WEMAS partners with Sekisui Jushi Corporation (“SJC”) to pursue further expansion after growth journey alongside Gimv and Paragon Partners

GIMV

Gimv, Paragon Partners (“Paragon”) and its minority investors are to sell 100% in WEMAS to Sekisui Jushi Corporation.

WEMAS (www.wemas.de) was established in 1971 and has grown into a full-range supplier of certified passive traffic safety products. The company is based in Gütersloh and employs more than 130 employees at two sites in Germany.

Under Gimv’s and Paragon’s ownership, WEMAS has strengthened its market leading position in traffic safety technology by making significant investments in product innovation, production automation and capacity expansion. As a result, the company has been able to launch new products and broaden its customer base, allowing it to accelerate growth both in Germany and abroad.

Maja Markovic and Ruben Monballieu, both Partner Sustainable Cities at Gimv, say: “WEMAS is a European market leader with an innovative product range and state-of-the-art production in Germany. We are proud of the company’s international growth during our holding period.

Dr. Edin Hadzic, Founding Partner at Paragon Partners, adds: “We would like to thank the management team at WEMAS for their commitment and drive in executing this successful growth story.

Dirk Gößling, CEO at WEMAS, concludes: “The management team is looking forward to continuing to offer innovative and market-leading solutions to our customers. In doing so, we will benefit from the complementary expertise and geographic presence of our new owner SJC.

Paragon and Gimv were supported throughout the transaction by Alvarez & Marsal (financial), Reed Smith (legal), KPMG (tax) and William Blair (M&A).

The transaction has no significant impact on the Net Asset Value of Gimv as of 30 September 2023. Over the entire holding period Gimv realizes a return in line with the long-term portfolio return target. No further financial details will be disclosed.

 

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Bencis sells majority stake in Kooi to IK Partners

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Bencis

Amsterdam – Monday, 04 December 2023

Bencis is pleased to announce that it has signed an agreement to sell a majority stake in Kooi European Mobile Security Solutions B.V. (“Kooi” or “the Company”) to IK Partners (“IK”). Kooi is a fast-growing pan-European provider of temporary camera surveillance (“TVS”) and rising early-detection (“RED”) solutions. IK is acquiring a majority stake from Bencis Buyout FUnd V (“Bencis”), founder Pieter Kooi and the management team, who will all reinvest. Financial terms of the transaction are not disclosed.

Headquartered in Drachten, the Netherlands, Kooi is a leading provider of TVS and RED solutions, including a range of Units for Observations (“UFOs”), serving various end markets across Europe. The Company provides an end-to-end service from technical advice, delivery, installation and 24/7 monitoring through its own Kooi Alarm Centres.

At present, Kooi has more than 200 employees who serve a growing customer base in 23 countries. The Company has a sizeable presence in the Benelux, DACH, France and the Nordics with a track record of successfully expanding into new geographies. In recent years, the Company has also successfully introduced its UFO offering to sectors including Construction and Infrastructure.
Additionally, Kooi benefits from its unique and strong heritage in Renewables.

With Pieter Kooi’s involvement and the backing of Bencis since June 2018, the current management team, along with its strong staff, has successfully steered Kooi through robust growth, effectively expanding and enhancing its operational capabilities.

In partnership with IK, Kooi plans to: further realise benefits of scale; penetrate the growing TVS and RED markets; establish additional local teams; andexpand internationally into underserved markets.

Completion of the transaction is subject to legal and regulatory approvals.

Peter Schollmann, CEO of Kooi, stated: “We would like to thank Bencis for all their support over the past five years, which has provided us with a solid foundation for future growth. Kooi’s success comes
from our people and culture; something I am very GRUTSK (proud) of!”

Pieter Kooi, Founder of Kooi, added: “We look forward to the next chapter and realising our ambitious plans to accelerate growth of the Company across Europe. We are confident that with the support of IK, we can retain our autonomous, market-leading position and successfully penetrate a host of underserved European markets.”

Remko Hilhorst, Managing Partner at IK and Advisor to the IK X Fund, said: “We have been impressed with Kooi’s track record to date and its ability to continuously evolve its offering to meet the
needs of its customers. It has a well-established presence in the TVS market with further growth potential which can be unlocked in the years to come, particularly in those European markets where IK
itself has a recognised footprint. With this solid foundation in place, we look forward to collaborating with Peter and the team to develop the Company further.”

Robert Falk, Partner at Bencis, added: “Today marks a pivotal moment with the successful exit of Kooi. During our partnership since 2018, Kooi has seen an exceptional growth trajectory, thanks to the
excellent collaboration with Pieter Kooi and the management team. Our journey with Kooi is a testament to a strong strategic partnership and visionary entrepreneurship resulting in an outstanding outcome. We are convinced that IK is the right partner for Kooi to further accelerate its growth and we are confident that Kooi will continue to play its market-leading role. We are proud to have been and continue to be part of this journey and are excited for what the future holds for Kooi.”

