Santoro
Investor enquiries
Tel: +44 20 7975 3258
Email: silvia.santoro@3i.com

Kathryn van der Kroft
Media enquiries
Tel: +44 20 7975 3021
Email: kathryn.vanderkroft@3i.com

Notes to editors:

About ATESTEO

ATESTEO GmbH, headquartered in Alsdorf, is the worldwide leading independent service provider for drivetrain testing with its 460 employees and over 130 drivetrain testing test benches in Germany and China. Its customers include virtually all automotive and transmission manufacturers. The company offers quality assurance through efficient endurance tests and functional tests of manual and automatic transmissions, differentials, as well as hybrid and electric powertrains.

About 3i Group

3i is an investment company with two complementary businesses, Private Equity and Infrastructure, specialising in core investment markets in Northern Europe and North America.

3i’s Private Equity team provides investment solutions for growing companies, backing entrepreneurs and management teams of mid-market companies with an EV typically between €100m – €500m. We back international growth plans, providing access to our network and expertise to accelerate the growth of companies across the consumer, industrials and business and technology services industries.

For further information, please visit: www.3i.com

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Norvestor invests in Wexus

Norvestor

Norvestor invests in Wexus Norvestor VII,L.P.(“Norvestor”), a fund managed by Norvestor Equity AS, has signed an agreement to invest in Wexus Gruppen AS (“Wexus”or “The Company”) Wexus is a rapidly growing specialist within semi-permanent modular buildings for the public, industrial and infrastructure market.

They offer highly cost efficient products and services for its markets, using high quality and low cost manufacturing from their fully owned production facility in Tallinn, Estonia. Modules are either sold or provided on longer-term rental agreements. Wexus has the ability to undertake the full scope from tendering to commissioning. The Company has experienced strong growth since its inception through the positive market development and taking significant market share.“ We have significant experience from the modular building market and believe we have the right combination of integrated production and project execution capabilities. The Wexus team has done a solid job of positioning us as one of the preferred providers to the public, infrastructure and industrial markets. These markets all have a sound underlying growth for the foreseeable future. We believe we are unique in our diversification in terms of geographies, module types and segments, which makes our business robust and flexible. Together with Norvestor we will seek to grow within our core markets and look for new growth opportunities. To enable continued high growth, we acknowledge the need for support and are therefore very pleased to have Norvestor on board as a partner”, says Egil Messmer, CEO of Wexus.“We are very pleased with the agreement to partner with Wexus. Their unique position and highly experienced team, along with a very cost effective and scalable structure, makes the Company an ideal platform for Norvestor in the modular facility market.

Wexus has proven an impressive ability to understand the needs of the market and deliver upon this. With the facility in Tallinn and their many long-term partners, they also have good control of the complete value chain of its products and services, making Wexus a highly reliable partner for their end clients.”, says Following the acquisition, Norvestor will become the largest shareholder in Wexus with approximately 60% of the shares; the management will hold the remaining shares. Wexus had consolidated pro-forma revenues of NOK 55 million in 2015 and NOK 70 million in 2016 and is expected to grow by more than 100% during 2017.  Wexus employs 79 people and is headquartered in Stavanger, orway

Wexus is a leading specialised manufacturer and provider of modular buildings to governmental institutions, municipalities and customers within the oil & gas, infrastructure, utilities, and shipbuilding segments. The buildings are provided either on a rental contract or through sale of permanent installations. The Company has a lean and cost efficient set -up in combination with focus on high-quality modules, which makes them perceived as one of the best “value -for-money” providers in the industry. Wexus has built a wide range of customers from all its major segments. Production is done from their fully owned facility in Tallinn. The Wexus team of 79 is based at the headquarters in Stavanger (Norway) and in the production facility in Tallinn (Estonia).

