Lumat, Dominion Fiber Technologies and EuroFibers merge into FibrXL

ActiveCapital

The combination creates an unparalleled portfolio of high-tenacity yarns, renowned high-performance fibers, fiber processing capabilities and a global distribution network.

Leading fiber companies Lumat Group (Lumat), Dominion Fiber Technologies (DFT) and EuroFibers, with a collective experience in technical textiles and fiber enhancing services of over 60 years, have officially announced their merger. The new group will trade under the name FibrXL from January 2020. Marcel Alberts (previously EuroFibers) and Jeroen Drenth (previously Lumat) will continue as Managing Directors of the combined company. Significant synergy opportunities as well as global expansion of the high-performance fibers portfolio are the main reasons to combine the three companies into one. FibrXL is fully committed to becoming the global leader in the sales, marketing and distribution of high-performance fibers, industrial yarns and related converting services.

EuroFibers and Active Capital Company, the investor behind Lumat and DFT, saw the need for a “global one stop fiber shop” and for that reason jointly decided to create a single brand for the three companies, that are very complementary to each other. By combining the vast product knowledge and expertise of the individual companies, as well as their worldwide sales force, logistics services, warehousing facilities, and converting capabilities, a new group is created that can serve the market on a worldwide scale.

Global One Stop Fiber Shop FibrXL is the global one stop fiber shop for technical textiles, where a broad product portfolio, technical expertise, market and application knowledge, decades of experience and an extensive customer-, supplier-, and distribution network are brought together.

In short, FibrXL is the distributor, and innovation partner of the world’s largest producers of high-performance fibers, like Dyneema®, Twaron®, Technora®, Vectran® and Zylon® (FibrXL Performance) and leading distributor of industrial yarns like Polyester, Polyamide and Viscose (FibrXL Industrial). FibrXL works with regional sales managers and agents in both the EU and the USA to efficiently connect their suppliers with their end customers. Not only can FibrXL deliver the unprocessed fibers, but the company can also customize the products in color, size, weight, packaging, and delivering to the customers wishes; direct from stock.

“We are absolutely thrilled to introduce FibrXL to the market. Our global reputation, broad network and combined years of experience in high-performance and industrial fibers will provide customers with the best of both worlds.” Jeroen Drenth, current Managing Director Lumat – future Managing Director FibrXL.

“We are delighted to join forces with the Lumat and DFT team. Their exceptional network and textile experience together with the high-performance portfolio and product know-how of EuroFibers will represent the next generation of outstanding service to our industry” Marcel Alberts, current Managing Director EuroFibers – future Managing Director FibrXL.

Lumat Lumat is a leading provider of integrated marketing, sales and distribution services of industrial yarns, such as Polyester, Polyamide and viscose in Europe, Africa and the Americas. The company has over 30 years of experience and has an extensive network of branch offices and warehouses strategically placed over the three continents serving the industrial market.

Dominion Fiber Technologies (DFT) DFT has served major fiber producers, distributors, and end use customers for more than 20 years. With a highly experienced work force and management team, DFT offers unparalleled innovation, quality and service to their business partners. Building on their experience and worldwide network of suppliers enables them to provide the highest quality materials at competitive pricing.

EuroFibers EuroFibers is the leading distributor and processor of high-performance fibers such as Dyneema®, Twaron®, Technora®, Vectran® and Zylon®, with 10 years of experience. With their in-house developed unique Prisma® coating technology, yarns & strands can be functionalized tailored to the final customer needs for different applications. EuroFibers has a reliable reputation in the field of high-performance fibers and applies stringent quality controls to assure the high quality that is required in the high-end technical markets they serve.

Active Capital Company Active Capital Company invests in Dutch SMEs active in the manufacturing industry. Their business model is not only to provide financing, but also to bring in operational and financial expertise. Active Capital Company has a very active and proven approach to scaling up companies and achieving more and faster growth, innovation and sustainability. It is a reliable partner with a proven track record with various successful investments in the technical textile and maritime industry.

