Ardian acquires a stake in My Pie, the French leader in supermarket hot snacks

Through this primary transaction, Ardian has joined forces with the founders of My Pie to support their ambitious growth plans.

Ardian, a world-leading private investment house, announces the acquisition of a minority stake in My Pie, a unique player in the French snack market. Founded in 2015 by Adrien Goud and Sébastien Rico with the support of Jean-Rémy Cousin, My Pie offers an innovative turnkey solution combining display cases and hot snacks for supermarkets under the “My Pie” brand.

My Pie has established itself as a market leader with annual growth of more than 90% over the last three years, by responding to a previously unmet retailer and consumer demand:  a complete range of hot and ready-to-eat snacks, available in supermarkets under an easily identifiable brand. The Company’s offering combines compact display cases, that keep the products warm and are easily deployed by supermarkets, with a growing range of 100% natural snacks made from French ingredients.

Thanks to a complete oversight of the key stages in its value chain, including an automated in-house production facility, and a national listing strategy with the main supermarket chains, My Pie has progressively extended its distribution network across supermarkets.

Ardian’s investment in My Pie will enable the company to prepare for its next phase of development whilst maintaining its strong growth trajectory. Ardian Growth’s extensive track record, with numerous primary transactions carried out alongside fast-growing companies, will provide My Pie’s founders with access to a vast network and active support around company strategy, particularly regarding organizational structure, the roll-out of its out-of-home catering offering and international expansion.

“We are delighted to support Adrien Goud and Sébastien Rico in this new stage of My Pie’s development. This primary transaction reflects the DNA of Ardian’s Growth platform: investing alongside ambitious entrepreneurs in a fast-growing, profitable company with unique expertise in its market. We are already working actively with the founders to give them the benefit of our expertise, particularly around organizational structure, digitalization, and internationalization. With Ardian’s support, we can build on its strong growth trajectory and make My Pie a European leader in hot snacks.” Frédéric Quéru, Managing Director Growth, Ardian

« This new partnership with Ardian is a wonderful opportunity for My Pie. We share a common vision with the Ardian team: sustainable and responsible development. We look forward to writing a new page in our history. » Adrien Goud and Sébastien Rico, President and CEO, My Pie

PARTIES TO THE TRANSACTION

  • ARDIAN

    • INVESTMENT TEAM GROWTH: FRÉDÉRIC QUÉRU, PIERRE SCHAEFFER, SOPHIE MEYER
    • FINANCIAL ADVISOR: ALVAREZ & MARSAL (BENOÎT BESTION, ANTOINE FABIANI, GRÉGORY PEREIRA)
    • STRATEGIC ADVISOR: OC&C STRATEGY (STÉPHANE BLANCHARD, DAVID DE MATTEIS, LÉA BORONI)
    • OPERATIONAL ADVISOR: ALVAREZ & MARSAL (MARC FERREY, ELISABETH KARSENTY)
    • LEGAL, REGULATORY AND TAX ADVISOR: MCDERMOTT (DIANA HUND, HERSCHEL GUEZ, AURIANE TOURNAY, NARÉ ARSHAKYAN, CHARLES DE RAIGNAC, HÉLÈNE ADDA, PAUL-HENRY DE LAGUICHE)
    • CORPORATE LAWYER: MCDERMOTT (DIANA HUND, HERSCHEL GUEZ, AURIANE TOURNAY)
    • FINANCING LAWYER: MCDERMOTT (PIERRE-ARNOUX MAYOLY, SHIRIN DEYHIM, SALOMÉ BELHASSEN)
    • TAX ADVISOR: MCDERMOTT (CÔME DE SAINT-VINCENT)
    • M&A ADVISOR: ODDO BHF (THOMAS DEVINEAU, NICOLAS ECOT)
  • MANAGEMENT

    • MANAGEMENT TEAM: ADRIEN GOUD, SÉBASTIEN RICO, JEAN-RÉMY COUSIN, TOM CHEGARAY
    • M&A ADVISOR: OAKLINS (FRANCK MONNOT, SALAH BEN HAMOUDI, HARRY BERCU)
    • CORPORATE LAWYER: WINSTON & STRAWN (GRINE LAHRECHE, EDITH BOUCAYA, VINCENT BOURRELLY)
    • FINANCING LAWYER: WINSTON & STRAWN (ARIANE BERTHOUD, CYPRIEN BOUVIER)
    • TAX LAWYER: WINSTON & STRAWN (JÉRÔME MAS)
    • VENDOR DUE DILIGENCE: WINCAP (CHRISTOPHE PIÉMONT, CHRISTOPHE BOUSSARD, VICTOR LEFOULON)
  • FINANCING

