The Carlyle Group and Stellex Capital Management Complete Acquisition of Vigor and MHI Holdings; Appoint Jim Marcotuli Chief Executive Officer of New Company

Carlyle

NEW YORK, NORFOLK, Va., PORTLAND, Ore. & SEATTTLE, Wa. – Global investment firm The Carlyle Group (NASDAQ: CG) and private equity firm Stellex Capital Management today announced they have closed on their acquisition of Vigor Industrial LLC and MHI Holdings LLC. In addition, Carlyle and Stellex announced they have appointed Jim Marcotuli as CEO of the newly created company comprising Vigor and MHI, effective today.

Marcotuli brings more than 30 years of leadership experience in the defense and manufacturing industries. He has served in a number of executive and operating roles with Carlyle portfolio companies and in industries spanning defense, aerospace, transportation, and automotive.

“Vigor and MHI have tremendous potential for growth and I am grateful for the opportunity to lead the new company,” said Marcotuli. “I am eager to engage with the employees who have made these companies what they are today, and to work with the team to create sustainable value for our customers.”

“Jim is a proven leader who excels at driving strong performance through motivating and building great teams,” said Derek Whang, Principal at The Carlyle Group. “He is a natural fit for Vigor and MHI, both in his leadership style and his background, and we’re looking forward to partnering with Jim and all employees and supporting them in this next phase of growth.”

“Jim is a results-oriented executive who builds and successfully executes strategies to drive sustained improvement and growth,” said David Waxman, Managing Director at Stellex Capital.  “We have known Jim for many years and are confident that he will build upon the solid foundations of Vigor and MHI to create an even stronger company.”

Frank Foti, Vigor’s founding CEO and prior majority owner, has stepped out of his role as CEO of Vigor while remaining an investor in the new parent company and serving as its Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors. Tom Epley will continue to lead MHI Ship Repair & Services LLC and MHI Holdings LLC and will report to Marcotuli.

Marcotuli previously served as the Interim Chairman and CEO of Remington Outdoor Company and prior to that served as CEO of North American Bus Industries (NABI).  He has held board seats and senior positions in various manufacturing companies predominately in the aerospace and automotive industries.

A native of Pennsylvania, Marcotuli holds a multi-disciplinary Bachelor of Science degree from Pennsylvania State University, with emphases in accounting, business administration and management psychology.

Carlyle’s equity for the investment came from the Carlyle U.S. Equity Opportunity Fund II, a $2.4 billion fund that focuses on middle-market and growth companies in the United States and Canada.

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About The Carlyle Group
The Carlyle Group (NASDAQ: CG) is a global investment firm with deep industry expertise that deploys private capital across four business segments: Corporate Private Equity, Real Assets, Global Credit and Investment Solutions. With $223 billion of assets under management as of June 30, 2019, Carlyle’s purpose is to invest wisely and create value on behalf of its investors, portfolio companies and the communities in which we live and invest. The Carlyle Group employs more than 1,775 people in 33 offices across six continents.

About Stellex Capital Management LP
Stellex Capital is a private equity manager that invests in and oversees U.S. and European corporate assets. With $870 million of committed capital, Stellex’s focus is on companies going through business or industry transitions, as well as special situation opportunities. Stellex seeks to identify and deploy capital in opportunities that have the potential to provide stability, improvement, and growth. Portfolio companies benefit from Stellex’s industry knowledge, operating capabilities, network of senior executives, strategic insight and access to capital. Sectors of particular focus include specialty manufacturing, industrial and business services, aerospace & defense, and government services. Additional information may be found at www.stellexcapital.com.