The website fibrxl.com will be launched in January 2020.

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Tikehau Capital acquires mixed-use building in the south-western Paris Region

Tikehau

Paris, 2 December 2019 – Tikehau Capital, the alternative asset management and investment group, announces the acquisition of the “Atlantic Park” business park in Clamart, in the southwestern suburbs of Paris, through its pan-European Real Estate Value-Added fund.
The “Atlantic Park” consists in 5 buildings and lays on a 15,580 sqm. land plot and provides a total lettable area of 14,770 sqm. The buildings are composed of mixed area between light industrial and office space. The whole asset includes 295 underground and outside parking spaces.

The building is well located in Clamart in the Hauts-de-Seine department and in direct vicinity of the Noveos Business Park area, the second largest business park in the Hauts-de-Seine, which welcomes 10,000 workers per day. The park hosts more than an hundred companies and world-renowned blue chips including Coca-Cola, Mondelez or Renault.
Tikehau Capital’s Real Estate Value-Added fund’s sixth acquisition in 2019

This transaction is Tikehau Capital’s Real Estate Value-Added fund’s sixth investment this year following a sale & lease back operation, the acquisition of a mixed-use portfolio in Brussels, two hotels located in central Paris, and two shopping centers in the United Kingdom, in Maidenhead and Orpington. The pan-European Real Estate Value-Added fund, which was launched in 2018, invests across all Real Estate asset classes.

Tikehau Capital’s Head of Real Estate Frédéric Jariel said: “This operation is in line with the company’s acceleration of its Real Estate business and the deployment of our Value-Added fund. The acquisition of the “Atlantic Park” business park confirms our strategy to focus on assets offering great potential to unlock in attractive locations, such as the city of Clamart which is undergoing massive urbanization projects”.
Catella Asset Management advised Tikehau Capital in this operation.

About Tikehau Capital:
Tikehau Capital is an asset management and investment group with €24.3bn of assets under management (as at
30 September 2019) and shareholders’ equity of €3.1 bn (as at 30 June 2019). The Group invests in various asset
classes (private debt, real estate, private equity and liquid strategies), including through its asset management
subsidiaries, on behalf of institutional and private investors. Controlled by its managers, alongside leading
institutional partners, Tikehau Capital employs more than 500 staff (as at 30 September 2019) in its Paris, London,
Amsterdam, Brussels, Luxembourg, Madrid, Milan, New York, Seoul, Singapore and Tokyo offices.
Tikehau Capital is listed on the regulated market of Euronext Paris, Compartment A (ISIN code: FR0013230612;
Ticker: TKO.FP)

Press Contacts:
Tikehau Capital: Jawad Khatib – +33 1 40 06 11 27
Finsbury: Arnaud Salla & Charles O’Brien – +44 207 251 3801
press@tikehaucapital.com
Shareholders and Investors Contact:
Louis Igonet – +33 1 40 06 11 11
shareholders@tikehaucapital.com

DISCLAIMER:
This document are not an offer of securities for sale or investment advisory services. This document contains
general information only and is not intended to represent general or specific investment advice. Past performance
is not a reliable indicator of future results and targets are not guaranteed.
Certain statements and forecasted data are based on current expectations, current market and economic
conditions, estimates, projections, opinions and beliefs of Tikehau Capital and/or its affiliates. Due to various risks
and uncertainties, actual results may differ materially from those reflected or contemplated in such forward-looking
statements or in any of the case studies or forecasts. All references to Tikehau Capital’s advisory activities in the
US or with respect to US persons relates to Tikehau Capital North America.

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Aritco acquires Invalifts Ltd and Ability Lifts Ltd

Latour logo

Investment AB Latour (publ) has, through its subsidiary Aritco Group, acquired Invalifts Ltd and Ability Lifts Ltd, based in Birmingham, UK. The companies distribute, install and service platform lifts in the UK and has an annual turnover of about GBP 5 m with 18 employees. The acquisition further strengthens Aritco’s position in the important UK market. Sellers are Mr. Derrick Beck and Mrs. Joy Beck.

