Monthly Archives: November 2017

Actief Personalmanagement acquires AB Zeitpersonal

Gilde Equity

Oberhausen, 23 November 2017 – Actief Group, one of the fastest growing independent staffing companies in Western Europe, today announces the acquisition of AB Zeitpersonal, an Oberhausen based regional temporary employment company with strong presence in the Western and Central part of Germany. For Actief Group this is the third acquisition in Germany, after ISU Group in 2015 and TimeCraft in 2017. The acquisition of AB Zeitpersonal enables Actief Group to strengthen its German footprint and to add a strong complementary company with a solid client base to its portfolio. After this transaction Actief Group will realize over EUR 600 million of sales spread across Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands.

Gilbert Sydow, founder of AB Zeitpersonal, is enthusiastic about the partnership with Actief: “After 30 years of successfully developing and expanding AB Zeitpersonal into a personnel service provider renowned for its quality and long-standing partnerships with reputable companies in various industries such as automotive, retail, chemicals, food and logistics, I’m glad to have found a partner who shares the same values as we do. Actief’s strategy to focus on SMEs, entrepreneurship and local-for-local approach is very similar to the way we have built our company over the years. I’m confident that AB Zeitpersonal will continue its successful growth path and I believe that the AB Zeitpersonal team, led by Mrs. Reckling, will do a great job in partnering with Actief to continue growth in the coming years”.

CEO Heiko Harms of Actief Personalmanagement on the transaction: “Since 2015, we are implementing an ambitious roll out program by opening new offices in order to realize our ambition of gaining national coverage in Germany. AB Zeitpersonal has a strong entrepreneurial culture and this fits very well with our organization. Moreover, from a geographical point of view the company is very complementary to Actief Personalmanagement: next to a higher density in our current regions we now expand our footprint to the North Rhine-Westphalia region as well. AB Zeitpersonal has an attractive client base and enjoys a strong reputation in the market. I look forward to further grow our German presence together with the AB Zeitpersonal team.”

Mark Maesen, CEO of Actief Group, complements: ”Over the past 25 years Actief Group has grown from a small local Belgian player to a successful international temporary staffing company. We now operate over 180 offices spread over three countries, fully focused at providing high quality temporary staffing services for small and medium sized enterprises. With two acquisitions in the Netherlands and now three in Germany (one in 2015 and two in 2017), we gained a strong position in the Dutch and German market. It is our aim to become a top 10 player in each of these countries and welcoming AB Zeitpersonal is a great step forward in this respect. We now realize close to EUR 200 million sales in Germany and I am confident that our German management can successfully expand the German presence over the coming years.”

About AB Zeitpersonal

AB Zeitpersonal is founded over 30 years ago and developed since then into a well-established, medium-sized temporary employment agency with 45 offices throughout the Central and Western part of Germany. Activities comprise general temporary staffing, personnel recruitment and on-site services. The company employs more than 2,100 temporary workers, both blue and white collars. Clients comprise renowned ‘German Mittelstand’ companies active in various sectors such as automotive, engineering, retail, chemicals, food and logistics. AB Zeitpersonal is headquartered in Oberhausen.

About Actief Personalmanagement

Actief Personalmanagement, formed by the acquisition of ISU Group (2015) and TimeCraft (2017), is an independent personnel service provider with strong regional presence in the Baden-Wuerttemberg, Thuringia,  Saxony, Hesse and Bavaria states. Over the years, Actief Personalmanagement grew both organically and through acquisitions to a group of 45 branches, active in a broad spectrum of sectors, ranging from highly qualified skilled workers for technical and industrial areas and commercial staff to qualified employees for production and logistics. Clients comprise renowned ‘German Mittelstand’ companies with whom longstanding relationships exist.

