Alkegen acquires controlling ownership in leading Chinese specialty materials platform

BUFFALO, N.Y. and SANTA MONICA, C.A. – June 28, 2022 – Alkegen, one of the largest specialty materials platforms in the world that provides high performance materials used in advanced applications such as filtration media, battery technologies, high temperature insulation and fire protection, announced today that it has successfully completed a tender offering resulting in Alkegen obtaining a controlling ownership interest in Luyang Energy-Saving Materials Co. Ltd. (“Luyang” or the “Company”), a Shenzhen A-share listed platform headquartered in Yuquan, Shandong province, China.

Luyang produces energy-saving materials in the fields of ceramic fibers, soluble fibers, alumina fibers, and other high temperature insulating materials, and has been partnered with Alkegen since 2015.

“From the very start of our partnership with Luyang seven years ago, we have been continuously impressed by the Company’s management team and their ability to deliver on financial and commercial performance targets” said John Dandolph, President and Chief Executive Officer of Alkegen. “With this increased investment, we plan to leverage Luyang as our platform in Asia to extend and cross-sell many of Alkegen’s other products and technologies that are core to the strategic direction of our global economy. These include systems that are defining our collective future such as filtration media, battery technologies, electric vehicle products, and specialty insulation materials. We are excited to continue investing in Luyang and deploying the Company’s resources to help our customers live greener, breathe easier, and go further than ever before.”

“This transaction marks another milestone in Alkegen’s journey toward becoming the global leader in advanced materials focused on lowering energy usage, reducing emissions and pioneering innovative solutions for the future of attractive high growth industries such as lithium-ion batteries and advanced filtration,” said José E. Feliciano, Co-Founder and Managing Partner, and Colin Leonard, Partner and Managing Director, at Clearlake.

“We couldn’t be more excited to sponsor John and the Alkegen team in this complex, transformative transaction that we believe will create meaningful value for customers and stakeholders globally, and is a great example of Clearlake’s O.P.S.^® value creation playbook in action,” added Nate Mejías, Principal at Clearlake.

About Alkegen

Alkegen creates high performance specialty materials used in advanced applications including electric vehicles, energy storage, filtration, fire protection and high temperature insulation, among many others. Alkegen’s products are designed with the ultimate goal of saving energy, reducing pollution, and improving safety for people, buildings and equipment by delivering on our mission of helping the world breathe easier, live greener and go further than ever before. Alkegen has 75 manufacturing facilities operating in 12 countries with 9,000+ employees globally. More information is available at www.alkegen.com.

About Clearlake

Clearlake Capital Group, L.P. is an investment firm founded in 2006 operating integrated businesses across private equity, credit, and other related strategies. With a sector-focused approach, the firm seeks to partner with management teams by providing patient, long-term capital to businesses that can benefit from Clearlake’s operational improvement approach, O.P.S.^® The firm’s core target sectors are technology, industrials, and consumer. Clearlake currently has over $72 billion of assets under management, and its senior investment principals have led or co-led over 400 investments. The firm is headquartered in Santa Monica, CA with affiliates in Dallas, TX, London, UK and Dublin, Ireland. More information is available at www.clearlake.com and on Twitter @Clearlake.

Media Contacts:

Kristen Weiss

Alkegen

kweiss@alkegen.com

352.424.3169

Jennifer Hurson

Clearlake

jhurson@lambert.com

845.507.0571

Last week Anders Invest realized a 70% participation in Arte Holding from Helmond. Arte is a top player in the production of sustainable worktops in granite, composite, Dekton and ceramics. Arte has a turnover of approximately € 15-20 million and offers employment to 65 employees.

Arte started in 1995 in Deurne and since the move to Helmond in 2001, production has been carried out with high-quality machinery and advanced automation. Arte produces kitchen worktops and stone applications for interior projects. Sale is to a wide circle of kitchen specialists, interior designers and architects in the middle and high segment.

Arte has a modern and highly automated production facility with CNC machines, polishing machines, water jets and robotized transport and storage systems.