“I am excited to welcome Invalifts and Ability Lifts to Aritco Group”, says Martin Idbrant, CEO of Aritco Group. ”Invalifts and Ability Lifts will together with our subsidiary Gartec Ltd, become a market leader in the UK for distribution, installation and service and maintenance of platform lifts.”

“It has been very important for me to find a new owner with strong values and long term perspective that can continue to develop the company in a positive direction, which I am convinced that we have found in Aritco and Latour”, says Mr. Derrick Beck, CEO of Invalifts and Ability Lifts.

Göteborg, 2 December, 2019

INVESTMENT AB LATOUR (PUBL)
Johan Hjertonsson
President and CEO

For further information, please contact:
Martin Idbrant, CEO Aritco group AB, +46 727 15 36 52
Björn Lenander, CEO Latour Industries, +46 708 19 47 36
Aritco Group is a globally leading manufacturer of platform lifts for one-family houses and accessibility adaptation of public/commercial buildings. Sales go through a strong network of local partners in Europe, Middle East and Asia.

Investment AB Latour is a mixed investment company consisting primarily of a wholly-owned industrial operations and an investment portfolio of listing 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 65 billion. The wholly-owned industrial operations has an annual turnover of about SEK 13 billion.  

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Dedalus Holding, controlled by Ardian, submits a firm offer to Agfa-Geveart Group to buy of its healthcare software business and enters into exclusivity agreement for the acquisition

Ardian

Florence, 2nd December 2019 – Dedalus Holding, a company 60% majority-owned by Ardian and active internationally in the clinical healthcare software sector, announces today that it has submitted a firm offer and entered into exclusive negotiations to acquire part of Agfa-Gevaert’s healthcare software business (the “Business”).

The Business, which generates around 260 million Euro of revenues, consists of the Healthcare Information Solutions and Integrated Care activities, as well as the Imaging IT activities to the extent that these activities are tightly integrated into the Healthcare Information Solutions activities. This is the case mainly in the DACH region, France and Brazil.
With a total turnover of 470 million Euro, the transaction would create the European leader in the healthcare software sector with a focus on the hospital segment. The combined group would have a presence in over 30 countries and would hold a leadership position in Italy, Germany and France.
“The acquisition would give an important boost to the European consolidation of the hospital software sector” – says Giorgio Moretti, Chairman of Dedalus Holding. “The need to have a European operator in a sector with very high R&D investments is a guarantee for the entire European healthcare system to be able to count on products and technologies that have now become essential to reduce clinical risk, increase the quality of care and service to the patient and optimize the growing costs for taxpayers, due to the many factors that are putting the budgets of all countries under financial stress. It would be a transaction that would create the pan-European leader in the healthcare software sector and with a focus in the three largest countries of continental Europe. The group would have about 3,500 employees and the competences to develop an innovative platform of products for an industry which needs to improve efficiency and integrated solutions”.

“We invested in Dedalus in 2016 to accelerate the growth of the company in Europe starting from France, since we knew that the group had all the characteristics to be able to compete successfully in its sector on a global scale”, declares Yann Chareton, Managing Director of Ardian Buyout in Italy. “Dedalus’ role in the consolidation process of the clinical software industry in Europe will enable the creation of a player able to compete internationally in a business, which is critical for citizens and countries. This acquisition in the healthcare technology space underpins ARDIAN’s strategy to support transitions of companies into undisputed leaders in their respective markets, widening their offering and geographic reach with transformational build-ups.”