About Actief Group

Actief Group is one of the largest independent and fastest-growing staffing companies in Western Europe. Founded in 1988 in Lummen, over the past 25 years Actief established a leading position in Belgium, with a network of 67 offices realizing EUR 260 million of sales. Backed by its majority shareholder Gilde Equity Management Benelux, Actief Group tripled sales since 2011, with the first footsteps outside of Belgium with the acquisition of TiP (2014) and Tence (2015) in the Netherlands and ISU Group (2015) and TimeCraft (2017) in Germany. Actief delivers a professional link between supply and demand on the labor market and offers companies an optimal and flexible service in their search for personnel. The group now realizes over EUR 600 million in sales and operates through three brand names: Actief Interim in Belgium, Actief Werkt! in the Netherlands and Actief Personalmanagement in Germany.

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WallVision to acquire Wall&decó

Litorina

WallVision continues its international expansion through an acquisition of the Italian premium wallpaper company, Wall&decó. The previous owner will remain in the business and reinvest in WallVision Group.

WallVision is a leading wallpaper group in the Nordic region with a growing international presence. The Group consists, before the acquisition, of four strong interior design brands: Boråstapeter, Engblad & Co, Cole & Son and Mr Perswall.

With the acquisition of the Italian premium brand Wall&decò WallVision further expands its international presence and includes a strong interior brand in the group. The business, with revenues of SEK 80 million, have shown double digit growth rates with healthy profit margins since it was founded in 2005.

”I’am really excited to have Wall&decò in the WallVision Group. We look forward to expand the business further and take it to the next level together with Christian Benini and his team.” says Olle Svensk, CEO of WallVision.

The acquisition is expected to close in mid-January 2018. After the acquisition WallVision Group will have pro forma revenues of SEK 600 million and c. 210 employees.

For further information, please contact:
Olle Svensk, +46 768 56 60 93, CEO WalVision Group

WallVision, founded in 1905 is the Nordic region’s market-leading wallpaper group. The group designs, produces and sells high-quality wallpapers under four strong brands, Boråstapeter, Engblad & Co, Cole & Son and Mr Perswall. The group has a growing international presence, accounting for 25% of the group revenues. The group is headquartered in Borås, Sweden and has c. 190 employees.  For more information, please visit www.wallvision.se

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IK Investment Partners to support Studienkreis

ik-investment-partners

IK Investment Partners (“IK”) is pleased to announce that the IK Small Cap I Fund together with Management has reached an agreement to acquire Studienkreis GmbH, (“Studienkreis” or “the Company”), a leading provider of tutoring services for primary and secondary school students in Germany from Aurelius.

Since its inception in 1974, Studienkreis has developed into one of the leading providers of tutoring services on the German market. The Company operates a dense network of over 1,000 learning centres, offering small group tutoring to c. 60,000 primary and secondary school students across Germany, covering all common subjects as well as special preparatory courses for pre graduation exams. The Company has further developed a true online offering, comprising the Studienkreis App supporting students with their homework and tutoring schedule. Renowned for its high quality tutoring services as well as proven learning concept – developed and refined over 40 years, Studienkreis benefits from high brand awareness and customer satisfaction in the German market and has continuously been certified by various testing institutes.

“Customer satisfaction is truly at the centre of our business strategy. Our qualified and certified tutors assess every student individually; personalised support plans, as well as the documented progress are discussed with parents on a regular basis. It is this proven learning concept Studienkreis has built its reputation on. We now embark on the next phase of our growth trajectory with the support from IK and I’m truly excited for the opportunity to even better service our students,” said Lorenz Haase, CEO of Studienkreis.

“Studienkreis has a distinctive successful concept and a proven track record. Together with the highly experienced management team, we are looking forward to supporting the Company’s future success as they continue to grow their network and their tutoring offering,” said Anders Petersson, Partner at IK Investment Partners and advisor to the IK Small Cap I Fund.

Completion of the transaction is subject to merger control approvals.