The company has a strong eye for sustainability and CSR and has been nominated for the Koning Willem I prize for this. In addition to an independent foundation, Arte has set up a project: ‘Arte Right To Education’ (A.R.T.E.) with the aim of creating a child labor free zone around the quarries where Arte purchases its granite.

Anders Invest acquires its interest from founder and general manager Hugo van Osch. Niels van den Beucken will retain an interest in the company and will manage the company together with new shareholder Froukje van Osch. Anders Invest will continue to work actively with the current management to continue growth and further professionalize the organization.

All employee owners receive significant payouts from their stakes and contribution to C.H.I.’s growth story

Hear from KKR’s Pete Stavros, Co-Head of Americas Private Equity, and C.H.I. Overhead Doors employees discussing employee payouts and shared ownership

NEW YORK & ARTHUR, Ill. – June 24, 2022 – KKR, a leading global investment firm, today announced that KKR has completed the previously announced sale of C.H.I. Overhead Doors (“C.H.I.” or “the Company”), a leader in the garage door industry, to Nucor Corporation.

In connection with closing, all 800 C.H.I. employees have received a substantial cash payout – on average approximately $175,000 – on their equity in the Company. With Nucor’s acquisition, C.H.I.’s leadership team, led by CEO Dave Bangert, is expected to remain in place and continue to run the business under the C.H.I. name.

“We are tremendously proud of everything the C.H.I. team has accomplished over the past seven years and we believe the Company’s future as part of Nucor is equally bright,” said Pete Stavros, Co-Head of Americas Private Equity at KKR and Founder of the nonprofit Ownership Works. “The substantial cash payouts earned by all C.H.I. employees are a testament to the incredible growth and value they have created by showing up every day and thinking like owners. We want to thank all of the employees, community members and strategic partners who have supported this great outcome and contributed to building a movement for greater shared ownership.”

Since 2011, KKR has implemented broad-based employee ownership and alignment programs throughout its portfolio, first throughout KKR’s U.S. Industrials private equity investments and more recently expanding across sectors. To date, KKR has awarded billions of total equity value to over 45,000 non-senior employees across over 25 companies, and has committed to deploying this model in all control investments across its entire Americas Private Equity platform. In April 2022, KKR joined more than 60 organizations in becoming a founding partner of Ownership Works, a nonprofit created to support public and private companies transitioning to shared ownership models.

KKR and C.H.I. were advised by Goldman Sachs as lead financial and M&A advisor, UBS as M&A co-advisor, and Kirkland and Ellis as legal advisor on the transaction.

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 and on Twitter @KKR_Co.

Contacts

Miles Radcliffe-Trenner

212-750-8300

media@kkr.com

Ratos has signed an agreement to acquire 70% of the consulting company Knightec, thereby entering into a partnership with co-founder and CEO Dimitris Gioulekas. Over the past 12 months, Knightec had sales of SEK 941m, with adjusted EBITA of SEK 140m. The cash-free, debt-free purchase price for 100% of the company (enterprise value) amounts to SEK 1,625m, corresponding to a multiple of 11.6 (EV/EBITA).

Knightec was founded in 2003 and has experienced strong growth ever since, mainly generated organically but also through strategic acquisitions. The company stands out thanks to its rapid rate of change and industry-leading profitability. Through its unique customer offerings and strong community involvement, Knightec has established a strong market position in technology, design and digitalisation of products and services.

“I am impressed by Knightec’s development in recent years, and Ratos is proud to have been entrusted to enter into a partnership with CEO and co-founder Dimitris Gioulekas and thereby contribute to the company’s continued growth. Knightec currently holds a strong position in the market and is an excellent start to our focus on this sector, which will be an important area for Ratos going forward. Through this acquisition, we will gain exposure to the growing consultancy industry, where we already have solid experience,” says Jonas Wiström, President and CEO, Ratos.

