Buyouts
ITALY - Abacus Invest and MPS Venture enter the fashion industry
Private equity firms Abacus Invest and MPS Venture have jointly acquired a 45% stake in fashion business Phard SpA.
ITALY - Palamon Capital Partners acquires debt collection agency
Mid-market firm Palamon Capital Partners has acquired all shares in Milan-based debt collection agency Si Collection SpA. The vendor is Si Holding SpA, which owns Carta Si, a major issuer of credit cards on behalf of a consortium of Italian banks.
ITALY - Investindustrial buys cosmetics business
Private equity firm Investindustrial has wholly acquired Morris Profumi. The business is a Parma-based cosmetics division of German specialty chemicals player Henkel.
FRANCE - Apax backs OBO of Royer Group
Apax Partners has acquired a significant minority stake in shoes distributor Royer Group.
GERMANY - Bridgepoint acquires Dragenopharm
Bridgepoint has acquired a majority stake in generic drugs contract manufacturer Dragenopharm Apotheker Püschl GmbH for an undisclosed amount.
UK - Blackstone approaches Jupiter Asset Management
It has been reported that Blackstone has approached the management of Jupiter Asset Management about a possible buyout. The fund management group which has assets under management of ТЃ17bn is valued at approximately ТЃ1bn.
UK - Stirling Square Capital Partners acquires Public Safety Equipment
Stirling Square Capital Partners and Diamond Castle Holdings have acquired international highway safety solutions business Public Safety Equipment (PSE) in a deal reported to be worth $400m.
UK - YFM backs management buy-in of Cater Plus Services
YFM has backed the ТЃ4.3m management buy-in of catering services provider Waterfall Services Ltd, which trades as Cater Plus Services. Yorkshire Bank provided a debt package to facilitate the deal.
UK - Abderdeen Asset Managers Private Equity backs MBO of EDSR
Aberdeen Asset Managers Private Equity has backed the management buyout of EDSR, a provider of specialist services to the land decontamination sector. EDSR has a turnover of ТЃ12m and employs 30 staff.
DENMARK - EQT acquires Dako in DKK 7.25bn deal
The EQT V fund has agreed to acquire cancer diagnostics company Dako Denmark A/S for an enterprise value of DKK 7,250m. Headquartered in Glostrup, Dako’s current main shareholders include descendants of the company’s founder Niels Harboe, Novo Nordisk...
UK - Vision Capital acquires six businesses from Bridgepoint
Vision Capital has acquired a portfolio of six businesses from Bridgepoint for an undisclosed sum. The investments include Portman, a UK-business travel agency; Pirtek, a franchisor for hydraulic hose repairs, and Mastock Arable, a UK agricultural, chemical...
UK - TPG circles Apax and Permira-held New Look
New Look, the fashion retailer backed by Apax and Permira, has received offers of interest from other buyout firms including TPG. A formal sales process is yet to begin but it is understood that a secondary buyout is more likely than an IPO.
UK - 3i turns its attentions to Foxtons
3i is reported to be interested in acquiring estate agency chain Foxtons. Privately-owned Foxtons has appointed Credit Suisse to run a dual-track process to decide the asset's future.
FINLAND - CapMan acquires Walki Wisa from UPM
CapMan has agreed to buy Walki Wisa Group, a producer of wrappings and composite materials, from UPM-Kymmene.
GERMANY - GEP acquires VARTA Microbattery
Global Equity Partners has acquired VARTA Microbattery GmbH from VARTA AG for EUR 30m. Two new managing directors will support the company’s management to further expand and promote its current strength.
UK - Countrywide speculation continues
It is unclear today whether Apollo will follow up its ТЃ1.01bn indicative offer for estate agency chain Countrywide with a formal bid.
BELGIUM - Fortis acquires majority stake in automotive supplier Penne
Fortis Private Equity has acquired a majority stake in Penne NV, an Aalst-headquartered automotive supplier.
SWEDEN - 3i buys educational toys supplier from Procuritas
3i has acquired educational learning material and toys supplier Lekolar AB from Procuritas. Headquartered in Osby, Lekolar includes BRIO Lek&Lär AB, Printel Oy, RABO A/S and BRIO Lek&Laer A/S. The company has 230 staff and generated sales of over SEK...
UK - Further speculation surrounds EMI
EMI is again the subject of private equity speculation. It is understood that One Equity Partners is looking at the company.
UK - GMG'sTrader Media Group to be sold to private equity?
Guardian Media Group is reported to be in discussions with Apax, Blackstone and Candover about a possible sale of its Trader Media Group. Trader is responsible for listings magazine Auto Trader and approximately 70 titles in the UK, Ireland, the Netherlands...
GERMANY - EQT acquires German fashion group from Apax and Cinven
EQT V has agreed to buy 100% of German fashion group CBR Holding GmbH (CBR) from Apax and Cinven.
UK - Gaitsford Investments backs MBO of Arena from Candover's Evenser
Gaitsford Investments has backed the management buyout of Arena Events Services Group Ltd. The company has been divested by Evenser Group Ltd, a company backed by Candover.
GERMANY - APCOA changes hands for EUR 885m
Investcorp has sold pan-European manager of parking services APCOA to Eurazeo for an enterprise value of EUR 885m. In the summer of 2004, Investcorp acquired 98.26% of APCOA Parking AG from Salamander AG, a subsidiary of EnBW Energie Baden Württemberg...
SPAIN - MCH, Corpfin and Carlyle compete for tour operator
According to press reports, private equity firms MCH, Corpfin and Carlyle are among the bidders for tour operator Catai Tours.