About Vigor Industrial LLC
Vigor is a values-driven, diversified industrial business operating in seven locations with 2,300 people in Oregon, Washington and Alaska. Built around a collection of powerful, unique assets and differentiated capabilities, Vigor excels at specialized shipbuilding, ship repair and handling important, complex projects in support of energy generation, our nation’s infrastructure and national defense. With deep respect for people and the planet, Vigor strives to be a positive, regenerative force for good – environmentally, in the lives of its employees and in the community. Vigor.net

About MHI Holdings LLC
MHI Holdings LLC consists of three major providers serving the U.S. Navy, Military Sealift Command, Maritime Administration and Commercial ship owners and operators worldwide. MHI Ship Repair and Services is a major marine repair and conversion contractor with shipyard and full-service pier facilities located in Norfolk, Virginia. The Company has earned their well-regarded reputation by providing reliable and quality ship repair services to its clients with accurate job pricing for over 33 years. Seaward Marine Services is a global provider of underwater hull cleaning and ship husbandry services to the U.S. Navy. Accurate Marine Environmental performs tank cleaning and gas free engineering, including the removal of hazardous and non-hazardous materials for the marine and commercial industries, disaster response services and operates a wastewater treatment facility in Portsmouth, Virginia.

Media Contacts
The Carlyle Group: Christa Zipf
christa.zipf@carlyle.com
212-813-4578

Stellex Capital Management and MHI Holdings: Rosalia Scampoli
Marketcom PR
rscampoli@marketcompr.com
212-537-5177 x7

Vigor Industrial: Athena Maris
athena@marisagency.com
503-957-1565

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Carlyle Credit Opportunities Fund Provides Entire €140 Million Debut Debt Financing Package for Unifrutti Group

Carlyle

Funds to Refinance Existing Debt and Fuel Expansion Projects

LONDON  Global investment firm The Carlyle Group (NASDAQ: CG) today announced that its Carlyle Credit Opportunities Fund has provided the entire €140 million debt financing package for Unifrutti, having subscribed to 100 percent of Unifrutti’s debut debt issuance. The global producer, marketer and distributor of fresh fruit, owned by the De Nadai family, intends to use the funds to refinance existing debt facilities and support its expansion plans.

Carlyle’s Credit Opportunities Fund is a $2.4 billion fund that invests in directly originated private capital solutions primarily for upper middle market borrowers, including non-private equity sponsored, family or entrepreneur-owned companies.

Taj Sidhu, Managing Director and Head of Carlyle’s European Credit Opportunities advisory team, said, “Carlyle’s global team, with deep expertise in key markets around the world, was critical to our ability to identify and underwrite this deal for Unifrutti, one of the world’s largest producers and distributors of fruit products.”

Nicola Falcinelli, Managing Director of Carlyle’s European Credit Opportunities advisory team, said, “We are pleased to support Unifrutti’s continued expansion as it meets growing demand for high-quality, fresh fruit. In addition to providing this financing package, we will work closely with the Company as a strategic partner to support potential acquisitions and growth projects as opportunities arise.”

Marco Venturelli, Group CEO of Unifrutti, said, “We have big ambitions and we believe that Carlyle is the ideal financial partner to support our expansion projects across the globe. There is a positive outlook in the fresh fruit market and we will continue consolidating our leadership position with the objective of creating value for our shareholders.”

An 18-person team based in New York and London advises the Carlyle Credit Opportunities Fund, and invests across the capital structure through a combination of secured loans, senior subordinated debt, mezzanine debt, convertible notes and other debt-like instruments, as well as preferred and common equity. The fund benefits from proprietary investment opportunities originating from within Carlyle and the firm’s global resources and operating expertise.

* * * * *

About The Carlyle Group
The Carlyle Group (NASDAQ: CG) is a global investment firm with deep industry expertise that deploys private capital across four business segments: Corporate Private Equity, Real Assets, Global Credit and Investment Solutions. With $223 billion of assets under management as of June 30, 2019, Carlyle’s purpose is to invest wisely and create value on behalf of its investors, portfolio companies and the communities in which we live and invest. The Carlyle Group employs more than 1,775 people in 33 offices across six continents.

About Unifrutti Group
Unifrutti is a global producer, marketer and distributor of high quality fresh fruit. The company plants, harvests, ripens, packages, stores, ships and distributes a wide selection of fruit varieties to over 500 customers in 50 countries. It is one of the world’s largest producers and distributors of bananas, apples, grape, lemons and other fruit products. Unifrutti sources primarily in Chile, the Philippines, South Africa and Europe.  Most of the production is coming from owned and managed farms or from partner producers. Unifrutti was founded in 1948 by the Italian De Nadai family (the “Sponsor”) which remains the 100% shareholder of the business.