About IK Partners
IK Partners (“IK”) is a European private equity firm focused on investments in the Benelux, DACH, France, Nordics and the UK. Since 1989, IK has raised more than €14 billion of capital and invested in
over 180 European companies. IK supports 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 http://www.ikpartners.com

About Kooi
Kooi offers mobile video surveillance and incident response to secure the sites of its customers 24/7. The company has a leading position in the construction, infrastructure, renewables and waste management sectors across Europe. Kooi offers a range of systems with varying specifications, enabling them to secure different types of sites. For more information, visit https://247kooi.com/

About Bencis Capital Partners
Bencis is an independent investment company that supports business owners and management teams in achieving their growth ambitions. Working out of offices in Amsterdam, Brussels and Düsseldorf,
Bencis has been investing in strong and successful businesses in the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany since 1999. For more information, visit https://www.bencis.com/nl

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Polaris Electro-Optics, Inc. Raises Seed Round to Revolutionize Optical Interconnects

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M Ventures

Polaris Electro-Optics, Inc., a Colorado-based company, announced the successful completion of its over-subscribed Seed financing round, resulting in an investment of $3M. Polaris leverages patented material and design innovations to offer the highest speed, most energy efficient integrated photonics products to the communications and computing industries.

BROOMFIELD, Colo., Dec. 4, 2023 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ — Polaris Electro-Optics, Inc., a Colorado-based company, announced the successful completion of its over-subscribed Seed financing round, resulting in an investment of $3M. Polaris leverages patented material and design innovations to offer the highest speed, most energy efficient integrated photonics products to the communications and computing industries. The funding round was led by Rhapsody Venture Partners and garnered support from new investor Buff Gold Ventures as well as pre-seed investor, M Ventures. As part of this milestone, Bernard Lupien of Rhapsody Venture Partners will join Polaris’ Board of Directors.

Jason Sickler, CEO of Polaris, emphasized the significance of this financing round, stating, “The addition of Rhapsody and Buff Gold Ventures as shareholders, along with the unwavering support from M Ventures, underscores the vast potential of our platform technology to revolutionize the communications and computation sectors. To meet the ever-growing demands of these markets, we must deliver unparalleled speed, exceptional energy efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and stability. In all respects, Polaris’s technology stands unrivaled.”

Bernard Lupien, General Partner at Rhapsody Venture Partners, underlined the remarkable potential of Polaris’s platform, stating, “We’ve conducted thorough assessments of various technologies aimed at continually enhancing the speed and efficiency of optical communications.

 

We believe that Polaris’s platform has the most promising potential for solving the acute data transfer bottlenecks that the industry is facing.

Bernard Lupien, Rhapsody Venture Partners

This funding will be strategically allocated towards advancing material and design innovation. It will further enable Polaris Electro-Optics to showcase high-speed, high-efficiency devices designed for optical interconnect systems, reaffirming their commitment to transforming the optical technology landscape.”

 

Our excitement for Polaris Electro-Optics’ potential to deliver a step-function change to the silicon photonics roadmap has only increased since our pre-Seed investment, and we are more than glad to double down with our Seed round investment.

Daniel Franke, Investment Director at M Ventures and Board Director in the company

Through our existing investments in the photonics, optics, and high-performance compute sectors, we recognize an unmet and rapidly growing need for a next generation of electro-optic modulators. We believe that Polaris’ technology platform will be integral to enable the anticipated fundamental trends in high-performance compute, such as the shift towards datacenter disaggregation,

adds Tobias Egle, Board Observer and Analyst at M Ventures.

“Next to the intrinsic advantages in modulation physics, we see the clear route towards mass-manufacturability and back-end integration with existing fabrications processes as a major differentiator.”

“We are delighted to join the collaborative team of investors supporting Polaris Electro-Optics. The disruptive intellectual property licensed from the University of Colorado, combined with a strong team of experienced founders and technologists, gives Polaris a solid foundation for quick innovation and early traction,” noted Sally Hatcher, Managing Partner of Buff Gold Ventures.

About Polaris Electro-Optics, Inc.

At Polaris Electro-Optics, Inc., we believe that overcoming society’s greatest challenges requires mastery of the creation, movement, and use of information. We are mastering the movement of information by leveraging patented material and design innovations to offer the highest-speed, most energy efficient integrated photonics products to the communications and computation industries. Our goal is to define the standard for moving information. We work hard in a collaborative, cross-functional team environment, and value mutual trust and respect built on a foundation of integrity, transparency, consistency, and humility. Additional information about Polaris is available at www.PolarisEO.com.

About Rhapsody Venture Partners

Rhapsody Venture Partners is a venture firm in Cambridge, MA, that funds early-stage applied science and engineering companies. Rhapsody’s team works side-by-side with entrepreneurs to secure anchor customers that reduce time-to-commercialization and accelerate growth. www.RhapsodyVP.com

About M Ventures

M Ventures is the strategic, corporate venture capital arm of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany. From its headquarters in the Netherlands and offices in Germany, USA and Israel, M Ventures invests globally in transformational ideas driven by innovative entrepreneurs. Taking an active role in its portfolio companies, M Ventures teams up with management teams and co-investors to translate scientific discoveries into commercial success. M Ventures focuses on identifying and financing novel solutions to some of the most difficult challenges, through company creation and equity investments in fields that will impact the vitality and sustainability of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany’s current and future businesses. www.M-Ventures.com

About Buff Gold Ventures

Buff Gold Ventures is a venture capital firm dedicated to investing in and supporting innovative startups affiliated with the University of Colorado Boulder. Our mission is to accelerate the development of disruptive technologies that address global challenges while fostering the growth of the next generation of entrepreneurs and venture capitalists. We invest in technology and the diverse teams solving some of the world’s most pressing problems. www.BuffGoldVentures.com.