For further questions, please contact: 

IK Investment Partners

Anders Petersson
Partner
Phone: +49 40 369 8850

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

Studienkreis GmbH
Thomas Momotov
Press and public relations
Phone: +49 2 34 97 60 12
tmomotow@studienkreis.de

About Studienkreis GmbH
Studienkreis is one of the leading private education providers in Germany. The company offers qualified tutoring for students of all classes and types of school in all major subjects. Individual support follows a scientifically proven learning concept. It strengthens the students’ sense of responsibility towards their learning, improves their confidence in their abilities, and helps them to develop their potential. For more information, visit www.studienkreis.de

About IK Investment Partners
IK Investment Partners (“IK”) is a Pan-European private equity firm focused on investments in the Nordics, DACH region, France, and Benelux. Since 1989, IK has raised more than €9 billion of capital and invested in over 110 European companies. IK funds support companies with strong underlying potential, partnering with management teams and investors to create robust, well positioned businesses with excellent long-term prospects. For more information, visit www.ikinvest.com

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Gimv is set to become the new majority shareholder of the AgroBiothers group, alongside its founding family

GIMV

Gimv and the Jenoudet family today announced that they have signed an agreement under which Gimv will acquire an equity stake in AgroBiothers, a European group specialising in the production and distribution of animal hygiene and care products as well as pet accessories.

The AgroBiothers group, based in Cuisery (Saône-et-Loire, France), is a European leader in the production and distribution of pet care products. With a turnover approaching EUR 65 million, the Group employs 250 people and distributes its 4,000 references in over 20 countries.

AgroBiothers has quadrupled its turnover over a fifteen year period, thanks to a dynamic organic growth strategy that is based on efficient logistics, and integrated production tools for its main product ranges. In addition it undertook acquisitions in France and abroad. AgroBiothers is now recognised as a prime partner for online and traditional food and specialist retailers, supplying a comprehensive range of high-quality pet care products.

AgroBiothers is well positioned in a buoyant and resilient market. It has strong organic growth prospects, particularly in the hygiene and care sector as a result of European regulatory developments. The Group also aims to step up its external growth strategy in Europe, in what remains a fragmented market, with a view to strengthening its commercial presence or expanding its product range.

The family-owned AgroBiothers never had an external investor before. Gimv will become majority shareholder as a result of the OBO (owner buyout). CEO Julien Jenoudet – majority shareholder up till now – will reinvest significantly in this OBO, and will remain at the helm of the Group.

With a presence in four European countries, a specialisation in the consumer goods sector, and expertise in the field of international buy and build, Gimv will bring to along its knowledge of European markets and of the challenges specific to the multichannel BtoB distribution sector.

Julien Jenoudet, Chairman of AgroBiothers: “I am delighted that Gimv has chosen to invest in AgroBiothers. Together we will refine the company’s marketing and commercial approach and step up our expansion into the European market, to take advantage of the many growth opportunities. Gimv’s Connected Consumer team is clearly committed to AgroBiothers’ future growth, and was quick in understanding the possibilities for expansion and the challenges our industry faces. ”

Guillaume Bardy, Principal in Gimv’s Connected Consumer platform, concludes: “AgroBiothers’ major assets, namely its perfect understanding of BtoB distribution, its expertise of regulation for hygiene and care products, and its deep comprehension of both market and customer needs, make it well equipped to become an integrated European multichannel distributor of pet care products. We are extremely proud that Julien Jenoudet and his family have chosen Gimv as the first external investor in their company. ”

The transaction has been submitted to the competition authorities for prior approval.

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Ardian acquires business process outsourcing service provider CCC

Ardian

Ardian Expansion has reinvested in CCC, a high-growth provider of business process outsourcing (“BPO”), to support the company in its next development phase

Berlin/Vienna/Frankfurt, November 21, 2017 – Ardian, the independent private investment company, has signed an agreement to acquire Competence Call Center Group (CCC), one of the leading BPO service providers in Europe. The investment will be made via the Ardian Expansion Fund IV. The shares are being sold by the pan-European private equity firm Silverfleet Capital.

As part of the transaction, the management team headed by Christian Legat (CEO), Ulf Herbrechter (COO) and Thomas Nemec (CFO) will hold a significant stake in the company and will lead CCC during its next phase of growth. All parties have agreed on confidentiality of the financial details of the transaction, which is subject to antitrust approval.