Read more at www.wexus.no

Norvestor Equity AS is a leading private equity company focusing on the lower mid-market in the Nordic region. The team has worked together since 1991 making it one of the most experienced private equity teams in Norway, having executed 65 investments with 260 follow-on M&A transactions, in addition to executing 43 exits including 14 IPOs. Norvestor focuses on investment opportunities in growth companies, making platform investments principally in Norway and Sweden, with potential to achieve a leading Nordic or international position either through organic growth, through acquisitions or by expanding into new countries. Funds advised by Norvestor are currently invested in the following portfolio companies; Life Europe, Johnson Metall, Sentech (formerly Advantec Sensing), Apsis, Aptilo, Cegal, Marine Aluminium, Crayon, Robust, iSurvey, Future Production, Nomor, PG Flow Solutions, Roadworks, Permascand, 4Service, HydraWell, Eneas, Presserv, Nordic Camping & Resort, READ Cased Hole, IT Gården and NetNordic.

 

 

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AURELIUS sells Regain Polymers to Imerys

Aurelius

Munich, September 6, 2017 – AURELIUS Equity Opportunities SE & Co. KGaA (ISIN DE000A0JK2A8) has sold its subsidiary Regain Polymers, located in Allerton Bywater (Yorkshire/United Kingdom), to the Imerys Group, a world-leading supplier of mineral-based specialty solutions headquartered in France. Through this acquisition, Imerys will expand its Performance Additives Division, which develops high-quality products from recycled polymers. The parties have agreed to keep the purchase price confidential.

Regain Polymers is one of the leading reprocessors and recyclers of hard plastic waste in the United Kingdom. It makes its products according to the specifications of its customers in the automotive, environmental, garden products, packaging and construction sectors. The product range includes polymers such as high-density polyethylene (HDPE), polypropylene (PP), talc-filled polypropylene (PPT) and polystyrene (PS), as well as other customer-specific plastics.

Regain’s management is pleased to join a leading industrial group such as Imerys which will help to pursue the company’s development .

ABOUT Imerys Performance Additives

Imerys Performance Additives is a Divison of Imerys, the world leader in mineral-based specialty solutions for industry. With € 4.2 billion revenue and close to 16,000 employees, Imerys delivers high value-added, functional solutions to a great number of sectors, from processing industries to consumer goods. The Group draws on its knowledge of applications, technological expertise and its material science know-how to deliver resources based on beneficiation of its mineral resources, synthetic minerals and formulations. These contribute essential properties to customers’ products and performance, including refractoriness, hardness, conductivity, opacity, durability, purity, lightness, filtration, absorption and repellency. Imerys is determined to develop responsibly, in particular by fostering the emergence of environmentally-friendly products and processes.

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DGI Logan acquires Hadco Services Inc. as part of its diversification strategy

ik-investment-partners

Supported by its shareholder the IK 2007 Fund, which is advised by IK Investment Partners (IK), Doedijns Group International (DGI), through its US subsidiary Logan Industries International Corporation (DGI Logan), has acquired Hadco Services Inc. (Hadco). Hadco is a specialised repair and service company based in Mobile, Alabama.

Diversification
DGI, headquartered in the Netherlands, is a leading supplier of hydraulic equipment and repair and maintenance services for a wide variety of industries. The acquisition of Hadco fits perfectly into DGI’s diversification strategy. Hadco has a strong presence in the Alabama steel region and the US dredging industry, two target markets for DGI. Hadco’s focus is on repair and (field) services for hydraulic cylinders, gearboxes, and pumps and further strengthens the repair and maintenance capacity of DGI.

Local service
The acquisition of the assets of Hadco follows the opening of DGI Logan’s Louisiana based Offshore Operations & Maintenance Services location in January 2017. The combination of the three USA based DGI Logan locations (Houston, New Iberia and Mobile) gives the company a strong local presence in the oil & gas, steel and dredging industry, enabling DGI Logan to service its customer base locally. In addition, the engineering support will complement Hadco’s repair skills and the scale of the combination will lead to a wider repair and maintenance solutions portfolio. Additionally the support of New Iberia and Houston will open up a higher tier level capacity of repairs to Hadco Services.

Founded in 2005, Hadco is currently owned by its founder, Bobby Hadley. He will remain at Hadco as the General Manager to provide continuity and stability for this business and current customers. “The link up with DGI Logan will allow us to further expand our hydraulic services and capacity, benefitting our existing customers. We are looking forward to collaborate with our new colleagues at DGI Logan,” said Hadley.