    • DEBT POOLER: HÉLIA CONSEIL (LIONEL MILOT, DELPHINE GUIGNARD)
    • DEBT TEAM: CAISSE D’EPARGNE BRETAGNE PAYS DE LOIRE (DAVID LAIDET), BANQUE POPULAIRE GRAND OUEST (DAVID WADOUX), CIC OUEST (ANNE-CÉCILE BESCOND, GRÉGORY VEYEAU), ARKEA (ISABELLE BOUEDO, GAUTHIER MANGEART, BAPTISTE LE GOLVAN, CHRISTOPHE COZ, BRENDAN GIANONC
    • FINANCING LAWYER: CORNET VINCENT SÉGUREL (ANDRÉ WATBOT, MARION NICOLAS, ROBIN PETIT, ELISE LE ROUX)

ABOUT ARDIAN

Ardian is a world-leading private investment house, managing or advising $160bn of assets on behalf of more than 1,560 clients globally. Our broad expertise, spanning Private Equity, Real Assets and Credit, enables us to offer a wide range of investment opportunities and respond flexibly to our clients’ differing needs. Through Ardian Customized Solutions we create bespoke portfolios that allow institutional clients to specify the precise mix of assets they require and to gain access to funds managed by leading third-party sponsors. Private Wealth Solutions offers dedicated services and access solutions for private banks, family offices and private institutional investors worldwide. Ardian’s main shareholding group is its employees and we place great emphasis on developing its people and fostering a collaborative culture based on collective intelligence. Our 1,050+ employees, spread across 19 offices in Europe, the Americas, Asia and Middle East are strongly committed to the principles of Responsible Investment and are determined to make finance a force for good in society. Our goal is to deliver excellent investment performance combined with high ethical standards and social responsibility.
At Ardian we invest all of ourselves in building companies that last.

ABOUT MY PIE

My Pie is a leading producers and distributors of hot snacks to supermarkets in France. Its development has been based on a unique value proposition for retailers, consisting of providing a turnkey offer to supermarket chains, ranging from display cases that keep products warm to a wide range of hot snacks, produced in-house in Mayenne and made exclusively from natural ingredients.

PRESS CONTACT

ARDIAN

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Apax Funds complete acquisition of leading trend forecasting business WGSN

Apax

Further to the announcement made by Ascential plc (LSE: ASCL) in October 2023, funds advised by Apax Partners LLP (“Apax”), a global private equity advisory firm, today announced the completion of the acquisition of WGSN, Ascential’s subsidiary data business unit focused on consumer trend forecasting.

Founded in 1998, WGSN is the world’s leading consumer trend forecaster. WGSN’s data and forecasts provide global trend insights across a wide range of industries, including fashion, beauty, food & drink, interiors, and consumer technology. The WGSN platform enables clients to make critical design and purchasing decisions. The Company has been experiencing strong growth in recent years with a revenue CAGR of 8% from 2016 to 2022.

As an independent company, WGSN is well positioned to accelerate growth and cement its place as the global leader in consumer trend forecasting. In partnership with the Apax Funds, WGSN will focus on enhancing and expanding its product design and consumer insight products across a wide range of consumer-facing industries, ensuring their expanding global client base make the right critical design and buying decisions to future-proof and accelerate their own growth.

Carla Buzasi, President and CEO, WGSN, said: “Today’s news marks an incredibly important milestone for WGSN. For over twenty-five years, WGSN has been a true pioneer, revolutionising trend forecasting and working with the world’s biggest brands to super-charge their futures. With the support of the Apax Funds and the Apax platform, we are ideally positioned to build on our unique offering, which combines AI and data forecasting models alongside the world’s best forecasters, to further support our global customers in designing and creating the products and experiences their consumers need today and tomorrow.”