Founded in Austria in 1998, CCC is today headquartered in Berlin. With more than 5,500 employees, the company offers high-quality BPO solutions in 28 languages and serves more than 80 customers in Europe. The group operates from 18 locations across eight countries, ten of which are based in the DACH region, four in Eastern Europe, three in Turkey, and one in France. The company has secured a leading market position in the DACH region. CCC’s range of services includes social media monitoring, up/cross selling, complaint management and technical support. The company offers a broad range of communication solutions across telephone, e-mail, chat and social media channels.

Ardian already invested in CCC via its AXA Expansion Fund II between 2009 and 2013, when it helped the fast-growing company implement its international expansion strategy. During this phase, the number of employees more than doubled. With Ardian’s renewed support, CCC plans to further strengthen its leading position in the German-speaking region.

As one of the last independent European providers, CCC also strives to play an active role in the ongoing market consolidation of BPO services in Europe. To achieve these objectives, it plans to expand its business with existing and new customers, broaden its service offer and enter new markets. Particularly in light of the trend towards increasing digitalization, this aspect harbors considerable potential for growth in providing customers with new services.

Christian Legat, CEO of CCC, said: “Ardian’s team led by Dirk Wittneben and Marc Abadir has a very good understanding of our business model and relevant market drivers. The cooperation we had from 2009 to 2013 was highly successful, and we are convinced that we can continue to build on this success. Thanks to our excellent position in the German-speaking market and a unique customer portfolio containing companies that are leaders in their respective segments, we are well-positioned to acquire new customers and to convince them of the attractiveness of our services. At the same time, we also want to achieve further growth through business with existing customers by continuously expanding our product range. In doing so, we draw on the newest technological solutions via all communication channels to generate real added value for our customers and to cover a broader value-added spectrum.”

Dirk Wittneben, Managing Director, Ardian Expansion, said: “We look forward to accompanying CCC’s outstanding management team led Christian Legat, Ulf Herbrechter and Thomas Nemec in its next phase of growth. With this transaction, we are also underscoring our competence in supporting companies in highly different development stages and of various sizes.” Marc Abadir, Managing Director, Ardian Expansion, added: “Based on our very positive experiences, we are pleased to assist the CCC team in the continuation of its success story once again. As a leading high-quality provider, we are convinced that CCC will continue to benefit from the fast-changing communication habits of consumers and the increasing importance of customer dialogue for brand development.”

 

ABOUT ARDIAN

Ardian is a world-leading private investment house with assets of US$66bn managed or advised in Europe, North America and Asia. The company is majority-owned by its employees. It keeps entrepreneurship at its heart and focuses on delivering excellent investment performance to its global investor base.

Through its commitment to shared outcomes for all stakeholders, Ardian’s activities fuel individual, corporate and economic growth around the world.

Holding close its core values of excellence, loyalty and entrepreneurship, Ardian maintains a truly global network, with more than 470 employees working from twelve offices across Europe (Frankfurt, Jersey, London, Luxembourg, Madrid, Milan, Paris and Zurich), North America (New York, San Francisco) and Asia (Beijing, Singapore). It manages funds on behalf of 640 clients through five pillars of investment expertise: Funds of Funds, Direct Funds, Infrastructure, Real Estate and Private Debt.

Follow Ardian on Twitter @Ardian

www.ardian.com

ABOUT CCC

CCC provides customers with care and BPO solutions at the highest level in 18 locations in eight countries. The company draws on 19 years of experience in handling incoming calls, outgoing campaigns, written customer communication via e-mail, chat and social media, as well as back office activities. Since 1998, CCC has been renowned for providing high-quality, internationally certified and excellent BPO services in 28 languages for global top brands in the European market from several industries. During this time, it has realized international growth and demonstrated continuous and strong commitment for the BPO industry. In total, more than 5,500 employees provide customers with innovative and internationally excellent service on all communications levels.

 www.yourccc.com

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Divergent 3D Announces Series B and Related Funding

Horizons Ventures

LOS ANGELES and HONG KONG— November 21, 2017— Divergent 3D, a technology development and licensing company that is creating a sustainable manufacturing revolution in the car industry, announces a Series B financing scheduled for close on or before December 15, 2017. The Series B close is $65+million with an additional investor option of $40 million to further accelerate revenue growth, bringing the aggregate funding, with option, to $107 million. Hong Kong-based investment holding company, O Luxe Holdings Limited (“O Luxe”), led the investment group, which includes Horizons Ventures, Shanghai Alliance Investment Limited and Altran Technologies.