Media Contacts
UK – Roderick (Rory) MacMillan
The Carlyle Group
Phone: +44 (0) 207 894 1630
Roderick.MacMillan@carlyle.com

US – Christa Zipf
The Carlyle Group
Phone: +1-212-813-4578
Christa.Zipf@carlyle.com

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Latour acquires Caljan

Latour logo

Investment AB Latour (publ) has signed an agreement to acquire Caljan based in Aarhus, Denmark. The acquisition, which requires approval from European authorities, is expected to close in December.

Caljan is a leading supplier of automation technology for parcel handling in the logistics and e-commerce sectors. The product offering includes telescopic conveyors, automatic label and document handling and solutions for logistics depots. The company, founded in 1963, has headquarter in Denmark and subsidiaries in Germany, France, UK, Latvia and USA. Net sales amount to approx. EUR 100 million, with an operating margin exceeding 15 per cent and with strong growth. The company has 450 employees.

“Caljan is a high-performer with a market leading position in the logistics sector and strong customer relationships with prominent logistics and e-commerce companies. We are pleased with this acquisition and convinced that Caljan is well positioned for continued global growth, driven primarily by strong developments within e-commerce. Additionally, Caljan gives us interesting exposure to a new segment with a robust underlying global trend. We welcome Caljan as a new business area to our wholly-owned industrial operations”, says Johan Hjertonsson, CEO of Investment AB Latour.

“I am delighted to embrace Latour as our new owners. They are a long-term industrial owner that can support Caljan’s plans for expanding into new technologies and new markets”, says Henrik Olesen, CEO of Caljan.

As a result of the acquisition the net debt (excluding IFRS 16) of Investment AB Latour is expected to increase by EUR 250 m.

Göteborg, 11 October, 2019

INVESTMENT AB LATOUR (PUBL)
Johan Hjertonsson
President and CEO

For further information, please contact:
Johan Hjertonsson, President and CEO Investment AB Latour +46 702 29 77 93
Anders Mörck, CFO Investment AB Latour +46 706 46 52 11
Gustav Samuelsson, Director M&A, Investment AB Latour, +46 46 735 52 55 59

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 57 billion. The wholly-owned industrial operations have an annual turnover of about SEK 12 billion.

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Apax Funds and consortium partners complete sale of Acelity to 3M for $6.725 billion

Apax

Completion of transaction marks end of highly successful collaboration with management team to transform Acelity into a global medical device leader

San Antonio and New York, October 11, 2019: Funds advised by Apax Partners together with consortium partners Canada Pension Plan Investment Board and the Public Sector Pension Investment Board, today announced the completion of the sale of Acelity and its KCI subsidiaries to 3M for $6.725 billion.

Apax Funds and consortium partners complete sale of Acelity to 3M for $6.725 billion

Since 2011, Apax and its consortium partners worked to reshape Acelity from a loose collection of businesses into a focused global leader. This was achieved through a strategic M&A program which included targeted acquisitions as well as the disposals of non-core businesses. In addition, a range of activities were undertaken to accelerate organic growth, including investments in R&D, medical education, clinical studies, and the expansion of its sales force. The result of these initiatives transformed Acelity into the world’s largest wound care company focused on advanced wound care, including negative pressure wound therapy.

Steven Dyson and Arthur Brothag, Partners at Apax Partners, said, “We are proud of our work with Acelity and our consortium partners. In many ways, this transaction represents what Apax seeks to achieve: namely, developing a high conviction thesis through sub-sector insights, forming a strong partnership with a talented management team, and working together to transform a business to become the global leader in its space. We wish Acelity well and look forward to watching the company continue to thrive under new ownership.”

R. Andrew Eckert, CEO of Acelity during the ownership of the Apax Funds and its consortium partners, said: “It has been a pleasure to work with Apax and its consortium partners. They have demonstrated a very strong understanding of our space and helped us reshape our business and invest to capture significant growth. It’s incredibly fulfilling to reflect on the rapid expansion in innovation and new products Acelity has delivered to the marketplace in this time. I especially want to recognize the Acelity workforce for their dedication to improving patients’ lives worldwide in bringing these new therapies forward.”