“Knightec will remain a driving force in the digital transformation towards sustainable products and services. Our ability to establish partnerships with key customers and partners has been crucial to our success. This partnership with Ratos will create excellent opportunities to continue investing in new areas in order to strengthen our market position and continue to deliver industry-leading growth and profitability,” says Dimitris Gioulekas, co-founder and CEO, Knightec.

With over 800 employees across Sweden, Knightec specialises in advanced projects that straddle technology, design and digitalisation. Its customers include large corporations with a leading position in various sectors, such as automotive, pharmaceutical, medical technology, finance, telecom, media and security.

Financing and impact on Ratos
The acquisition was financed with Ratos’s own funds and bank financing. For the Ratos Group, the acquisition corresponds to a pro forma increase in sales of just over 4% and an increase of 7% in adjusted EBITA for LTM May 2022. The Ratos Group’s leverage in April 2022 amounted to 0.8x EBITDA and will increase pro forma to 1.4x EBITDA. The CEO and other key employees of Knightec will make a reinvestment in conjunction with the transaction, with their holding amounting to approximately 30% of the shares in the company. After a certain period of time and at the earliest in full after five years, both these key employees and Ratos have a customary right to demand that Ratos acquire the shares at market value.

The acquisition of Knightec is conditional on customary competition clearance.

Press briefing
Representatives of the media are welcome to a press briefing at 09.45 a.m. CEST at Ratos’s office, Sturegatan 10 in Stockholm. Participants will be Jonas Wiström, President and CEO at Ratos and Dimitris Gioulekas, CEO at Knightec. It is also possible to participate digitally via Teams. Mandatory registration, contact VP communication Josefine Uppling, +46 76 114 54 21 or e-mail josefine.uppling@ratos.com.

For further information and media contact:
Jonas Wiström, President and CEO, Ratos, +46 76 114 54 21
Dimitris Gioulekas, CEO, Knightec, +46 70 569 96 88
Josefine Uppling, VP Communication, Ratos, +46 76 114 54 21

This is information that Ratos AB is obliged to make public pursuant to the EU Market Abuse Regulation. The information was submitted for publication, through the agency of the contact persons set out above, at 07:00 a.m. CEST on 16 June 2022.

About Ratos
Ratos is a business group consisting of 14 companies divided into three business areas: Construction & Services, Consumer and Industry. In total 2021, the companies have approximately SEK 25 billion in net sales. Our business concept is to own and develop companies that are or can become market leaders. We have a distinct corporate culture and strategy – everything we do is based on our core values: Simplicity, Speed in execution and It’s All About People. We enable independent companies to excel by being part of something larger. People, leadership, culture and values are key focus areas.

Nordic Capital has sold its majority shareholding of the multinational maintenance service provider Quant AB (publ) (“Quant”) after supporting the company through an extensive transformation as an active and responsible owner for a period of six years. Permira Credit is now Quant’s majority shareholder as the company enters the next phase of its journey.

Nordic Capital Fund VIII acquired Quant, formerly known as ABB Full Service, as a carve-out from the ABB Group in 2014. This marked the start of an extensive transformation process and creation of a strong independent company within industrial maintenance under the name Quant. During Nordic Capital’s six years of ownership, Quant has sharpened its geographical focus, streamlined its organisation, and developed a multinational contract portfolio that is growing. Today, Quant is a leading service provider in industrial maintenance, maintaining and improving of safety, production and equipment performance around the world.

Quant is now ready to enter the next phase of its development and to continue to deliver on its strategy. Following today’s completion of the sale, Permira Credit is Quant’s new majority shareholder, and Nordic Capital will remain as a minority shareholder.

The terms of the transaction are not being disclosed.

Press contact:

Nordic Capital
Katarina Janerud, Communications Manager
Nordic Capital Advisors
Tel: 08-440 50 50
e-mail: katarina.janerud@nordiccapital.com

About Quant

Quant is a leading multinational maintenance service provider, maintaining and improving the safety, production and equipment performance for over 400 facilities around the world. The company offers maintenance services within a wide range of industries, including pulp and paper, mining and minerals, chemicals, food and beverages. The core of Quant’s value proposition consists of improving safety, creating organizational equity, driving plant performance, and cost alignment. The approach is to view the maintenance function as a profit contributor, and not as a cost center, with Quant as the partner driving this transformation. Quant has more than three decades of experience, 2 400 employees and is headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden.