Steve Kooyers, Partner, Apax, commented: “We’re excited to work side by side with Carla and her team to execute on our shared vision for growth. The team has built a terrific business with mission critical products, a strong brand, and a long history of customer success. Together, we will continue to innovate and improve WGSN’s core fashion product proposition while accelerating the Company’s already successful expansion into new verticals.”

Mark Sykes, Principal, Apax, added: “WGSN has long been at the forefront of consumer trend forecasting, and we see a meaningful opportunity to invest behind the business to help it extend its capabilities and reach. We look forward to partnering with the entire team, leveraging Apax’s sector expertise, operational experience, and deep industry network to accelerate growth and reinforce WGSN’s position as the global authority on trend forecasting.”

Apax has extensive experience partnering with businesses in the information and data space, including the Funds’ prior investments in sports-data specialist Genius Sports and workforce screening solutions provider Accurate Background. Apax also has substantial experience in B2B subscription sales from the Funds’ historical marketplace investments.

Apax was advised by Allen & Overy (lead counsel), Simon Kucher (lead commercial advisor), EY (tax and financial DD advisor) and Bank of America & Goldman Sachs (joint financial advisors).

-ENDS-

ABOUT APAX

Apax Partners LLP (“Apax”) is a leading global private equity advisory firm. For 50 years, Apax has worked to inspire growth and ideas that transform businesses. The firm has raised and advised funds with aggregate commitments of more than $65 billion. The Apax Funds invest in companies across four global sectors of Internet/Consumer, Tech, Services, and Healthcare. These funds provide long-term equity financing to build and strengthen world-class companies. For more information see: www.apax.com.

Apax Partners is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority in the UK.

ABOUT WGSN

WGSN is the global authority on consumer, lifestyle and product design trends, helping brands around the world create the right products at the right time for tomorrow’s consumer.

WGSN’s trusted consumer and design forecasts power outstanding product design, enabling our customers to create a better future. Our services cover consumer insights, beauty, consumer tech, fashion, interiors, lifestyle, food and drink forecasting, data analytics and expert advisory.

Visit wgsn.com

 

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KKR Provides Global Accounts Receivable Facility To Weber LLC

KKR

NEW YORK–(BUSINESS WIRE)– KKR today announced that its private credit funds and accounts have provided a non-recourse accounts receivable financing for Weber LLC (“Weber”), the global leader in outdoor cooking products, innovation, and technology, to support the company’s operations and strategic investments in long-term growth. The initial $200 million facility is collateralized by certain accounts receivables of Weber in the U.S. and international markets, with subsequent closes of up to $100 million across European markets expected in the first half of 2024. KKR Capital Markets acted as lead arranger and sole bookrunner.

About KKR

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

KKR
Miles Radcliffe-Trenner or Julia Kosygina
+1 212-750-8300
Media@kkr.com

Source: KKR

 

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Knitwell Group adds Chico’S, White House Black Market and Soma

Sycamore

Company is now a $6 billion Powerhouse in the Women’s Specialty Retail Apparel Space

NEW YORK, Jan. 5, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — KnitWell Group (“KnitWell”), a company comprising industry-leading apparel brands Ann Taylor, LOFT, and Talbots, today announced it has added Chico’s, White House Black Market and Soma to its portfolio. KnitWell also provides oversight and shared services to Lane Bryant, a leading plus-size women’s apparel brand. This combination follows the sale of Chico’s FAS to Sycamore Partners, a leading private equity firm specializing in consumer, distribution, and retail-related investments.

NEW YORK, Jan. 5, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — KnitWell Group (“KnitWell”), a company comprising industry-leading apparel brands Ann Taylor, LOFT, and Talbots, today announced it has added Chico’s, White House Black Market and Soma to its portfolio. KnitWell also provides oversight and shared services to Lane Bryant, a leading plus-size women’s apparel brand. This combination follows the sale of Chico’s FAS to Sycamore Partners, a leading private equity firm specializing in consumer, distribution, and retail-related investments.

“KnitWell is a best-in-class operating enterprise in the world of vertical specialty retail, comprising some of America’s most iconic brands, committed to instilling confidence in the women they serve,” said Lizanne Kindler, Executive Chair and Chief Executive Officer of KnitWell Group. “Chico’s, White House Black Market and Soma fit perfectly into the portfolio as established and inspiring brands that generate sustainable, high-quality results. We are thrilled to welcome these brands, their more than 14,000 associates and their customers to the KnitWell family.”