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Blackstone Acquires Power Grid Components, Inc., a Leading Supplier of Critical Components for the Electrical Grid

Blackstone

New York, December 5, 2023 – Today, Blackstone (NYSE: BX) announced that private equity funds affiliated with Blackstone have closed the acquisition of Power Grid Components, Inc. (“PGC”) from Shorehill Capital LLC.

PGC is a leading domestic designer and manufacturer of a wide range of critical components for protection, monitoring, and safety applications in electrical substations, an essential segment of the electrical grid responsible for managing and monitoring power flows and converting electricity into different voltages. As a supplier of critical components to the grid and partner to many of the nation’s largest electrical utilities, PGC advances the global energy transition by improving the reliability, capacity, and safety of the grid, by enabling the deployment of new renewable generation, and by supporting broad electrification trends. PGC was founded in 2017 by CEO Rick McClure and Shorehill Capital LLC.  Mr. McClure and the other senior leaders will remain with the business in their current positions following the transaction.

David Foley, Global Head of Blackstone Energy Transition Partners, said: “As a leading investor in the energy transition, we proactively seek out companies with strong, entrepreneurial management and work to help them fully capitalize on the growth opportunities available to them. The acquisition of Power Grid Components fits squarely within one of our favorite investment themes – the U.S. electrical grid, joining our other recent grid-related investments, including Champlain Hudson Power Express, equipment manufacturers such as Sabre and grid software companies such as Energy Exemplar.”

John-Paul (JP) Munfa, Senior Managing Director at Blackstone, added: “We’re thrilled to invest in PGC, which we believe is well-positioned to benefit from tremendous growth driven by long-term secular tailwinds associated with the need to replace aging electrical grid infrastructure, connect newly-built renewable power generation, increase capacity to meet growing electricity demand, and harden the grid to improve its reliability. We look forward to working with Rick and his team on this next chapter for PGC. PGC has built strong, long-term relationships with many of our nation’s leading electrical utilities and has positioned itself as an acquiror of choice within the electrical components sector.”

Rick McClure, CEO of Power Grid Components, Inc., said: “Our leadership team is thrilled to be partnering with Blackstone, a leader in energy transition investing. We believe Blackstone will be an outstanding strategic partner in helping us achieve long-term growth while continuing to supply essential components with outstanding quality, reliability and lead times to North America’s electrical utilities.”

About Blackstone
Blackstone is the world’s largest alternative asset manager. We seek to create positive economic impact and long-term value for our investors. We do this by relying on extraordinary people and flexible capital to help strengthen the companies we invest in. Our over $1 trillion in assets under management include investment vehicles focused on private equity, real estate, public debt and equity, infrastructure, life sciences, growth equity, opportunistic, non-investment grade credit, real assets and secondary funds, all on a global basis. Further information is available at www.blackstone.com. Follow @blackstone on LinkedIn, X (Twitter), and Instagram.

About Blackstone Energy Transition Partners   
Blackstone Energy Transition Partners is Blackstone’s energy-focused private equity business, a leading energy investor with a successful long-term record, having invested over $21 billion of equity globally across a broad range of sectors within the energy industry. Our investment philosophy is based on backing exceptional management teams with flexible capital to provide solutions that help energy companies grow and improve performance, thereby delivering cleaner, more reliable and affordable energy to meet the needs of the global community. In the process, we build stronger, larger scale enterprises, create jobs and generate lasting value for our investors, employees and all stakeholders.

About Power Grid Components, Inc.
Power Grid Components, Inc. was formed by electric grid products industry veteran Rick McClure and Shorehill Capital LLC to acquire and grow companies that manufacture, and supply products used in the North American electric power grid. Currently, the company is a supplier of high voltage disconnect switchgear, high quality porcelain and glass insulators, as well as instrument transformers for revenue metering and protective relaying to electric utilities, original equipment manufacturers and other customers who support the grid.

Contact
Kate Holderness
Kate.holderness@blackstone.com
917-318-6818

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IK Partners to invest in Kooi

IK Partners

IK Partners (“IK”) is pleased to announce that the IK X Fund has signed an agreement to acquire Kooi European Mobile Security Solutions B.V. (“Kooi” or “the Company”) the fast-growing pan-European provider of temporary camera surveillance (“TVS”) and rising early-detection (“RED”) solutions. IK is acquiring a majority stake from Bencis Capital Partners (“Bencis”), founder Pieter Kooi and the management team, who will all reinvest. Financial terms of the transaction are not disclosed.