Frank Robben, CEO of DGI, said: “The acquisition of Hadco is the next logical step in our strategy of industry diversification and further develop of DGI’s footprint. We now have acquired a business that is highly respected in the steel and dredging industry, and claimed a presence in the strategically important Alabama region which is home to a large segment of the USA steel industry. Additionally, Hadco’s expertise in hydraulic repair and maintenance will reinforce our competitive advantage.”

IK Investment Partners commented: “This transaction is in line with our strategy to support DGI’s international expansion. The company further strengthened its position as a hydraulic market leader, providing engineering, design, manufacturing, repair and maintenance services for high demanding industries.”

Dean Carey, Technical Director at DGI Logan, is excited to start work with Hadco: “This move to join-up with Hadco has many benefits to both companies. It is the obvious next move, and we are extremely pleased to join forces with Bobby and his team. The integrity and loyalty Hadco shows when dealing with their customers and employees matches the way DGI Logan does business.”

For questions:

Doedijns Group International
Frank Robben, CEO
T: +31 (0)85 488 13 00

DGI Logan
Shayne Babich, CEO
T: +1 713 849 2979

About Hadco Services Inc.
Hadco Services Inc., founded in 2005, is a specialised provider of repair and maintenance services to the dredging and Alabama steel industry. In addition to offering an extensive range of repair and maintenance services for hydraulic equipment, like cylinders, gearboxes, and pumps, Hadco’s qualified service engineers are also certified to provide field services in accordance with the requirements of the dredging and steel industry. The success of Hadco has been established upon a solid reputation for quality services, dedicated project management and on-time delivery.

About DGI Logan
DGI Logan started in 2001 primarily as a hydraulic cylinder repair facility. The company used its extensive experience in hydraulic systems and engineering to expand its capability to providing hydraulic equipment solutions in other areas of the offshore industry. In November 2012, DGI Logan was acquired by Doedijns Group International. One of DGI’s core business goals was to further enhance their already established hydraulic division in Europe and to capitalize on the USA and global offshore market controlled by many of the USA suppliers. DGI Logan was a perfect fit in meeting this objective.

About Doedijns Group International
Celebrating over 140 years of technical innovation, DGI has developed market leading positions in hydraulics and controls. With our global facilities and our highly skilled work force we continue to create added value solutions for the oil & gas, maritime, high-end machine building and heavy industries. From initial design engineering, through to specification, manufacturing and commissioning, DGI is the global partner of choice for local service. For more information, please visit the DGI website: www.dgi-company.com

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Captek Softgel International Acquires J+D Labs

Swander Pace

Captek Softgel International Acquires J+D Labs

Cerritos and Vista, CA – August 4, 2017 – California-based Captek Softgel International, Inc. (CSI), a leading contract manufacturer of custom dietary supplements is pleased to announce its acquisition of J+D Labs Pharma Manufacturing, Inc. Captek Softgel International is a portfolio company of Swander Pace Capital, and the acquisition of J+D Labs is a continuation of SPC’s focus on investing in and growing industry-leading vitamin, mineral, and supplement companies.

For decades J+D Labs has been well recognized in the nutraceutical industry as a first-class manufacturer of health and wellness supplements producing more than 1,000 unique formulations. More recently J+D Labs has brought NutraStock® to the market, more than 250 bulk stock dietary supplements manufactured in the USA.

Captek CEO David Wood said this union will result in a greater diversity of offerings and services within the supplement channel. “We have long regarded J+D Labs’ reputation and the significance of what they bring to the table as a leader in the industry,” he said. J+D Labs’ extensive experience manufacturing a wide-range of softgels, specialized tablets, capsules, and powder formulations was a perfect complement to Captek’s offerings. Wood stated, “Going forward, we are committed to our collective success through focusing on our customers,  sharing best practices,  and continuing our best-in-class quality and compliance standards.”

“This acquisition is positive for everyone: for our employees, our suppliers, our customers, and the end-users,” said J+D Labs owner, Jay Majmudar. CSI is well established in more than 20 countries. “We are happy to play a key role in helping to expand distribution even further. We will continue to make quality, price, and timely delivery a top priority,” emphasized Majmudar.