With the addition of Chico’s, White House Black Market and Soma, KnitWell’s brands generate approximately $6 billion in annual sales, further solidifying its position as one of the largest specialty apparel companies in the United States.

Adds Ms. Kindler, “There is so much opportunity that comes with being part of this larger family of brands in terms of sharing best practices, innovation, and an incredible runway for growth and development, as well as efficiencies and leverage that come from size and scale with eight of the best retail apparel brands in the country. This is a great day and we cannot wait to get started.”

Contacts

Sycamore Partners

Michael Freitag or Lyle Weston
Joele Frank, Wilkinson Brimmer Katcher
212-355-4449
media@sycamorepartners.com

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AUA Private Equity Partners Announces Acquisition of Weaver Holdings, LLC

AUA Private Equity

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — AUA Private Equity Partners, LLC (“AUA Private Equity”) is pleased to announce the acquisition of Weaver Holdings, LLC (“Weaver Popcorn Manufacturing” or the “Company”), a fourth-generation family-owned manufacturer of popcorn and snacking products. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Weaver Popcorn Manufacturing is the largest independent manufacturer of popcorn products in the United States. The Company is recognized for its scale, quality, and innovation by its blue-chip retail and branded customers. Alongside its investment in Weaver Popcorn Manufacturing, AUA Private Equity will bring the firm’s significant experience in professionalizing and improving family-owned food manufacturing businesses to help expand on the Weaver Family’s well-invested assets and passionate employee base.

“Our partnership with the Weaver Family and Weaver Popcorn Manufacturing is emblematic of what AUA Private Equity does best – partnering with family-owned businesses to take them to the next level,” said Andy Unanue, Managing Partner of AUA Private Equity. “We will proactively focus on operational upside by supporting the team with capital and resources while preserving Weaver Popcorn Manufacturing’s entrepreneurial and solution-oriented culture. We are eager to continue building upon the Company’s ongoing success.”

David Benyaminy, Partner of AUA Private Equity commented, “We see tremendous opportunity to help Weaver Popcorn Manufacturing expand, and the Company possesses all of the necessary attributes to accelerate its success: an excellent management team, an engaged and aligned family-owner, and a flexible capital structure. Our plan is to make this a best-in-class partner for customers and all their snacking needs.”

Charlie DeVries, Vice President of AUA Private Equity added, “We are tapping into our bench of operating partners to enact meaningful change at the Company. We’ve added Mike Tracy, formerly the SVP of Supply Chain at Conagra, and Ted Schouten, formerly the President of TruFood Manufacturing to the board of directors. Both individuals will help oversee the investment and augment governance.”

Jason Kashman, CEO of Weaver Popcorn Manufacturing, said: “We are thrilled to partner with AUA Private Equity and its phenomenal team, who has a demonstrated history of success in food manufacturing and helping to propel the growth of family-owned businesses. By building on the foundation that the Weaver family put in place, AUA Private Equity will allow us to expand our capabilities operationally and increase the pace of product innovation. The resources that AUA Private Equity brings will ultimately benefit our customers and associates at Weaver. We are excited to join the AUA Private Equity family.”

Will Weaver, shareholder and fourth-generation owner added, “AUA Private Equity is the right partner to build on Ira Weaver’s original mission — to offer the world’s highest quality, best-tasting popcorn at the lowest possible price. We are very excited for what the future has to offer.“

The AUA Private Equity deal team was led by Partner David Benyaminy, Vice President Charlie DeVries, Senior Associate Nico Pflaum and Associate Luke Phillips. McDermott Will & Emery served as legal advisor for AUA Private Equity Partners and Proterra Investment Partners provided the debt financing. Grant Thornton and Boston Consulting Group also served as commercial and financial advisors for AUA Private Equity. Taft Stettinius & Hollister served as legal advisor for Weaver. Ernst & Young Capital Advisors, LLC served as the exclusive financial advisor to Weaver Popcorn Manufacturing in connection with the transaction.

About AUA Private Equity Partners, LLC

AUA Private Equity Partners is a West Palm Beach, FL based, operationally focused, lower middle-market investment firm providing strategic capital to companies in the consumer products and services sectors with a particular focus on family-owned businesses. AUA Private Equity typically makes equity investments of $40 to $100 million in companies that generate in excess of $10 million in EBITDA. For more information on AUA Private Equity Partners, please visit www.auaequity.com.