Headquartered in Drachten, the Netherlands, Kooi is a leading provider of TVS and RED solutions, including a range of Units for Observations (“UFOs”), serving various end markets across Europe. The Company provides an end-to-end service from technical advice, delivery, installation and 24/7 monitoring through its own Kooi Alarm Centres.

At present, Kooi has more than 200 employees who serve a growing customer base in 23 countries. The Company has a sizeable presence in the Benelux, DACH, France and the Nordics with a track record of successfully expanding into new geographies. In recent years, the Company has also successfully introduced its UFO offering to sectors including Construction and Infrastructure. Additionally, Kooi benefits from its unique and strong heritage in Renewables.

With Pieter Kooi’s involvement and the backing of Bencis since June 2018, the current management team, along with its strong staff, has successfully steered Kooi through robust growth, effectively expanding and enhancing its operational capabilities.

In partnership with IK, Kooi plans to: further realise benefits of scale; penetrate the growing TVS and RED markets; establish additional local teams; andexpand internationally into underserved markets.

Completion of the transaction is subject to legal and regulatory approvals.

Peter Schollmann, CEO of Kooi, stated: “We would like to thank Bencis for all their support over the past five years, which has provided us with a solid foundation for future growth. Kooi’s success comes from our people and culture; something I am very GRUTSK (proud) of!”

Pieter Kooi, Founder of Kooi, added: “We look forward to the next chapter and realising our ambitious plans to accelerate  growth of the Company across Europe. We are confident that with the support of IK, we can retain our autonomous, market-leading position and successfully penetrate a host of underserved European markets.”

Remko Hilhorst, Managing Partner at IK and Advisor to the IK X Fund, said: “We have been impressed with Kooi’s track record to date and its ability to continuously evolve its offering to meet the needs of its customers. It has a well-established presence in the TVS market with further growth potential which can be unlocked in the years to come, particularly in those European markets where IK itself has a recognised footprint. With this solid foundation in place, we look forward to collaborating with Peter and the team to develop the Company further.”

Robert Falk, Partner at Bencis, added: “Today marks a pivotal moment with the successful exit of Kooi. During our partnership since 2018, Kooi has seen an exceptional growth trajectory, thanks to the excellent collaboration with Pieter Kooi and the management team. Our journey with Kooi is a testament to a strong strategic partnership and visionary entrepreneurship resulting in an outstanding outcome. We are convinced that IK is the right partner for Kooi to further accelerate its growth and we are confident that Kooi will continue to play its market-leading role. We are proud to have been and  continue to be part of this journey and are excited for what the future holds for Kooi.”

For further questions, please contact:

IK Partners
Vidya Verlkumar
Phone: +44 (0) 7787 558 193
vidya.verlkumar@ikpartners.com

 

About IK Partners

IK Partners (“IK”) is a European private equity firm focused on investments in the Benelux, DACH, France, Nordics and the UK. Since 1989, IK has raised more than €14 billion of capital and invested in over 180 European companies. IK supports 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 http://www.ikpartners.com

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About Kooi

Kooi offers mobile video surveillance and incident response to secure the sites of its customers 24/7. The company has a leading position in the construction, infrastructure, renewables and waste management sectors across Europe. Kooi offers a range of systems with varying specifications, enabling them to secure different types of sites. For more information, visit https://247kooi.com/

Read More

About Bencis Capital Partners

Bencis is an independent investment company that supports business owners and management teams in achieving their growth ambitions. Working out of offices in Amsterdam, Brussels and Düsseldorf, Bencis has been investing in strong and successful businesses in the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany since 1999. For more information, visit https://www.bencis.com/nl/

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KKR Acquires Potter Global Technologies

KKR

All Employees to Become Owners in the Company

ST LOUIS, Mo. & NEW YORK–(BUSINESS WIRE)– KKR, a leading global investment firm, today announced that investment funds managed by KKR have acquired Potter Global Technologies (“Potter” or the “Company”), a leading manufacturer of fire and life safety equipment, from Gryphon Investors. KKR plans to support the Company in its continued growth organically and through add-on acquisitions. Financial terms were not disclosed.

Headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri, Potter is a trusted global provider of fire safety and emergency communication equipment used by thousands of customers across diverse end markets including education, multi-family, industrial, and healthcare. Potter’s leading products are used for monitoring fire safety systems, detecting fires and other life-threatening events, and notifying and communicating with building occupants and first responders to ensure safe and efficient evacuations and responses.

“For over 125 years, the Potter brand has stood for safety and reliability in the face of potentially life-threatening risks to the thousands of people and institutions around the world who entrust their fire and life safety to Potter. We have been impressed by the Company’s history of innovation and commitment to provide its customers with high-quality, easy-to-use systems supported by incredible customer service,” said Brandon Brahm, Partner at KKR and Co-Head of KKR’s Ascendant strategy. “We look forward to collaborating with Gerry Connolly, the leadership team, and all of the employees at Potter as we embark on this new era in the Company’s growth and develop new ways to serve our customers and protect lives.”