The newly joined companies will continue to produce high quality products in both Cerritos and Vista, CA. This will give customers the business continuity planning they have long sought by having the ability to have their products manufactured at either site. As a result, more than 300,000 square feet of manufacturing, warehousing, and analytical testing labs will immediately bring to market greater capacity, expertise, comprehensive turnkey packaging, the benefits of enteric coating, and more.

In the coming months the combined company will work with its customer-facing teams to communicate its newly expanded product and service offerings to both existing and prospective customers.

 

About Captek Softgel International, Inc.

Captek Softgel International, Inc. (CSI) is a privately-owned, FDA registered and audited, GMP-certified, full-service contract manufacturer of custom dietary supplement formulations.

CSI features high efficiency encapsulation lines operating 24/5, capable of producing more than three billion softgels annually. The facility encompasses approximately 163,000 square feet of production, analytical laboratory, pilot laboratory, and warehousing space. Captek fully complies with FDA cGMP’s and has been independently certified by NSF International. For more information, visit www.capteksoftgel.com.

 

About Swander Pace Capital

Swander Pace Capital (SPC) is a private equity firm that invests in companies that are integral to consumers’ lives. SPC’s consumer industry expertise informs the firm’s strategic approach and adds value through access to its proven SPC Playbook, senior team and extensive network. The firm partners with management teams to help build companies to their full potential. SPC invests in businesses across three domains of consumer lifestyles: Food & Beverage, Body & Wellness and Home & Family. With offices in San Francisco, New Jersey and Toronto, SPC has invested in more than 45 companies and raised cumulative equity commitments of approximately $1.8 billion since 1996. SPC’s current investments in the vitamin, mineral, and supplement industry include Captek Softgel International, Inc., Swanson Health Products, and Reliance Holdings, in additional to its prior ownership of ReNew Life Formulas, Inc. and Santa Cruz Nutritionals. For more information, visit www.spcap.com.

 

About J+D Labs Pharma Manufacturing, Inc.

J+D Labs is a privately-owned, premier, custom manufacturer of nutraceuticals based in Vista, California. With more than 25 years’ experience in the industry, they have grown their business to include more than 300 team members including pharmacists, microbiologists, administrative staff, skilled technicians, engineers and chemists—all working together in a state-of-the-art, 135,000-square-foot facility to produce the highest quality dietary supplements. For more information visit www.jdlabs.com.

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Ardian takes majority stake in CNC technology company imes-icore

Ardian logo

Ardian takes majority stake in CNC technology company imes-icore

Eiterfeld/Frankfurt, August 2nd 2017 – Ardian, the independent private investment company, today announces the acquisition of a majority stake in imes-icore GmbH (imes-icore), a specialist manufacturer of computer numerical control (CNC) and computer aided design/manufacturing (CAD/CAM) systems predominantly focusing on the medical industry, and headquartered in Eiterfeld, Germany.

Ardian will acquire the stake from current majority shareholder, Hugo Isert, as part of a succession planning programme. Current CEO, Christoph Stark, will retain a significant minority stake, and will continue to manage the business. In the course of this transaction, members of the management team will also become shareholders in the company.

imes-icore_logo

imes-icore was founded in 2002 by Hugo Isert and Christoph Stark, and develops, produces and sells specialist CNC-CAD/CAM systems for milling, water jet and laser cutting, and 3D printing. The company has close to 150 employees and in 2016 generated sales of approximately EUR 30 million.

imes-icore’s main competency lies in machine systems for the automated production of dentures such as dental caps and bridges, implant superstructures or prostheses. The company’s products are used in dental laboratories, clinics and dental milling centres. imes-icore also offers specialized industrial production solutions for numerous industries such as e.g. jewellery, orthopaedic and automotive sectors as well as for model/mould construction. Sales to customers in more than 100 countries are handled primarily through distribution partners.

With the support of Ardian, imes-icore plans to increase its range of services and key account management as well as expanding internationally, both organically and through targeted acquisitions.