Dedalus – Advisors
M&A Advisor: BNP Paribas, UBS, Banca IMI
Legal Advisor: Clifford Chance
Commercial Due Diligence: EY Parthenon
Financial, Tax, Operational Due Diligence: KPMG
Technology Due Diligence: Tech Economy
Debt Advisory: Rothschild

ABOUT DEDALUS

Founded in 1990 in Florence, Dedalus, with over 2.000 employees, of which 1.200 in Italy, 550 in France and teams in 25 countries, is an international industrial group in the healthcare software industry specialized in the segment of diagnostic and clinical management solutions (HCIS), GPs and Primary care management, Interoperability and Population health management.
In 2016, the European Private Equity Fund ARDIAN acquired the 60% of the Dedalus Group boosting its international expansion and strengthening the R&D activities, which is now composed by more than 600 people.
Today, Dedalus exploits the full functional coverage of all ICT needs of any healthcare system, not limited to hospital systems, both public and private. In the last three years, Dedalus has totally renewed its offering, by addressing the state of art of paradigm in terms of technology and functionalities to anticipate the evolution of the clinical practice at the base of the change management of different healthcare system that in many countries are rethinking their organizations.
With more than 130 million Euro of revenues in Italy, more than 60 million Euro in France and globally more than 210 million Euro. Dedalus is one of the leading global players in the sector and holds a leading position in Europe.

ABOUT AGFA- GEVAERT

The Agfa-Gevaert Group develops, manufactures and distributes an extensive range of analogue and digital imaging systems and IT solutions, mainly for the printing industry and the healthcare sector, as well as for specific industrial applications.
Agfa’s headquarters and parent company are located in Mortsel, Belgium.
The Agfa-Gevaert Group achieved a turnover of 2,247 million Euro in 2018.

ABOUT ARDIAN

Ardian is a world-leading private investment house with assets of US$96bn managed or advised in Europe, the Americas 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 640 employees working from fifteen offices across Europe (Frankfurt, Jersey, London, Luxembourg, Madrid, Milan, Paris and Zurich), the Americas (New York, San Francisco and Santiago) and Asia (Beijing, Singapore, Tokyo and Seoul). It manages funds on behalf of more than 1,000 clients through five pillars of investment expertise: Fund of Funds, Direct Funds, Infrastructure, Real Estate and Private Debt.

PRESS CONTACTS

ARDIAN
HEADLAND
TOM JAMES
tjames@headlandconsultancy.com
Tel: +44 (0)203 805 4840
CARL LEIJONHUFVUD
cleijonhufvud@headlandconsultancy.com
Tel: +44 (0)20 3805 4827

Categories: News

3i-backed Action has successfully secured a €625m add on financing

3I

3i Group plc (“3i”) announced on 14 November 2019 that it is facilitating a transaction that will provide liquidity to limited partners in EuroFund V, who need to exit as the fund comes to the end of its life, through a sale of their interest in Action to new 3i-managed entities backed by existing investors in EuroFund V, new investors and by 3i.

In support of this transaction, Action has successfully syndicated and allocated an additional €625m Term Loan alongside its existing €2.285bn Term Loan and €125m Revolving Credit Facility.

Proceeds from the additional Term Loan, together with some surplus cash from the business, will finance a total distribution to shareholders of approximately €750m. As set out in our earlier press release, 3i intends to re-invest its share of these proceeds back into Action.

Debt investor demand for the additional Term Loan in syndication was strong and the tranche was significantly oversubscribed.  This enabled the pricing of the loan to be tightened in Action’s favour improving upon the initial guidance to market.

The successful outcome underlines the significant growth in Action since 3i, and funds managed by 3i, invested in the Company in 2011.  The company is a seasoned issuer in the debt markets having completed repeated financings to date.  The strong demand from investors reflects the high level of support for Action’s performance, strategy and management.