“Potter’s growth is a testament to the performance of our talented team and to our reputation as a leader in the fire and life safety industry. Our mission to protect people, buildings, and critical infrastructure across the globe underpins everything we do, and we are excited to continue furthering this mission with KKR. We are aligned on Potter’s potential and look forward to continue serving our customers through accelerated new product innovation, superior customer service, and an expanded reach domestically and internationally. Implementing KKR’s equity ownership philosophy, which will make every employee an owner, will be instrumental in achieving our potential and we are looking forward to the exciting growth that all employees together will drive as co-owners in Potter,” said Gerry Connolly, CEO of Potter.

KKR will support Potter in implementing a broad-based employee ownership program to allow all of its employees to have the opportunity to participate in the benefits of ownership of the Company. This strategy is based on the belief that employee engagement is a key driver in building stronger companies. Since 2011, KKR portfolio companies have awarded billions of dollars of total equity value to over 60,000 non-management employees across more than 35 portfolio companies.

Potter is the latest investment for KKR’s Ascendant Strategy, which invests in middle market businesses in North America as part of KKR’s Americas Private Equity platform. Other investments in the Ascendant strategy include Alchemer123DentistIndustrial Physics and a commitment to fund a new executive-led platform designed to acquire and build businesses in the Testing, Inspection, and Certification industry.

Baird and Baker McKenzie served as advisors to KKR.

About Potter:

Potter Global Technologies is the leading independent designer and manufacturer of life safety and emergency communication solutions. Through its various business brands, Potter provides fire suppression, alarm and communications systems, mass notification systems, first responder RF radio communications, and advanced power products. The company motto is “We Save Lives” and their employees appreciate the role they play and value working for a company that is making a difference through protecting people, property and critical infrastructure. Their mission is to make buildings and people safer from fire, natural disasters, and acts of violence. Throughout their longstanding 125-year history of developing industry leading technology, Potter has earned a reputation for best-in-class product quality and customer service. The company is headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri, with sales, engineering, and manufacturing centers in the Americas, Europe, and Asia. Discover more about Potter Global Technologies at www.potterglobaltech.com.

About KKR:

KKR is a leading global investment firm that offers alternative asset management as well as capital markets and insurance solutions. KKR aims to generate attractive investment returns by following a patient and disciplined investment approach, employing world-class people, and supporting growth in its portfolio companies and communities. KKR sponsors investment funds that invest in private equity, credit and real assets and has strategic partners that manage hedge funds. KKR’s insurance subsidiaries offer retirement, life and reinsurance products under the management of Global Atlantic Financial Group. References to KKR’s investments may include the activities of its sponsored funds and insurance subsidiaries. For additional information about KKR & Co. Inc. (NYSE: KKR), please visit KKR’s website at www.kkr.com. For additional information about Global Atlantic Financial Group, please visit Global Atlantic Financial Group’s website at www.globalatlantic.com.

For Potter:
Eric Lauver
ericl@pottersignal.com

For KKR:
Julia Kosygina or Emily Cummings
(212) 750-8300
media@kkr.com

Source: KKR

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Nordic Capital to sell Consilium Safety Group, a leading and fast-growing provider of innovative SafetyTech

Nordic Capital
  • Under Nordic Capital’s ownership, Consilium Safety Group has made a profound transformation becoming an innovative global leader within SafetyTech in attractive niche markets
  • Consilium Safety Group has invested in organic growth and R&D and has further expanded its global service coverage to protect lives, values and the planet
  • The Company has seen significant increases in sales and almost tripled its profits in three years

Nordic Capital, a leading sector-specialised private equity investor, has entered into a definitive agreement to sell Consilium Safety Group, a leading provider of innovative SafetyTech, to a wholly-owned affiliate of Antin Infrastructure Partners’ Flagship Fund V. During Nordic Capital’s ownership period, Consilium Safety Group has developed to become a global innovation leader in safety technologies specialising in intelligent Fire, Flame and Gas detection within the marine, energy, transport and building sectors.

Following Nordic Capital’s acquisition in 2020, Consilium Safety Group became a stand-alone company fully focused on putting safety first for its customers. Since then, the company has grown significantly and transformed into a leading provider of mission-critical infrastructure in highly demanding and regulated end markets, with a premier standard of global service coverage. Consilium Safety Group has professionalised its organisation and operations, effectively utilising its innovative technology and service platform to expand its top-tier offering to make a lasting, positive impact and continue protecting lives, values and the planet. Revenues have increased from SEK 1.4 bn to SEK 2.5 bn, and EBITDA has almost tripled in three years.

In partnership with the Consilium Safety Group management team, Nordic Capital has focused on Consilium Safety Group’s core strategy and its customer offering within SafetyTech. Significant investments into R&D and innovation, expansion of the product and aftermarket offerings and, commercial initiatives to increase digitalisation and refine operations, have created a more integrated, efficient, and connected organisation. Consilium Safety Group is now well positioned to take its next step with further international growth and innovative product development ahead.