Christoph Stark, CEO and co-founder of imes-icore, said: “The partnership with Ardian is an important milestone in the development of imes-icore. Ardian’s extensive industrial experience, financial strength and global platform will support us in realising our potential for national and international growth. Our well-established brand, unique product and service portfolio, and clear focus on innovation is valued by customers worldwide. We intend to grow our strong market position in our core segment by further building on our dental laboratories business as well as expanding our activities in the segments of practice laboratories and automated systems for milling centres. We will continue to develop these specific market segments going forward, on both the product development and sales sides.”

Marc Abadir, Managing Director of Ardian Expansion, said: “imes-icore is acknowledged throughout the industry as a leading provider of innovative technology solutions for the dental sector. It has significant potential for growth in a fragmented market environment, led by a highly capable CEO, Christoph Stark. We look forward to supporting the company and management team in realising the firm’s potential for growth.”

This is the fifth investment of Ardian Expansion Fund IV which closed at €1 billion in 2016. The fund invests in high-growth companies with a value of up to EUR 225 million in France, Italy, Belgium, Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Spain.

The transaction remains subject to approval from the competition authorities, and financial details have not been disclosed.

ABOUT ARDIAN

Ardian, founded in 1996 and led by Dominique Senequier, is an independent private investment company with assets of US$62 billion managed or advised in Europe, North America and Asia. The company, which is majority-owned by its employees, keeps entrepreneurship at its heart and delivers investment performance to its global investors while fuelling growth in economies across the world. Ardian’s investment process embodies three values: excellence, loyalty and entrepreneurship.

Ardian maintains a truly global network, with more than 460 employees working through twelve offices in Beijing, Frankfurt, Jersey, London, Luxembourg, Madrid, Milan, New York, Paris, San Francisco, Singapore and Zurich. The company offers its 580 investors a diversified choice of funds covering the full range of asset classes, including Ardian Funds of Funds (primary, early secondary and secondary), Ardian Private Debt, Ardian North America Direct Buyout, Direct Funds (Ardian Mid Cap Buyout, Ardian Expansion, Ardian Growth, Ardian Co-Investment), Ardian Infrastructure, Ardian Real Estate and customized mandate solutions with Ardian Mandates.

ABOUT IMES-ICORE

Imes-icore was established in 2002 as a spin-off from the isel Group, which has been in business since 1972. The company currently has around 150 employees at its Eiterfeld site. It develops, produces and sells specialist CNC-CAD/CAM systems for milling, water jet and laser cutting as well as 3D-printing. The firm’s products are used in dental laboratories, clinics and dental milling centres. imes-icore also offers specialized industrial production solutions for numerous industries such as e.g. jewellery, orthopaedic and automotive sectors as well as for model/mould construction. Sales to customers in more than 100 countries are handled primarily through distribution partners. imes-icore generated sales of around EUR 30 million in 2016.

COMPANIES AND INDIVIDUALS INVOLVED IN THE TRANSACTION

Ardian Team: Marc Abadir, Dirk Wittneben, Yannic Metzger, Max Dolata
Financial: Deloitte (Egon Sachsalber)
Commercial: L.E.K. (Tobias Kösters, Nicole Damani)
Legal Corporate: Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe (Dr. Christoph Brenner, Dr. Fabian von Samson)
Legal Finance: Willkie, Farr & Gallagher (Jan Wilms)
Tax: Taxess (Gerald Thomas, Richard Schäfer)
Insurance: Aon (Dr. Christoph von Lehmann)
M&A Advisory: Raymond James (Dirk-Oliver Löffler)
Debt Advisory: DC Advisory (Daniel Gebler)
M&A Advisory (sell-side): UniCredit (Michael Bälz, Garbor Grailach)
Legal (sell-side): McDermott, Will & Emery (Dr. Clemens Just, Norman Wasse)

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IK Investment Partners to enter into negotiations for the acquisition of Bretèche Industrie

IK Investment Partners to enter into negotiations for the acquisition of Bretèche Industrie

IK Investment Partners (“IK”), a leading Pan-European private equity firm, is pleased to announce that the IK VIII Fund (“the Fund”) has entered into exclusive negotiations with Equistone and the management team to acquire a majority stake in Bretèche Industrie Group (“Bretèche” or “the Group”), a global leading manufacturer of industrial equipment for the production of food, pharmaceutical, and cosmetic products. The management team will reinvest alongside the Fund. Financial terms of the transaction are not disclosed and the completion of the transaction is subject to regulatory approvals.

