Gilde sells Betafence to CVC

CVC has taken an 89% shareholding, with the current management team holding a minority stake and continuing to lead the company.

CVC stated it plans to accelerate the company's international expansion, while current operations and employees are not affected by the change in ownership.

Previous funding
According to unquote" data, Gilde acquired an 89% stake in Betafence in 2005 as part of a carve-out from the listed Bekaert group. At the time of the transaction, Bekaert Fencing had an enterprise value of €281.5m.

Gilde provided around €70m from its Buyout Fund II, while Rabobank International supplied debt facilities totalling €210m. The management team took a minority stake in the company.

Gilde then syndicated half of its stake to CVC, leaving it with a 45% shareholding compared to CVC's 44%.

Company
Founded in 1880, Betafence provides fences, access control and detection for perimeter protection. Its clients include industrial buildings, public infrastructure and private residences. It operates from its Gent headquarters, as well as eight further production sites in France, the UK, Germany, Italy, Spain, Poland and South Africa. It has 1,500 employees and an average annual turnover of €360m.

People
Steven Buyse is senior managing director at CVC. Michele Volpi is CEO of Betafence. Nicolas Linkens is partner at Gilde.

Advisers
Equity – Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer (Legal).

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