We are very proud of what Nordic Capital and Consilium Safety Group’s management team has together achieved, creating a leading and innovative company with a global footprint. The plans set out at the time of the acquisition have been successfully executed much earlier than expected. We want to thank the whole team at Consilium Safety Group for their contribution during these years. Consilium Safety Group is now well placed to continue its growth trajectory and outperform the market. This marks the culmination of a very successful partnership and the start of an exciting next phase for Consilium Safety Group,” said Joakim Andreasson, Managing Director, Nordic Capital Advisors.

Nordic Capital’s operational focus, deep sector insights and expertise in how to fuel global expansion, have been instrumental in the growth of Consilium Safety Group. Together, we have achieved great results quicker than we expected. We thank them for their support and guidance as we take the next step of our journey. As we embark on the next chapter, we are very excited to partner with Antin. We will continue delivering mission-critical safety and operational resilience to our customers and with Antin’s support, we look forward to investing further in the expansion of our offering, capabilities, and presence,” said Philip Isell Lind af Hageby, CEO, Consilium Safety Group.

“We are very impressed by the team at Consilium Safety Group and their commitment to safety, continuous innovation, and customer service. The company has built an extensive international footprint which enables it to support its customers who rely on Consilium Safety Group’s mission-critical infrastructure for their operations,” said Simon Söder, Senior Partner, Antin Infrastructure Partners.

The terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Completion of the transaction is expected in H1 2024, and is subject to customary closing conditions, including relevant regulatory approvals.

Citigroup Global Markets acted as financial advisor to Nordic Capital.

 

Press contacts:

Nordic Capital

Katarina Janerud
Communications Manager, Nordic Capital Advisors
Tel: +46 8 440 50 50
e-mail: katarina.janerud@nordiccapital.com

Consilium Safety Group

Malin Cardemar
Chief Marketing & Communications Officer
Tel: +46 735 95 32 51
e-mail: malin.cardemar@consiliumsafety.com

Antin Infrastructure Partners
Nicolle Graugnard, Communication Director
Email: nicolle.graugnard@antin-ip.com

 

About Nordic Capital
Nordic Capital is a leading sector-specialised private equity investor with a resolute commitment to creating stronger, sustainable businesses through operational improvement and transformative growth. Nordic Capital focuses on selected regions and sectors where it has deep experience and a long history. Focus sectors are Healthcare, Technology & Payments, Financial Services, and selectively, Industrial & Business Services. Key regions are Europe and globally for Healthcare and Technology & Payments investments. Since inception in 1989, Nordic Capital has invested EUR 23 billion in 140 investments. The most recent entities are Nordic Capital XI with EUR 9.0 billion in committed capital and Nordic Capital Evolution with EUR 1.2 billion in committed capital, principally provided by international institutional investors such as pension funds. Nordic Capital Advisors have local offices in Sweden, the UK, the US, Germany, Denmark, Finland, Norway, and South Korea. For further information about Nordic Capital, please visit www.nordiccapital.com.

“Nordic Capital” refers to, depending on the context, any, or all, Nordic Capital branded entities, vehicles, structures, and associated entities. The general partners and/or delegated portfolio managers of Nordic Capital’s entities and vehicles are advised by several non-discretionary sub-advisory entities, any or all of which are referred to as “Nordic Capital Advisors”.


Consilium Safety Group

Consilium Safety Group is a world-leading solution provider of fire, flame and gas safety technologies for the marine, energy, transport and building sectors. By combining safety expertise with intelligent detection, the company contributes to protecting lives, values, and the planet through technology. What started in 1912 is today an international company driven by innovation. Consilium Safety Group is based in Gothenburg, Sweden, has more than 55 offices, covering all time zones, and strives to be a great place to grow for all its 900 employees.


About Antin Infrastructure Partners
Antin Infrastructure Partners is a leading private equity firm focused on infrastructure. With over €30 billion in assets under management across its Flagship, Mid Cap and NextGen investment strategies, Antin targets investments in the energy and environment, digital, transport and social infrastructure sectors. With offices in Paris, London, New York, Singapore and Luxembourg, Antin employs over 220 professionals dedicated to growing, improving and transforming infrastructure businesses while delivering long-term value to portfolio companies and investors. Majority owned by its partners, Antin is listed on Euronext Paris (Ticker: ANTIN – ISIN: FR0014005AL0)

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HEXPOL acquires the American TPE Compounder Star Thermoplastic Alloys and Rubbers, Inc.

Shorling logo

HEXPOL has acquired 100% of the shares in the American TPE Compounder Star Thermoplastic Alloys and Rubbers, Inc. (“Star Thermoplastics”) from Thomas A. Dieschbourg. Through the acquisition, HEXPOL establishes presence on the growing American TPE market. Thomas A. Dieschbourg founded the company in 1993 and has developed the company into a technically advanced TPE company. Thomas A. Dieschbourg will remain as the President of the company.

“The acquisition of Star Thermoplastics is in line with our growth strategy and will enable HEXPOL to enter the American TPE market through a well-established company with a strong product portfolio.”