Bretèche consists of six leading companies within their respective markets, designing, engineering manufacturing, and installing equipment for food, cosmetics and pharmaceutical production lines. The Group employs nearly 1,000 people and generated a turnover of approximately 220 million euros in 2016.

“We are very pleased to welcome the Fund, advised by IK Investment Partners, as our new majority shareholder. Together we will continue to pursue our strategy of technological innovation, commercial development, and selective acquisitions,” said Didier Soumet, CEO of Bretèche.

Arnaud Thomas, Partner at Equistone Partners Europe, said: “We are proud of our active support for the teams at Bretèche, both to develop original business lines and to pursue its international external growth strategy, particularly with the acquisition last summer of Shick the field of dosing equipment in the United States.”

“Bretèche possesses all the characteristics we look for in an investment: a leading market position, a proven track record of commercial success, and an experienced management team. We aim to actively support the management team in their strategy of international growth and innovation, while simultaneously pursuing targeted acquisition opportunities,” added Rémi Buttiaux, Partner at IK and advisor to the IK VIII Fund.

Parties involved

IK Investment Partners: Rémi Buttiaux, Dan Soudry, Vincent Elriz, Guillaume Veber, Mirko Jablonsky, Alexander Dokters, Daniel-Vito Günther
Buyer Financial advisor: BNP Paribas (Marc Walbaum, Sylvina Mayer)
Buyer Strategic DD: LEK (Serge Hovsepian, Maxime Julian)
Buyer Financial DD: Ernst & Young (Laurent Majubert, Eric Roussel)
Buyer Legal advisor: Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP (Eduardo Fernandez, Grégory de Saxcé, Paul Lombard)

Equistone Partners Europe: Guillaume Jacqueau, Arnaurd Thomas, Grégoire Schlumberger
Seller Financial Advisor: Lazard (Nicolas Constant, Jean-Philippe Bescond, François Guichot-Pérère)
Seller Strategic DD: Arthur D. Little (Vincent Bamberger)
Seller Financial DD: Eight Advisory (Stéphane Vanbergue)
Seller Environment advisor: ERM (Julie de Valence)
Seller Legal advisor: Paul Hastings (Olivier Deren, Sébastien Crepy)

For further questions, please contact:

Bretèche
Didier Soumet, CEO
Phone: +33 2 40 73 70 73

IK Investment Partners
Rémi Buttiaux, Partner
Phone: +33 1 44 43 06 60

Mikaela Hedborg, Director Communications & ESG
Phone: +44 77 87 573 566
mikaela.hedborg@ikinvest.com

Equistone
Marie Le Goff Plichon
Kablé Communication
Phone: +33 7 87 96 12 74
marie.legoff@kable-communication.com

About Bretèche
Bretèche is a global leader in the supply of industrial equipment for the production of food, pharmaceutical, and cosmetics. The group consists of leading companies in their respective markets, designing, engineering, manufacturing, and installing equipment for both industrial and traditional production. Through its various subsidiaries, the group employs approximately 1,000 people. For more information, visit www.breteche.com

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 100 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

About Equistone
Equistone is an independent investment firm wholly-owned and managed by its executives. The company is one of Europe’s leading investors in mid-market buyouts with a strong, consistent track record spanning over 30 years, with more than 350 transactions completed in this period. Equistone has a strong focus on change of ownership deals and aims to invest between €25m and €125m of equity in businesses with enterprise values of between €50m and €300m. The company has a team of 37 investment professionals operating across France, Germany, Switzerland and the UK, investing as a strategic partner alongside management teams. Equistone is currently investing its fifth buyout fund, which held a final closing at its €2bn hardcap in April 2015. Equistone is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. www.equistonepe.com

 

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