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Aritco acquires Invalifts Ltd and Ability Lifts Ltd

Latour logo

Investment AB Latour (publ) has, through its subsidiary Aritco Group, acquired Invalifts Ltd and Ability Lifts Ltd, based in Birmingham, UK. The companies distribute, install and service platform lifts in the UK and has an annual turnover of about GBP 5 m with 18 employees. The acquisition further strengthens Aritco’s position in the important UK market. Sellers are Mr. Derrick Beck and Mrs. Joy Beck.

“I am excited to welcome Invalifts and Ability Lifts to Aritco Group”, says Martin Idbrant, CEO of Aritco Group. ”Invalifts and Ability Lifts will together with our subsidiary Gartec Ltd, become a market leader in the UK for distribution, installation and service and maintenance of platform lifts.”

“It has been very important for me to find a new owner with strong values and long term perspective that can continue to develop the company in a positive direction, which I am convinced that we have found in Aritco and Latour”, says Mr. Derrick Beck, CEO of Invalifts and Ability Lifts.

Göteborg, 2 December, 2019

INVESTMENT AB LATOUR (PUBL)
Johan Hjertonsson
President and CEO

For further information, please contact:
Martin Idbrant, CEO Aritco group AB, +46 727 15 36 52
Björn Lenander, CEO Latour Industries, +46 708 19 47 36
Aritco Group is a globally leading manufacturer of platform lifts for one-family houses and accessibility adaptation of public/commercial buildings. Sales go through a strong network of local partners in Europe, Middle East and Asia.

Investment AB Latour is a mixed investment company consisting primarily of a wholly-owned industrial operations and an investment portfolio of listing 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 65 billion. The wholly-owned industrial operations has an annual turnover of about SEK 13 billion.  

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AURELIUS wins “Private Equity Turnaround of the Year” award for successful exit from Solidus Solutions

Aurelius Capital

  • Recognition by prestigious Institute for Turnaround (IFT) for the second time in three years for the Group’s most successful exit to date
  • Jury impressed by the strategic carve-out, bolt-on and organic growth of Solidus Solutions under AURELIUS’ ownership

Munich/London, December 2, 2019 – AURELIUS Equity Opportunities SE & Co. KGaA (ISIN DE000A0JK2A8) is the winner of this year’s award for Private Equity Turnaround of the Year. AURELIUS received the prestigious award from the Institute for Turnaround (IFT, www.the-ift.com) in London for the sale of Group subsidiary Solidus Solutions. In September 2019 AURELIUS exited Solidus Solutions to funds advised by Centerbridge L.P. for an enterprise value of approx. EUR 330 million. The transaction was AURELIUS’ largest exit to date and brought AURELIUS a cash multiple of approx. 16x on the capital invested.

Dr. Dirk Markus, CEO and Chairman of the Executive Board of AURELIUS Equity Opportunities: “We are very happy to receive this award for the second time. AURELIUS’ transformation of Solidus Solutions exemplifies our strategic carve-out and buy and build expertise. We are incredibly proud of our investment and operational teams that worked on the turnaround of Solidus, and AURELIUS’ colleagues around Europe that have helped us achieve several successful exits in 2019. AURELIUS’ investment strategy continues to deliver significant growth in the corporate carve-out market.”

Strategic realignment and higher growth of Solidus Solutions under the AURELIUS umbrella

AURELIUS announced its largest exit to date in 2019, the sale of Solidus Solutions, the leading European producer of sustainable fibre-based packaging solutions for food, beverage & horticulture, consumer goods and industrial applications, to Centerbridge Partners LP for EUR 330m. AURELIUS acquired the business operations in 2015 as a corporate carve-out of several production mills and packaging converting facilities from UK & Irish listed Smurfit Kappa Group PLC. Deploying significant experience in complex corporate carve-out processes, AURELIUS conducted the acquisition quickly and efficiently, taking over the business, rebranding it as Solidus Solutions and establishing it as a standalone platform. In the next four years of ownership AURELIUS provided hands-on operational and M&A support, transforming Solidus Solutions from an unloved, orphan business into a market-leading, independent, pan-European operation, with significant growth potential.

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