About Apax Partners

Apax Partners is a leading global private equity advisory firm. Over its more than 40-year history, Apax Partners has raised and advised funds with aggregate commitments of c.$50 billion. The Apax Funds invest in companies across four global sectors of Healthcare, Tech & Telco, Services, and Consumer. These funds provide long-term equity financing to build and strengthen world-class companies. For more information see: www.apax.com.

In Healthcare, the Apax Funds have invested c.$8 billion of equity across medical devices, pharmaceuticals, healthcare services and healthcare IT. Within the medical devices sub-sector, the Apax Healthcare team has partnered with a variety of businesses such as Mӧlnlycke, Vyaire Medical, Candela and Healthium to create strategic leaders in their space.

Media Contacts

Global Media: Andrew Kenny, Apax | +44 20 7 872 6371 | andrew.kenny@apax.com

USA Media: Todd Fogarty, Kekst CNC | +1 212-521 4854 | todd.fogarty@kekstcnc.com

UK Media: Matthew Goodman, Greenbrook | +44 20 7952 2000 | apax@greenbrookpr.com

Notes to Editors

London-headquartered Apax Partners (www.apax.com), and Paris-headquartered Apax Partners (www.apax.fr) had a shared history but are separate, independent private equity firms.

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CVC Credit Partners appoints Nick Haaijman to its investor relations team

Haaijman joins as Head of Client Services, based in London

CVC Credit Partners is pleased to announce that Nick Haaijman has joined its investor relations team as a Managing Director and Head of Client Services. He is based in CVC’s London office and reports to Mike Anderson, CVC Credit Partners’ Head of Investor Relations.

Nick joined from Alcentra, where he spent more than 10 years in the Business Development team in London, latterly as Global Head of Product Management. He joined Alcentra in 2008 from J.P.Morgan, where he worked in the Structured Credit Product Management team. Nick holds a Master of Science Business Administration from Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam.

Mike Anderson, Head of Investor Relations at CVC Credit Partners, said: “I am very pleased to welcome Nick to our investor relations team. With the growth of the business over the past few years, we are working closer than ever with our investor base, to help them access global credit markets and at the same time, continually looking to enhance their investor experience across our various credit funds. Nick’s wealth of experience in product development and client services will be extremely valuable as we continue to build a best-in-class investor relations team.”

Nick Haaijman added: “I am delighted to be joining CVC Credit Partners, a leading alternative credit manager with an outstanding reputation and performance. This is an ambitious business and I very much look forward to working with Mike and his team to continue to deliver a first-rate investor experience and to drive us towards our full potential.”

Categories: People

Ardian acquires stake in Saal Digital

Ardian

Leading European online platform for high-end photo products wants to expand its business with Ardian’s support

Frankfurt am Main / Siegen, October 10, 2019 – Ardian, a world-leading private investment house, is acquiring a stake in Saal Digital. Based in Siegen, Germany, the company is one of the leading manufacturers of high-end photo products in Europe. Together with Ardian, the company wants to expand its business activities and thus realize its significant growth potential. The previous shareholders Nordwind Capital and the Saal family will continue to hold a substantial stake in the company and have reinvested on a significant scale in the course of the transaction. Florian Stellwag and Robin Saal will continue to head business development as members of the management team together with Reinhard Saal and Tim Saal.

Saal Digital was founded in 1986 by Reinhard Saal and has expanded to become a leading online platform for high-end photo products in Europe. These include photo books with special lay-flat bindings, wall prints on aluminum Dibond or under acrylic glass, and photo prints. While a wide range of customizable templates is available for retail customers, Saal Digital has a particularly large clientele among professional photographers, media designers and graphic designers as well as photo enthusiasts. These users can design their creations in standard graphics programs and upload them to the software specifically developed by Saal Digital, where they can edit the images and choose from a variety of design options.

Florian Stellwag, member of the managing board of Saal Digital, said: “Our products allow people to record milestones in their lives such as weddings, births, birthdays and important celebrations and experiences. We have a passion for what we do that is marked by enthusiasm, professionalism and commitment. Our company sets itself apart not only through its high quality but also through its loyal and satisfied customers and employees. With our own production facilities, we focus on the continuous development of Saal Digital’s innovative photo products. At the same time, we utilize every possibility that digitization has to offer.”
Robin Saal, member of the managing board of Saal Digital, added: “Our customers include both professional photographers and photo enthusiasts who appreciate our tremendous variety of products and our high quality standards. In Ardian, we have gained a co-shareholder who shares the enthusiasm for our company and our view of the growth prospects.”