About Nordic Capital
Nordic Capital is a leading private equity investor with a resolute commitment to creating stronger, sustainable businesses through operational improvement and transformative growth. Nordic Capital focuses on selected regions and sectors where it has deep experience and a long history. Focus sectors are Healthcare, Technology & Payments, Financial Services, and selectively, Industrial & Business Services. Key regions are Europe and globally for Healthcare and Technology & Payments investments. Since inception in 1989, Nordic Capital has invested more than EUR 20 billion in over 125 investments. The most recent entities are Nordic Capital X with EUR 6.1 billion in committed capital and Nordic Capital Evolution with EUR 1.2 billion in committed capital, principally provided by international institutional investors such as pension funds. Nordic Capital Advisors have local offices in Sweden, the UK, the US, Germany, Denmark, Finland, Norway and South Korea. For further information about Nordic Capital, please visit www.nordiccapital.com

About Permira
Permira is a global investment firm that backs successful businesses with growth ambitions. Founded in 1985, the firm advises funds with total assets under management of €60bn+ and makes long-term majority and minority investments across two core asset classes, private equity and credit.
Permira Credit is one of Europe’s leading specialist credit investors, supporting businesses with flexible financing solutions across Direct Lending, CLO Management and Structured Credit. Established in 2007, the firm advises investment funds and products which have provided more than €14bn of debt capital to over 300 European businesses.
Permira employs over 450 people in 16 offices across Europe, the United States and Asia. For more information, visit www.permira.com.

• ProGlove set to commence major software initiative and increase its market presence in new and existing geographies
• New ownership will support ProGlove’s ambitious growth strategy with a focus on innovation and new applications

Topic: Investment

Gimv acquires an interest of approximately 30% in Picot, which was born out of the French market leader Dirickx and is expanding in France and other regions in Europe. With Gimv joining alongside the current shareholders and management, the strategy of internal growth and acquisitions will be continued with a view to building market leadership in Europe.

Picot (Congrier – Fr, www.dirickx.fr) produces fencing and gates, distributes its products through various channels to the private and corporate markets, and is also active in the installation of fencing solutions. In the French market, Picot is the market leader and has several production units; internationally, the group has branches mainly in Sweden, Poland, the Netherlands and Italy. At the end of 2021, Picot had a turnover of EUR 212m and employed 926 people.

The renewed strategy around French Dirickx was set in motion in 2017 with the acquisition of the company by Robur Capital together with co-investor Telesco. The company has now doubled in size by broadening its product range, tapping new geographical markets and making a whole series of selective acquisitions. With the entry of Gimv, Picot wishes to continue and strengthen this strategy in France and in several European countries.

Wim Deblauwe, CEO of Picot, says: “Since 2017 Picot group has grown from a strong player mainly in France to a European position, through a sophisticated strategy of product innovation, customer focus and targeted acquisitions. We are ready to push through to the position of European market leader and are extremely pleased to find a partner in Gimv who endorses our industrial vision and can help us with the further expansion of Picot.”

Eric de La Vigne, Principal Smart Industries, comments: “Picot is a model of industrial dynamism that we are thrilled to accompany. As a minority investor, we are perfectly in line with the path mapped out by the existing shareholders and are strengthening the foundation with them and the management in particular.”

Tom Van de Voorde, Managing Partner of Smart Industries team, added: “The industrial and technical knowledge, together with the customer focus of the entire company, drives the Picot group forward and shows that industrial companies with the right vision have a bright future. In addition, the will to continue the roll-up in the sector, supported by a stronger capital base, makes the growth potential of this investment very attractive.”

This new investment becomes part of Gimv’s Smart Industries platform, aimed at companies providing B2B products and services, based on value creation through engineering and technology.

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