Peter Rosén, Acting CEO and CFO

“HEXPOL’s addition of Star Thermoplastics to HEXPOL TPE portfolio is a perfect fit. HEXPOL will provide enhanced capabilities and a better geographic reach. The transaction will be beneficial both to the Star Thermoplastics employees and to HEXPOL.”

Thomas A. Dieschbourg

Star Thermoplastics will enable us to replicate our successful European TPE growth journey on the larger American TPE market. Both our existing TPE companies in Europe and China and Star Thermoplastics will be stronger through this expanded footprint.”

Ralph Wolkener and Carsten Rüter, Presidents HEXPOL TPE Compounding

Star Thermoplastics currently has a turnover of approximately 20 MUSD with a profitability level below that of the HEXPOL Group. Star Thermoplastics has its operations near Chicago, Illinois, USA at one well-invested location with plenty of growth capacity and has some 30 employees. The main end customer segments are automotive, building & construction, medical, industrial, electronics and consumer.

The acquisition price amounts to 26.5 MUSD on a cash and debt free basis and is funded by a combination of cash on hand and existing bank facilities. Star Thermoplastics will be consolidated by HEXPOL from 1 November 2023.

For further information please contact:

Peter Rosén
Acting CEO and CFO
peter.rosen@hexpol.com

+46 (0) 73 656 49 34

HEXPOL is a world-leading polymers group with strong global positions in advanced polymer compounds (Compounding), gaskets for plate heat exchangers (Gaskets and Seals), and wheels made of polymer materials for truck and castor wheel applications (Wheels). Customers are primarily system suppliers to the global automotive and engineering industry, building and construction industry and within sectors as transportation, energy, consumer and cable industry and manufacturers of medical equipment, plate heat exchangers and forklifts. The Group is organized in two business areas, HEXPOL Compounding and HEXPOL Engineered Products. The HEXPOL Group’s sales in 2022 amounted to 22,243 MSEK and the Group has approximately 5,000 employees in fourteen countries. Further information can be found at www.hexpol.com.

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Torqx Capital Partners acquires majority of the shares of ELCEE and Prins Castings & Forgings

Torqx Capital

Torqx Capital Partners (“Torqx”) is pleased to announce that it has acquired a majority share in ELCEE, a leading fabless supplier of mechanical components and assemblies for a wide range of industries. The company is active in the (co-)development, design, engineering, sourcing, supply chain-and inventory management of mechanical engineered parts. ELCEE is headquartered in Dordrecht and operates through local offices across Europe combined with technical support centers in China, The Netherlands and Poland.

Together with Torqx Capital Partners ELCEE straightaway acquires Prins, a supplier of tailor-made castings and forgings, headquartered in the Netherlands with sourcing & test centers in China and India. The Prins acquisition will complement ELCEE’s current product portfolio, customer base and geographic reach. By joining forces with Prins, the company will be able to offer more value-added solutions to customers and leverage synergies in operations, procurement, and engineering.

Torqx has followed ELCEE with great interest over the last years and is very familiar with its end markets and business model via relevant experience from previous investments. On the back of deep industry understanding and extensive experience, Torqx will support the management team to realize ELCEE’s future organic (and inorganic) growth plans. It is Torqx’ ambition to help ELCEE further develop into the undisputed market leader in its core countries.

Peter Fluitsma, CEO of ELCEE states that: “With Rivean Capital’s support, ELCEE has evolved beyond its Dutch origins to become a pan-European industrial supplier driven by an active buy-and-build strategy. Coming from 9 separate operating companies and refining the ELCEE strategy as of 2018, we created a solid platform ready to facilitate the next phase of profitable growth. Going forward Torqx is a partner that shares our vision and values and has a proven track record of building better businesses in a wide range of manufacturing- technical distribution- and other, mostly B2B industries. With Torqx as our partner and Prins in our group, we will have more resources, capabilities and opportunities to grow and develop ELCEE further.”

Marcel Pot, CEO Prins Castings & Forgings; “With over 85 years of experience, Prins has become a prominent supplier specialised in castings and forgings. Our journey reflects a commitment to quality and innovation, leading us from our origins as a trading entity to our present role as a valued business partner. Joining forces with ELCEE represents a significant milestone. This strategic collaboration, supported by Torqx’s experience and proven track record in building businesses, promises new opportunities and synergies. Together, we’ll leverage our combined strengths and resources to deliver even greater value to our customers and establish our position as a global market leader in the industry.”

Rik Leunissen, Partner at Torqx, further states that: “Over the last years, ELCEE has proven itself as the go-to supplier for customer-specific, mission-critical engineered mechanical components and assemblies. We admire ELCEE as a thriving enterprise that has achieved notable success over the past years and is set for the next phase of accelerated growth. Also, we believe it provides a unique opportunity to both companies to combine ELCEE and Prins as one group – with that further solidifying its market leading position in the Benelux and increasing scale in a.o. the German market. This will allow the companies to be able to become even more successful using ELCEE’s and Prins’ combined market power and scale. We are excited to partner with- and support management in further refining and executing their strategy, leveraging Torqx’ extensive experience with similar businesses and deep industry understanding.”