Marc Abadir, Managing Director in the Ardian Expansion team, said: “Saal Digital has a leading market position in the growing online market for high-end photo products. The company is characterized by strong customer loyalty and has significant growth potential in the German-speaking region, in Europe and beyond. We look forward to supporting the excellent management team in the further development of the company.”
The transaction remains subject to the authorization by the competition authorities.

ABOUT SAAL DIGITAL

Saal Digital is a leading online platform for high-end photo products in Europe and was founded in 1986 by Reinhard Saal in Siegen, Germany. With more than 160 employees, the company develops and makes products such as photo books with special lay-flat bindings and wall prints on aluminum Dibond or under acrylic glass and distributes them in 24 countries. Professional media designers, graphic designers and photographers as well as semi-professional photo enthusiasts receive a complete solution from one source. They can design their creations in standard graphics programs and upload them to the software specifically developed by Saal Digital, where they can edit the images and choose from a variety of printing options. Moreover, a variety of customizable templates are also available for retail customers.

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 620 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 around 970 clients through five pillars of investment expertise: Fund of Funds, Direct Funds, Infrastructure, Real Estate and Private Debt.
Ardian on Twitter @Ardian

LIST OF PARTICIPANTS

Ardian: Marc Abadir, Dirk Wittneben, Yannic Metzger, Nicolas Münzer, Marlon Sandvoss
Legal Corporate: White & Case (Dr. Stefan Koch, Tomislav Vrabec)
Legal Finance: Willkie, Farr & Gallagher (Jan Wilms)
Tax: Taxess (Gerald Thomas, Richard Schäfer)
Debt Advisory: Quarton International (Marco Schunder)
Commercial: EY Parthenon (Hendrik N. Walter)
Financial: EY (Ulrich Gold)
M&A Advisory: Goetzpartners (Milan Saric), Wunworks (Dr. Gernot Wunderle)

PRESS CONTACTS

CHARLES BARKER
TOBIAS EBERLE
Tel: +49 69 79409024
PETER STEINER
Tel: +49 69 79409027

Categories: News

CapMan’s exit from Kämp Collection Hotels has been completed

CapMan Buyout press release
10 October 2019 at 10.15 am EEST

CapMan’s exit from Kämp Collection Hotels has been completed

The competition authority has approved Nordic Choice Hotels’ acquisition of Kämp Collection Hotels from funds managed by CapMan Buyout and other owners. The acquisition, announced in August, was finalised on 9 October. The new owner aims at significantly increasing the hotel supply in Helsinki.

CapMan Buyout X fund invested in Kämp Collection Hotels in 2014. The transaction is the fifth exit from the 2013 fund, which has developed well overall. CapMan Buyout is the largest mid-market private equity team in the Nordic region, with 11 investment professionals in Finland and Sweden and 30 years of industry experience. CapMan Buyout has made a total of more than 80 investments and more than 70 exits since 1989 and it is actively looking for suitable investments for its eleventh fund, which held a first close at €160 million in June 2019.

Additional information:
Tomi Alén, Investment Director, CapMan Buyout, tel. +358 50412 1947

About CapMan
CapMan Buyout is part of CapMan Group, a leading Nordic private asset expert with an active approach to value-creation in its portfolio companies and assets, with assets under management of more than €3 billion. CapMan has a broad presence in the unlisted market through our local and specialised teams. The investment strategies cover Private Equity, Real Estate and Infra. CapMan also has a growing service business that includes procurement services, fundraising advisory, and analysis, reporting and wealth management services. Altogether, CapMan employs 140 people in Helsinki, Stockholm, Copenhagen, London, Moscow and Luxembourg. For more information, please visit
www.capman.com

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Swarm64 raises fresh capital to accelerate growth from FPGA inventor Xilinx

Alliance Venture

Swarm64 and Xilinx teaming to meet growing demand for FPGA-accelerated database management solutions.