Launched in 2014 by Founder & CEO Kevin Czinger, Divergent’s patented, end-to-end software-hardware solution incorporates 3D metal printing into the design, engineering and manufacturing of advanced vehicle structures for the automotive and aerospace industries. Its proprietary Divergent Production System™ automates structural design and optimization for volume manufacturing of lightweight structures without upfront, capital-intensive factory and tooling investments.

“With the ability to quickly respond to market demands, the Divergent system allows automakers and technology companies to innovate at a much faster rate—scaling up volume production at only a fraction of the cost while also alleviating environmental damage,” explains Czinger. “As a leading investment holding company dedicated to advancing sustainable manufacturing and transportation, O Luxe aligns with Divergent’s mission and fully understands the importance of disruptive technologies to the automotive industry. We are thrilled to partner with a company that supports our growth and vision.”

Marking a major financial milestone, the Series B funding will accelerate the commercialization of Divergent’s technology and provide additional resources to proliferate the technology globally, especially in the rapidly expanding Chinese electric vehicle market. Through non-exclusive partnerships with automakers and technology companies, Divergent will continue its strong momentum in leading the adoption of an economically and environmentally transformative manufacturing solution—building safer, stronger and more profitable eco-friendly vehicles at mass volumes.

In January 2016, Divergent announced the first close of its Series A financing and received a total of $23 million Series A funding. Since then, the technology development and licensing company has received global recognition for its manufacturing solution, and forged strategic partnerships with Altran, SLM Solutions and PSA Group (Peugeot, Citroen & DS).

 

About Divergent 3D

Divergent 3D harnesses the power of 3D printing to unleash innovation in automotive manufacturing. Its breakthrough technology platform transforms the economics and environmental impact of designing and manufacturing complex structures such as cars. Divergent’s planet-saving manufacturing approach enables both low and high volume manufacturing without costly, traditional tooling and capital expenses, enabling manufacturers to quickly iterate and invent new vehicle models for competitive advantage. As a technology company, Divergent partners with OEMs and innovative startups around the world to produce the next generation of vehicles. For more information, please visit www.divergent3d.com.

 

About O Luxe Holdings

O Luxe Holdings Limited is a Hong Kong-based investment holding company focused on developing technology-based companies that will accelerate the global adoption of electric vehicles and drive the world toward sustainable manufacturing and transportation. O Luxe company most recently acquired GLM Co., Ltd, a Japanese electric vehicles and engineering solutions company, and received a major investment from Mr. Li Ka-shing, a renowned Hong Kong entrepreneur, investor, and philanthropist. The Group is principally engaged in distribution of watches, wholesale trading of jewellery products, mining, money lending and securities investments.

 

About Horizons Ventures

Horizons Ventures, the private investment arm of Mr. Li Ka-shing, is a leading investor in some of the world’s most innovative companies and disruptive technologies, including Facebook, Spotify, Impossible Foods, Improbable, Zoom, Blockstream, Soul Machines and ChromaDex. For more information, please visit http://horizonsventures.com/

 

About SAIL

Shanghai Alliance Investment Limited is a private equity and venture capital arm of Shanghai Municipal Government. The firm invests in high-tech, media, entertainment, infrastructure, financial services, telecommunication, healthcare, life science, and emerging low-carbon sectors such as clean energy, new material and eco-environment protection. Shanghai Alliance Investment Ltd. was founded in 1994 and is based in Shanghai, China.

 

About Altran

As a global leader in Engineering and R&D services (ER&D), Altran offers its clients a new way to innovate by developing the products and services of tomorrow. Altran works alongside its clients on every link in the value chain of their project, from conception to industrialization. For over thirty years, the Group has provided its expertise to key players in the Aerospace, Automotive, Defense, Energy, Finance, Life Sciences, Railway, and Telecoms sectors, among others. With a headcount of more than 27,000 employees, Altran has a presence in more than 20 countries.