For this transaction, Houthoff and DLA Piper acted as legal advisors to Torqx, with PwC providing financial and tax due diligence services.

About ELCEE
ELCEE is the go-to fabless supplier of mission-critical engineered and standard mechanical components and assemblies for leading manufacturing industries in North-West Europe. The company has approximately 250 FTE’s and is headquartered in Dordrecht, the Netherlands with local sales offices across Europe and technical support centers in China, The Netherlands and Poland. ELCEE provides in-house engineering support as well as quality control and inventory management and serves customers across the material handling, agri- & food processing, equipment manufacturing, construction- and shipbuilding industries, among others. ELCEE carries a strong engineering driven portfolio, as well as an assortment of products from world class brands Crosby, igus® and Wärtsila which are used as single assortments as well as in assemblies. For more information, please visit www.elcee.com.

About Prins Castings & Forgings
Prins is a supplier of tailor-made castings and forgings and helps out in the engineering, design, and quality control phases. Prins has approximately 50 FTEs, is headquartered in Amersfoort, The Netherlands and has locations in China and India to support local operations. Prins is stockholder for custom made products and serves a variety of industries a.o. railinfra-structure, earthmoving equipment, commercial vehicles, building and construction equipment. For more information, please visit www.primepro.eu.

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KKR To Invest In Precipart To Accelerate Growth

KKR

KKR to support organic and inorganic growth to enhance Precipart’s leadership position as a provider of highly engineered precision components

NEW YORK–(BUSINESS WIRE)– KKR, a leading global investment firm, announced today that it has agreed to invest in Precipart (the “Company”), a leading contract manufacturer of precision components for the medical device and aerospace industries. KKR plans to support the Company in its continued growth organically and through M&A. Financial terms were not disclosed.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231024406369/en/

Founded in 1950 by the Laubscher family, Precipart manufactures highly engineered custom components, offering a comprehensive solution across design, engineering, manufacturing, and assembly for leading Original Equipment Manufacturers (“OEM”). In particular, the Company is a global leader in gears and motion control solutions across a range of end market segments, including surgical robotics. The Laubscher family remains highly committed to Precipart and is retaining a significant minority ownership stake in the Company.

Oliver Laubscher, CEO of Precipart, commented: “My family and I are thrilled to form this strategic partnership with KKR. With KKR’s differentiated industry insights, global network, and deep bench of resources, we will be able to expand our capability offerings substantially, serve our customers better and at greater scale, and make Precipart an even better home for our talented employees. We look forward to working with the KKR team to build on what we have accomplished over the past 73 years.”

Ali Satvat, Partner and Global Head of Health Care Strategic Growth at KKR, said: “We believe that Precipart has the foundational strength and customer orientation to become a global platform and are thrilled to collaborate with the Company on its growth ambitions. This investment is a solid example of our Health Care Strategic Growth approach of backing leaders in thematic areas that we have followed over time and for which we believe that KKR can serve as a strategic partner in helping reach scale.”

Anuv Ratan, Director at KKR, added: “We have deep admiration and respect for the business that Oliver, his family, and the management team have built and are excited to be their chosen strategic partner to support the Company going forward. The medical device market is in need of sophisticated, scaled solution providers that can help customers navigate supply chain complexity, and we believe that Precipart is uniquely positioned to become a best-in-class partner to medical device OEMs.”

KKR is investing in Precipart through its Health Care Strategic Growth Fund II, a $4.0 billion fund focused on investing in high-growth health care-related companies. KKR has a long track record of supporting health care companies globally, having committed over $20 billion to the sector since 2004.

Completion of the transaction is subject to customary closing conditions.

About KKR

KKR is a leading global investment firm that offers alternative asset management as well as capital markets and insurance solutions. KKR aims to generate attractive investment returns by following a patient and disciplined investment approach, employing world-class people, and supporting growth in its portfolio companies and communities. KKR sponsors investment funds that invest in private equity, credit and real assets and has strategic partners that manage hedge funds. KKR’s insurance subsidiaries offer retirement, life and reinsurance products under the management of Global Atlantic Financial Group. References to KKR’s investments may include the activities of its sponsored funds and insurance subsidiaries. For additional information about KKR & Co. Inc. (NYSE: KKR), please visit KKR’s website at www.kkr.com. For additional information about Global Atlantic Financial Group, please visit Global Atlantic Financial Group’s website at www.globalatlantic.com.

About Precipart

Precipart, founded in 1950 with roots in Swiss engineering and manufacturing, is a leading contract development and manufacturing organization of highly engineered precision components and assemblies, primarily for the medical device industry as well as the aerospace and industrial markets. Precipart, through its mission to Engineer Possible, is a comprehensive solution provider supporting its customers from the concept phase to serial production and in managing their growing supply chain complexity. Major product offerings include precision machining, micro mechanical components, assemblies, gear systems, motion solutions, technical ceramics, and advanced 3D printing.

For Precipart:
Oliver Laubscher
Email: media@precipart.com

For KKR:
Julia Kosygina or Emily Cummings
+1 212-750-8300
media@kkr.com

Source: KKR

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