Berlin, October 8, 2019 – Swarm64 (swarm64.com), a leader in FPGA-accelerated database management solutions, today announced Xilinx, Inc. has invested in Swarm64 and will work together to deliver high-performance analytic databases that are easy to deploy and scale at a lower total cost of ownership (TCO) than existing solutions in the market.

“Swarm64 has demonstrated impressive analytic database price-performance gains on Alveo accelerator cards,” said Donna Yasay, vice president of marketing, Data Center Group at Xilinx. “We are excited to work with Swarm64 to address growing enterprise demand for database solutions that enable new analytic and digital business innovations.”

Swarm64 Data Accelerator for Analytics runs on servers equipped with Xilinx Alveo cards to deliver up to 50x faster analytic query and data insertion performance for PostgreSQL open source database users. PostgreSQL is one of the most widely used databases in the world and Swarm64 DA running on the Xilinx platform enables a powerful SQL solution for customers looking to replace their legacy data warehouse with a seamless integration of hardware accelerators and popular open source software.

“We are very happy to be working with Xilinx to bring new FPGA-accelerated database solutions to market,” said Thomas Richter, CEO of Swarm64. “Swarm64 FPGA-based software delivers a new database user experience, including better price-performance, easier scaling, and even the ability to reconfigure the FPGA hardware to enable advanced features like text processing.”

Swarm64 will use the investment to develop new solutions that leverage the reconfigurability of FPGA hardware to accelerate specific workloads on PostgreSQL such as time series, full-text search, geospatial and others.

About Swarm64

Swarm64 is the developer of hardware accelerator solutions for analytics based on PostgreSQL, one of the most widely used databases in the world. By leveraging FPGA hardware accelerators, Swarm64 provides the easiest way for businesses to scale performance for analytics systems. The company works in close partnership with both leading FPGA suppliers, Intel and Xilinx. Founded in 2013, Swarm64 has built a world-class team developing hardware accelerator images and database software extensions. It is backed by leading venture investors from the US, Norway, and Germany, and has offices in Berlin, Seattle, and Boston.

Pantheon Announces Senior Strategic Appointments

Pantheon

Chief Technology Officer at Partner level

Global Head of Recruitment

In recognition of the accelerating complexity of operating a robust global private markets firm, Pantheon announces two significant and senior appointments. John Eggleston joins as Partner and Chief Technology Officer, while Richard Berke joins as Global Head of Recruitment, a new position. Both bring outstanding credentials and track records in their specialist fields.The appointments demonstrate the priority and vigilance that Pantheon places on attracting strong talent to lead and innovate important functions. Pantheon has recruited over 125 new permanent professionals across its global teams through 2018 and 2019 to date, evidence of the need for a seasoned recruitment specialist to oversee and implement a best-in-class resourcing infrastructure.John Eggleston, whose impressive technology career stretches back to 1996, joins from BGF plc, a £2.5 billion investment company where he was a member of the Executive & Investment Committees. John led the TMT investment group as well as being a non-exec Director on several Boards and providing strategic CTO support to many companies in the portfolio. Prior to BGF, John was co-founding Chief Information Officer at Callcredit, which grew from initial concept to acquisition by TransUnion for over $1bn. At Pantheon, John has oversight responsibility for core technology infrastructure, information security and systems development. Richard Berke brings nearly two decades of financial services recruitment experience with him, most recently from Insight Investment where Richard was Head of Resourcing. Earlier this year, Pantheon appointed Charlotte Tallon as Head of HR for the Americas. Charlotte joined from Barclays where she was HR Business Partner, and she is based in Pantheon’s New York office.“We are delighted to have such highly talented professionals join us in strategically important positions,” said Paul Ward, Managing Partner. “Our operating model continues to experience fast change – we carry a responsibility to be both alert and responsive to that challenge. Technology and people are two vital elements on which the security and success of the whole firm depends. Accordingly, Pantheon’s Board prioritizes and invests in ensuring Pantheon is resourced appropriately in terms of seniority, skill and experience.” John Eggleston reports to Robin Bailey, Chief Operating Officer. Richard Berke reports to Dianne Remanous, Global Head of HR. Both are based in Pantheon’s London office. Photographs and interviews are available on request.Ends.