 

 

Media Contact

Lydia You | ID-PR

divergent@id-pr.com

(323) 822.4849

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Axel Bard Bringéus joins EQT Ventures

EQT Ventures

EQT Ventures has strengthened its team of investment specialists and operational experts with Axel Bard Bringéus, former Global Head of Markets at Spotify, joining the fund. Get to know Axel in this video and find out how he will help to identify fast-growing, innovative and tech-enabled companies for support and investment in Germany.

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Ardian North America Direct Buyouts team announces agreement for the acquisition of Revere Plastics Systems

Ardian

Ardian’s investment will boost the growth strategy of leading us plastic injection molding manufacturer

New York, November 20, 2017 – Ardian, the independent private investment company, today announces that its North America Direct Buyouts team has reached an agreement to acquire Revere Plastics Systems, a designer and manufacturer of plastic injection molded parts, from its parent, Revere Industries, LLC. Ardian will acquire a 100 percent interest in the company.

Founded in 2005 and headquartered in Clyde Ohio, Revere Plastics Systems partners with clients in the appliance, automotive, outdoor power equipment, medical and consumer goods industries. Its manufacturing capabilities include value-add plastic injection molding, insert and multi-shot molding, IML/IMD decorating, laser etching, assembly, numerous types of welding, inspection and leak testing.

Beyond its headquarters in Ohio, the company has three additional manufacturing facilities in Indiana, Missouri and Ontario. With approximately 1,100 employees, the company  is at the forefront of developing highly-tailored and advanced technologies to support customers manufacturing needs.

“Revere Plastics Systems is a market-leading plastic injection molding manufacturer well positioned for growth. Revere’s highly-capable leadership, blue-chip customer base, and its value-add capabilities gave us great confidence in the company’s potential and we foresee expansion opportunities for the company ahead,” said Vincent Fandozzi, Head of Ardian North America Direct Buyouts.

Kevin Kruse, Managing Director, North America Direct Buyouts, added “Furthermore, our investment in Revere will be supported by Ardian’s considerable experience and relationships in the industrial manufacturing sector alongside Ardian’s global network.”

“We are delighted to have Ardian as a partner on our side as we embark on the next stage of our growth. Ardian’s support will allow us to invest in additional capacity and new technologies enhancing our capabilities to serve our customer base.” said Glen Fish, President of Revere Plastics Systems. “There are great opportunities ahead and we are looking forward to taking advantage of them with the full support of Ardian,” continued Mr. Fish.

“We look forward to working with Glen and the incredible people who make up the Revere employee base on this next chapter in the company’s development,” added Mr. Fandozzi.

Ardian launched its North America Direct Buyouts activity in October 2016 when it brought on board the team from Seven Mile Capital Partners, led by Mr. Fandozzi. The North American direct investment activity focuses on lower middle market buyouts, specifically middle market industrial and related business services companies in North America. This is the second transaction completed by the team after the acquisition, in June 2017, of Dynamic Technologies, the designer and manufacturer of automotive fluid-handling systems.

Financial details for the transaction were not disclosed. The transaction is expected to close by year end.

 

ABOUT REVERE PLASTICS SYSTEMS

Revere Plastics Systems, LLC designs, develops, manufactures, and supplies plastic injection molded assemblies and components for the appliance, automotive, outdoor power equipment, medical, garden and consumer goods industries. It offers assemblies which include doors, balance rings, bases, pumps, dispensers, rollers, and dish racks for the appliance industry; lighting, interior, HVAC and braking for the automotive industry. The company also provides numerous engineered services; injection, stack, tandem, and insert molding services; and multi shot molding, mold to mold transfer, gas assist, in-mold decorating, vertical molding, testing, assembly, and decorating services. The company was incorporated in 2005 and is based in Clyde, Ohio. It has locations in Clyde, Ohio; Jeffersonville, Indiana; Poplar Bluff, Missouri; and Brampton, Canada.

 www.revereplasticssystems.com

ABOUT ARDIAN

Ardian is a world-leading private investment house with assets of US$66bn managed or advised in Europe, North America and Asia. The company is majority-owned by its employees. It keeps entrepreneurship at its heart and focuses on delivering excellent investment performance to its global investor base.

