Buyouts
UK - Carlyle targets Virgin Media
Carlyle Group is reported to be leading a bid to take-private NASDAQ-listed Virgin Media. It is understood that Carlyle is working in association with Providence Equity, KKR and Cinven and could offer up to £4bn for the company. Any deal would have to...
UK - LDC backs £100m buyout of British Salt from US parent
LDC has acquired British Salt Ltd in a £100m management buyout from its US parent company, US Salt Holdings. It has invested £35m for a majority shareholding. Debt funding was arranged by the acquisition finance division of Lloyds TSB Corporate Markets...
SWITZERLAND - Consortium acquires TechnoMarine
A consortium led by Cobepa and Crédit Agricole Suisse has acquired Swiss luxury watch manufacturer TechnoMarine for an undisclosed amount. 123Venture also invested as well as the management team consisting of Jean-Claude Yana and Gilbert Ohayon.
SWEDEN - CapMan invests in healthcare provider Nacka Närsjukhus Proxima
Funds managed by CapMan will, together with management, acquire Swedish Nacka Närsjukhus Proxima AB, a private healthcare provider offering specialised healthcare in the greater Stockholm area.
FRANCE - Argos Soditic leads MBO of FBH
Mid-market private equity firm Argos Soditic has backed the management buyout of Financiere Harlé Bickford, a real-estate-owning diversified family conglomerate in the field of pyrotechnics and radiocommunications.
AUSTRIA – Darby commits EUR 20m to DDSG Cargo buyout
Darby Converging Europe Mezzanine Fund has committed EUR 20m to a EUR 100m leveraged buyout of river transportation company DDSG Cargo Group by East Point Holdings, a Serbian-controlled conglomerate.
GERMANY – Bain Capital buys yacht manufacturer
Bain Capital has acquired Bavaria Yachtbau GmbH from the founding families Herrmann and Meltl for an undisclosed amount.
GERMANY – Terra Firma sells 50% of Tank & Rast
Terra Firma has sold 50% of German motorway service operator Tank & Rast to RREEF, the global alternative investment management business of Deutsche Bank’s Asset Management division. The transaction value has not been disclosed. The financial investors...
UK - Duke Street and Europa in £260m buyout of Channel Islands group
Duke Street Capital and Europa Capital have made a recommended offer for Jersey-based company C.I. Traders Ltd. The proposal values the business at approximately £260m and includes funds provided by Uberior Co-Investments Ltd, a Bank of Scotland-owned...
CEE - Mid Europa Partners completes first ever leveraged buyout in Serbia
Mid Europa Partners has acquired a controlling stake in Serbia Broadband (SBB) from SEEF I fund, managed by Bedminster Capital Management. The deal represented the first leveraged buyout in Serbia.
UK - Dunedin backs £16m MBO of Fernau Avionics
Dunedin has backed the £16m management buyout of navigational equipment manufacturer Fernau Avionics from Canadian-based Glendale International Corp. Dunedin invested £8m in return for a majority stake in the newco.
UK - 3i set to profit further from NCP Services exit
Three months after selling the car park arm of NCP, 3i is to see further realisations from the divestment of NCP Services. Macquarie Infrastructure acquired NCP Car Parks in March 2007 in a £790m transaction generating returns of 3x for 3i. 3i is now...
UK - Exponent portfolio company Trainline makes £18.7m acquisition
Exponent Private Equity portfolio company Trainline, an online retailer of train tickets, has acquired Advanced Smartcard Technologies Plc (AST). The public-to-private deal values the share capital of AST at £18.7m. AST was founded in 2000 and listed...
BULGARIA - GED acquires FAMA
Spanish private equity management company GED has acquired Bulgarian dairy company FAMA. The transaction value has not been disclosed. GED has is to incorporate a new management team including Julio Muñoz, the former general manager of the Spanish dairy...
FRANCE - CAPE backs MBI of Ocean
LCL Régions Développement, a fund managed by Crédit Agricole Private Equity (CAPE), has acquired a minority interest in Ocean on the occasion of the buyout of the company by two incoming entrepreneurs.
UK - Promethean Investments acquires traded endowment policies business
Promethean Investments has acquired a 51% shareholding in TIS Group and a 51% shareholding in Protection Distribution Ltd (PDL). The financial buyer has invested £10m in cash and £40m in debt from its Promethean Investments Fund LP to facilitate the...
UK - Sovereign continues Kinetics buy-and-build
Sovereign Capital-owned social housing services company Kinetics Group has acquired TA Horn Holdings, taking group revenues to £80m. The deal represents the third acquisition as part of Sovereign's buy-and-build strategy for Kinetics Group. TA Horn is...
FRANCE - 21 Centrale Partners backs buyout of Groupe Sud Robinetterie
21 Centrale Partners has led the buyout of Groupe Sud Robinetterie (GSR), a manufacturer and distributor of high-end valves for the oil & gas, petrochemical, power generation and chemical industries. The deal was supported by senior and junior mezzanine...
SPAIN - Corpfin Capital acquires tour operator Catai
Private equity firm Corpfin Capital has completed the acquisition of a 50% stake in travel business Catai Viajes. The remainder will be held by the family Torres, the founder of the group, and the current management team.
AUSTRIA - Mid Europa in EUR 1.4bn One mobile deal
Mid Europa Partners has teamed up with France Telecom/Orange to acquire One GmbH, the third largest mobile operator in Austria, in a EUR 1.4bn deal. This transaction is expected to close within the next three months. It is the second largest buyout in...
UK - Boots deal one step closer to completion
The first delisting of a FTSE 100 company is one step closer to completion today after the trustees of the Alliance Boots pension fund struck a deal with KKR. The £11.1bn buyout is on track to complete on 28th June 2007 with KKR pledging to inject £418m...
ITALY - Sicurglobal auction to finalise in July
Market sources speculate that the competitive process for security business Sicurglobal should end in the second week of July. It is understood that private equity firms Stirling Square Capital Partners, Cognetas, 21 Investimenti and Synergo - all owners...
GERMANY/SWEDEN - 3i-led consortium acquires Scandlines
A consortium led by 3i and Allianz Capital Partners has agreed to acquire Scandlines Group together with strategic partner, Deutsche Seereederei (DSR), from Deutsche Bahn AG, Danske Transport and Energiministeriet.
UK - Cinven beats CVC, Terra Firma and BC Partners to BUPA
Cinven has won the battle for BUPA's 26-strong hospital division. The deal weighed in at £1.44m. Cinven beat off competition from a number of other private equity players with sources citing both the price it was prepared to pay as well as its other...