PRESS RELEASE

Connect with us

Notes to Editors For further information,

please contact: Pantheon Amanda McCrystal, Global Head of Marketing and Communications Tel: +44 20 3356 1718 | C: +44 7557 233771 | Email: amanda.mccrystal@pantheon.com

About Pantheon

Pantheon Group* (“Pantheon”) is a leading global private equity, infrastructure, real assets and debt fund investor that invests on behalf of over 585 investors, including public and private pension plans, insurance companies, endowments and foundations. Founded in 1982, Pantheon has developed an established reputation in primary, co-investment and secondary private asset solutions across all stages and geographies. Our investment solutions include customized separate account programs, regional primary fund programs, secondaries, co-investment, infrastructure and real assets programs. Pantheon has four decades’ experience of investing in private markets. As at March 31st, 2019 Pantheon had $46.3 billion assets under management** and we currently have around 310 employees located across our offices in London, San Francisco, New York, Hong Kong, Seoul***, Bogotá***, Tokyo and Dublin. Our employees include 94 investment professionals. Pantheon is majority-owned by Affiliated Managers Group Inc. (“AMG”), alongside senior members of the Pantheon team. AMG is a NYSE-listed global asset management company with equity investments in leading boutique investment management firms. The ownership structure, with Pantheon management owning a meaningful share of the equity in the business, provides a framework for long-term succession and enables Pantheon management to continue to direct the firm’s day-to-day operations. * Pantheon Group refers to the subsidiaries and subsidiary undertakings of Pantheon Ventures Inc. and AMG Plymouth UK Holdings Limited and includes operating entities principally based in the US (San Francisco and New York), UK (London), Hong Kong, Guernsey and Dublin. Pantheon Ventures Inc. and Pantheon Ventures (US) LP are registered as investment advisors with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”); Pantheon Securities, LLC. is a broker dealer registered with the SEC and is a member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”).

Pantheon Ventures (UK) LLP is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (“FCA”) in the United Kingdom. Pantheon Ventures (HK) LLP is regulated by the Securities and Futures Commission in Hong Kong. Pantheon Ventures (Guernsey) Ltd and a number of other Pantheon entities incorporated in Guernsey are regulated by the Guernsey Financial Services Commission. Pantheon Ventures (Asia) Limited is registered as a Type II Financial Instruments Business and Investment Advisory and Agency Business Operator with the Kanto Local Finance Bureau in Japan (KLFB). ** This figure includes assets subject to discretionary or non-discretionary management, advice or those limited to a reporting function. Data is unaudited. *** Please note that the Bogotá office is a representative office of Pantheon Ventures (US) LP (“PV US”), and that a Korean subsidiary of PV US has opened the office in Seoul.

This press release is not an offer of securities for sale. Securities may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an exemption from registration. © 2019

Categories: People

Ardian acquires a majority stake in Staci, a European leader in specialty logistics

Ardian

Paris, October 8, 2019 – Ardian, a world leading private investment house, announced today that it has acquired a majority stake in Staci, a European leader in specialty logistics, from Cobepa. The management team led by Thomas Mortier, as well as Société Générale’s investment teams, are reinvesting alongside Ardian.

Founded in 1989, Staci is an independent company that has grown to become one of the European leaders in innovative B2B and B2B2C logistics solutions for companies wishing to outsource all or part of their network or customer procurement operations. The company has a unique know-how in management of complex and scalable logistics flows, such as in dealing with a multitude of suppliers and delivery points, low unit volumes, non-standard formats, barcoded and non-barcoded products. In particular, the company has developed a strong expertise in the logistics of advertising and promotional media.

Staci has a leading position in its market niche, based on a model of pooling its warehouses and resources and its portfolio of services, which are all built around a proprietary IT system. Staci is present throughout Europe with a wide spectrum of clients ranging from multinational groups to local companies across several sectors, including food, health and cosmetics, telecoms and financial services. Staci has about 1,900 employees and generated more than 250 million euros in turnover in 2018.