Through its commitment to shared outcomes for all stakeholders, Ardian’s activities fuel individual, corporate and economic growth around the world.

Holding close its core values of excellence, loyalty and entrepreneurship, Ardian maintains a truly global network, with more than 470 employees working from twelve offices across Europe (Frankfurt, Jersey, London, Luxembourg, Madrid, Milan, Paris and Zurich), North America (New York, San Francisco) and Asia (Beijing, Singapore). It manages funds on behalf of 640 clients through five pillars of investment expertise: Funds of Funds, Direct Funds, Infrastructure, Real Estate and Private Debt.

Follow Ardian on Twitter @Ardian

 www.ardian.com

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AURELIUS subsidiary Office Depot Europe is investing 20 million euros in E-commerce expansion

Aurelius

Munich/Venlo, November 2017 – Expansion of its E-commerce offerings is a core strategic direction for the realignment of Office Depot Europe, a group company of AURELIUS Equity Opportunities (ISIN DE000A0JK2A8). To this end, the company is investing 20 million euros in updating and expanding its internet presence based on the SAP Hybris E-commerce module until the end of 2018. The investment centers on improved customer flow on the websites, new functionalities, responsive design for automatic adaptation to different devices, and scalability across the individual Office Depot companies. In addition to web technology, the company is also investing in expanding its linkages to retail partners and extending the functions of its order management and tracking. Customer satisfaction and conversions are moving in a promising direction, and should be improved further on.

E-commerce and self-service are more and more important for B2B customers, as is the online marketplace. With this major investment, Office Depot is addressing this development. In addition to the company’s proven product and service offerings, Office Depot is opening up new revenue potential with simple, fast, intuitive and service-oriented processing on its new websites. Through this move, Office Depot is bringing its internet activities into the center of its customer communication. The strategy is flanked by investments in further points of contact to customers (voice, print and key accounts).

The introduction of the new technology in the first test markets Germany, Austria, Ireland and the Netherlands has already shown positive results, as revenues from online sales and customer satisfaction have risen significantly. The rollout in other national companies and the ongoing further development of the technology will reinforce this positive trend in 2018 and have a major impact on the overall growth of Office Depot Europe.

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Leo’s Lekland acquires Andy’s Lekland

Litorina

The play centre chain Leo’s Lekland continues its rapid expansion. Through the acquisition of Andy’s Lekland, the second largest chain in Sweden after Leo’s Lekland, the expansion rate is further increased and the deal will strengthen Leo’s Leklands position primarily in the Stockholm region. The transaction comprises five play centres with a combined turnover of c. SEK 45 million.

The transaction means that Leo’s Lekland takes over a total of five Andy’s Lekland play centres in Stockholm (3), Gävle (1) and Örebro (1). The three play centres in Stockholm will be rebuilt and reopened under the Leo’s Lekland brand. The play centres in Örebro and Gävle will continue to operate under the Andy’s Lekland brand but under the management of Leo’s Lekland.

“Finding attractive locations in the Stockholm region is challenging and we believe the deal constitutes an opportunity to expand and consolidate our leading position, primarily in the capital of Sweden. We will now rebuild and adapt the play centers in Barkarby, Bromma and Länna to fit into Leo’s concept” says Joakim Gunler, CEO of Leo’s Lekland

For further information, please contact:
Joakim Gunler, +46 (0)70 553 30 21, CEO of Leo’s Lekland

Leo’s Lekland is the largest play centre chain in the Nordic region with a total of 41 play centres (24 in Sweden, 9 in Norway, 5 in Denmark and 3 in Finland). When the company was started in 2006, the founders wanted to create a meeting place for families with focus on play and movement. This is more relevant than ever since reports from WHO show that children spend too little time on physical activity. The company’s success is based on a strong concept of play, fun and movement for the whole family with security, cleanliness and service in the first place. For more information, see www.leoslekland.se.

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