About Weaver Holdings, LLC

Started in 1928 by Ira Weaver, Weaver Popcorn Manufacturing is a leading manufacturer of popcorn and snacking products. The Company operates out of its headquarters in Van Buren, IN and administrative offices in Indianapolis, IN. For more information, please visit www.weaverpopcornmfg.com.

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7NXT acquires wellbeing app 7Mind to create the leading platform for physical and mental fitness

Oakley

Oakley Capital, the leading pan-European private equity investor, is pleased to announce that portfolio company 7NXT, which owns and operates fitness platform Gymondo, is acquiring 7Mind to create an all-encompassing consumer digital platform for physical and mental fitness and wellbeing with >650,000 paying subscribers.

Gymondo is the leading D2C online fitness platform in the DACH region, offering high-quality workout videos, customised fitness programmes and personalised nutrition plans to more than 500,000 paying subscribers.

Oakley invested in the business in 2020, partnering with founder and CEO Markan Karajica to accelerate Gymondo’s growth in the online fitness market.

7 Mind

Headquartered in Berlin, 7Mind is a leading player in the German digital healthcare sector with a focus on promoting digital mental wellbeing and offering mindfulness and meditation content to its c.150,000 subscribers.

The business caters to both individual users (B2C) as well as corporates (B2B), collaborating closely with health insurers. Founded in 2015, 7Mind has expanded quickly, generating double-digit revenue growth and strong margins between 2020-2022.

Adding 7Mind will enable 7NXT to expand its product offering to include mindfulness and meditation content, providing users an all-encompassing mental and physical health and wellbeing solution, while also diversifying its customer base. The combined business will create an expanded platform with the critical mass to participate in further M&A opportunities in a wellness market that is expanding in DACH as well as internationally.

Quote Markan Karajica

This is a transformational deal for 7NXT and Gymondo, which will help to diversify our business, increasing our B2B customer base while adding valuable mindfulness content for our existing and new customers. It’s a win-win combination and we are pleased to welcome 7Mind on our journey to build an international market leader for physical and mental wellbeing.

Markan Karajica

Founder & CEO — Gymondo

Quote Peter Dubens

Markan and his team have successfully leveraged the power of social media and influencers to build a powerful online fitness brand. Adding 7Mind will transform Gymondo into one of the leading one-stop-shops for fitness and wellbeing, catering to consumers and corporates alike. It also demonstrates Oakley’s ability to nurture digital-first businesses as well as support portfolio companies with strategic acquisitions.

Peter Dubens

Founder and Managing Partner — Oakley Capital

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Yellow Wood Partners Announces Acquisition of Elida Beauty from Unilever

Yellow Wood Partners

Fourth brand carve-out over four years adds Q-tips®, Impulse, Caress, Tigi, Timotei, Monsavon, Brut, and Alberto Balsam to Yellow Wood Portfolio

BOSTON, Dec. 18, 2023 — Yellow Wood Partners LLC (“Yellow Wood”), a Boston-based private equity firm focused on investing in consumer brands and companies, today announced a binding offer to acquire Elida Beauty, a portfolio of brands from Unilever (NYSE: UL). The Elida Beauty portfolio includes Unilever brands Q-tips®, Impulse, Caress, Tigi, Timotei, Monsavon, Brut, Moussel, Alberto Balsam, and VO5.

Tad Yanagi, Partner at Yellow Wood Partners, commented, “We are excited to work with Unilever’s Elida Beauty team on the carve out and lead these brands into their next phase of growth and expansion. Consumers around the world love these brands as they are an important part of their daily lives. We believe the Elida Beauty brands will flourish in the Yellow Wood operating model where our teams will work to build and enhance growth and accessibility of this new platform.  Our prior relationship with the Unilever team helped us understand the potential of Elida Beauty.”

Dana Schmaltz, Yellow Wood Partner, added, “We look forward to completing another successful transaction with Unilever to acquire these great consumer brands. Our partnership with Unilever continues to grow and we are excited to bring such fantastic brands as Q-tips®, Caress, and VO5 among others into the Yellow Wood portfolio. Our team has become adept at leading complex corporate carve-outs and creating the critical functions required of an independent company to implement strategies to achieve long-term growth. This will be our fourth brand carve out from a major CPG company over the last four years, and we look forward to continuing our differentiated strategy to acquire other brands in the future.”