Thomas Mortier, CEO of Staci, said: “Staci employees are delighted to open this new page in the company’s history with Ardian. The management team has reinvested very significantly in the business and we share the same values and vision with the Ardian team with regards to Staci’s development strategy in France and abroad. I would like to thank our employees, partners and shareholders for their commitment, support and professionalism, which every day contribute to the quality of the services we provide to our customers.“

Lise Fauconnier, Managing Director, and Alexandre Vannelle, Director at Ardian Buyout, said: “We are proud to invest in Staci to accelerate the next phase of its development and to support Thomas Mortier and his team. The high quality of the relationships established, and their strong growth reflect the company’s excellence. Alongside the management team, we will continue to develop Staci and consolidate its presence in key geographical areas through strategic acquisitions, in a market that is still very fragmented.“

Jean-Marie Laurent Josi, CEO, and Charles-Henri Chaliac, Member of the Executive Committee of Cobepa, said: “We are delighted to have been able to support Thomas Mortier and his team in the execution of a truly transformative strategic plan for the Staci Group, which has been able to both strengthen its position in its local market, while fulfilling its international ambitions and simultaneously strengthening links with its main customers. The Group’s unique know-how, coupled with its strong potential for organic and acquisitive growth, enables it to move smoothly into its new development phase with the support of Ardian.”

Staci is the fifth investment of Ardian’s Buyout team in 2019. With 49 employees in Paris, Frankfurt, Milan and London, the team invests in high-quality mid- and large-cap companies across Western Europe, applying transformation strategies that enable them to become world leaders in their niche markets.

ABOUT STACI

Since 1989, STACI has specialized in fulfilment and offers innovative B2B and B2C solutions to a wide range of industries: pharmaceutical & healthcare, automotive, telecom, retail, hotels & restaurants, tourism, food & beverage, bank & insurance.

With a unique expertise in multi-clients shared warehouses across Europe, STACI implements custom-made and cost effective logistic solutions for bar-coded products – cosmetics, broadband boxes, spare parts, high tech products… and non-bar-coded items – POS and merchandising material, marketing and communication print, goodies.

Thanks to the know-how, the processes and the experience that the company has developed around fulfilment, pick & pack, shared resources, transport optimization, IT systems and stock financing, STACI is able to offer unique and fully integrated supply chain management solutions.

Staci operates 25 warehouses in Benelux, France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the UK with 1,300 employees and has achieved 154M€ sales in 2016. STACI is a CSR-driven business with sustainable growth as its core strategy for many years.

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 around 970 clients through five pillars of investment expertise: Fund of Funds, Direct Funds, Infrastructure, Real Estate and Private Debt.

ABOUT COBEPA

Cobepa is an independent, privately-held investment company backed by European family shareholders and managing a diversified investment portfolio valued at around €2,6 bn. Cobepa invests in established companies with a solid business model, sustainable market position and strong management team. Other important criteria relate to the capacity to generate cash flow, international presence and development potential.

LIST OF PARTICIPANTS

Ardian : Lise Fauconnier, Alexandre Vannelle, Rafik Alili, Maxime Debost, Anaïs Robin
M&A advisor: Raphaël Advisory (Florent Haïk)
Legal advisor: Weil, Gotshal & Manges ((David Aknin, Guillaume Bonnard, Côme Wirz (corporate), Edouard de Lamy, Alexandre Groult (tax))
Commercial and strategic advisor: Bain & Company (Jérôme Brunet, Doris Galan, Guillaume Levrey)
Financial advisor: Eight Advisory (Eric Demuyt, Pierre-David Forterre)
Financing legal advisor: Latham & Watkins (Lionel Dechmann)

Cobepa: Charles-Henri Chaliac, Lars Lapp, Nicolas Beudin
Legal advisor: Latham & Watkins (Gaëtan Gianasso, Michael Colle)
Financial advisor: Alvarez & Marsal (Donatien Chenu, Benoît Bestion, Alexandre de Vazelhes)

Management advisors
Legal advisors: Natixis Wealth Management (Frédéric Balochard, Florian Pascaud), Scotto Partners (Franck Vacher)

PRESS CONTACTS

STACI
Chupa Renie Communication
Tel: +33 (0)1 43 18 12 37
margaux@chuparenie.com
ARDIAN
Headland
TOM JAMES
Tel: +44 207 3675 240
tjames@headlandconsultancy.co.uk

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