Yellow Wood’s diverse portfolio of consumer brands includes The Suave Brands Company; leading global footcare brand Dr. Scholl’s and Scholl International; Beacon Wellness Brands, led by its anchor brand PlusOne®, the #1 sexual wellness device brand; beauty brands Real Techniques and EcoTools; self-tanning brands Isle of Paradise, Tanologist and TanLuxe; and skincare brands Byoma and Freeman Beauty.

The transaction is expected to be completed by mid-2024 upon completion of customary closing and regulatory approvals.

About Elida Beauty

Elida Beauty was formed in 2021 and its original beauty and personal care brands included Q-tips, Tigi, Caress, Timotei, Impulse, Monsavon, others (Fissan, Williams, Noxzema, Brylcreem, V05, Lever 2000, Badedas, Matey). In 2022, it became a formalised Global Business Unit within Unilever Personal Care and more brands were added: Alberto Balsam, Brut, Pond’s (for North American and Europe only), and St. Ives (for North American and Europe only). The transaction perimeter excludes the Pond’s and St. Ives brands sold beyond North America and Europe which will remain in Unilever’s Beauty & Wellbeing brand portfolio.

About Yellow Wood Partners

Yellow Wood Partners is a Boston-based private investment firm that invests exclusively in the consumer industry in the middle market. The firm seeks to acquire branded consumer products that sell into a variety of consumer channels, including mass, drug, food, specialty, value, club and e-commerce. Yellow Wood’s Consumer Operating DNA investment and operating strategy is based on utilizing the firm’s functional operating resources to help maximize brand performance by driving organic growth to increase operating efficiencies. The firm further seeks to acquire additional brands to accelerate growth in its limited number of platform companies. For more information, please visit www.yellowwoodpartners.com.

Contact:
Chris Tofalli
Chris Tofalli Public Relations, LLC
chris@tofallipr.com
914-834-4334

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CarNow Appoints New Chief Revenue Officer Will Farmer

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Battery Ventures

Industry veteran to drive revenue growth across all channels 

ATLANTA, December 12, 2023 – CarNow, the leading automotive digital retailing company, announced today Will Farmer as its Chief Revenue Officer (CRO). In this role, Farmer will be responsible for overseeing revenue growth across field sales, national sales, and independent sales with a focus on delivering exceptional value to customers and driving impactful results for CarNow’s extensive dealer network. 

“My focus is to lead efforts in delivering recurring impact to our customers and make it easier for our dealers to do business with CarNow,” said Farmer. “We’ll build on the customer-centric approach throughout the entire organization, seeking to improve efficiencies in the sales process while enhancing and expanding our offerings.” 

Farmer brings a wealth of experience and a demonstrated history of success as a senior sales and operational leader across diverse industries, including automotive, mobile technology, telecommunications, real estate, and auctions. Throughout his career, Farmer has consistently fueled growth by developing and leading motivated high-performance teams, transforming underperforming organizations, and expanding market footprints. 

“Will’s impressive track record and dynamic leadership style, honed across diverse industries, perfectly align with our commitment to driving innovation and exceeding expectations for our customers,” said Kanye Grau, CEO at CarNow. “Will brings a unique blend of strategic insight and operational prowess, and we’re excited to leverage his disruptive mindset to elevate our revenue streams, foster customer-centric approaches, and solidify CarNow’s position as an industry trailblazer.” 

Farmer’s career includes previous senior leadership roles in sales and revenue operations at Traxero, BacklotCars, TradeRev, and ADESA. He holds an MBA from Virginia Tech and a Bachelor of Business Administration from Roanoke College, where he sits on the Board of Directors for The Management Institute. Farmer also volunteers as a fundraising auctioneer for various community organizations, including Global Camps Africa, American Heart Association, Children’s Miracle Network, and The Spot on Kirk. 

To learn more about CarNow’s technology, visit www.carnow.com. 

About CarNow 

CarNow is a market leader in automotive digital retail solutions. Providing frictionless, real-time enterprise software solutions, CarNow enhances online engagement and streamlines communication between dealers and consumers. CarNow’s solutions empower dealers to seamlessly manage the entire car-buying journey and provide shoppers with enhanced digital retailing, messaging, and virtual showroom services. With 5,000 dealership customers and more than twenty manufacturer certifications, CarNow is one of the fastest-growing companies in automotive. CarNow is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. Learn more at www.carnow.com. 

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Partners Group to acquire Velvet CARE, one of the leading European manufacturers of hygiene paper products

Partners Group

Baar-Zug, Switzerland; 11 December 2023

  • Velvet CARE has 850 employees and generated EUR 277 million in revenues in 2022
  • The Company is a fully integrated manufacturer currently operating two production sites
  • Partners Group’s value creation plan will focus on international expansion

Partners Group, a leading global private markets firm, acting on behalf of its clients, has agreed to acquire Velvet CARE (or “the Company”), one of the leading European manufacturers of hygiene paper products, from Abris Capital Partners.

Headquartered in Klucze, Poland, Velvet CARE is one of the largest independent manufacturers of branded and private-label hygiene paper products, including toilet paper, paper towels, paper tissues, and moist toilet paper, in Central and Eastern Europe. Velvet CARE is a vertically integrated manufacturer currently operating two production sites that cover the full process of hygiene paper production. Finished branded and private-label products are sold to supermarkets, discounters, wholesalers, and other retailers. The Company has 850 employees and generated EUR 277 million in revenues in 2022, with its largest markets including Poland, the Czech Republic, and Germany. Velvet CARE, which owns Velvet, one of the leading hygiene paper brands in Poland, has a long track record of innovation and continues to develop new products in a variety of sizes, textures, fragrances, and decorative patterns.

The hygiene paper market is characterized by stable demand through economic cycles. Velvet CARE’s ability to offer products across different price ranges, through premium branded products and private-label ones, allows it to address short- and long-term changes in purchasing patterns. Partners Group will work with management to build on the Company’s strong position and drive growth. Key value creation initiatives will include expanding international reach; broadening the product portfolio with a focus on high-growth categories; and making targeted acquisitions.

Ralph Schuck, Managing Director, Private Equity Goods & Products Industry Vertical, Partners Group, says: “Velvet CARE has a diversified product portfolio and a strong market position in its core markets. The Company differentiates itself through its superior production capabilities, best-in-class technology, and deep relationships with retailers across multiple countries. We see Velvet CARE as a platform for further growth in Europe and look forward to working with the management team on our transformational value creation plan.”

Artur Pielak, Chief Executive Officer, Velvet CARE, comments: “At Velvet CARE, our mission is to provide the highest quality hygiene paper products to consumers whilst also creating value within local communities. With that in mind, we have designed sustainable processes, which use renewable materials and reuse water, as we continue to search for new levers to add value in a sustainable manner. We strongly believe Partners Group’s global reach, financial resources, and operational experience make it the right growth partner as we look ahead to our next chapter.”

Milorad Andelic, Member of Management, Private Equity Goods & Products Industry Vertical, Partners Group, adds: “Velvet CARE’s extensive offering of staple products give the Company resilience and cash flow stability during macroeconomic slowdowns. At the same time, Velvet CARE’s markets have strong, long-term tailwinds, with rising incomes driving demand for both premium and value products. Our value creation plan will focus on strengthening the Company’s existing position while continuing to expand into other major European markets.”

Velvet CARE was established in 2013 but its origins date to 1897. The Company received B Corp Certification, the globally recognized accreditation for businesses that demonstrate the highest standards of social and environmental performance, transparency, and accountability, in 2023.

Completion of the transaction is subject to customary regulatory approvals.

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Polaris Invests in AwardIt

Polaris

Polaris has through PPE V acquired a 24.1% stake in Awardit AB, which is listed on First North Stockholm. Awardit helps businesses increase revenue and profitability by implementing and operating loyalty programs, incentive programs and gift card programs targeting B2B and B2C customers. The company was established in 1999 and has successfully expanded its operations to today’s presence in more than 6 countries with around 300 employees.

Please see the following press release:

English

For more information, please contact:

Roger Hagborg, Partner
Phone: +46 70 6678515
Mail: rha@polarisequity.dk

Jan Johan Kühl, Managing Partner
Phone: +45 35 263574
Mail: jjk@polarisequity.dk

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