Equistone buys Rhodius

Equistone has bought German automotive components manufacturer Rhodius from Nord Holding and BayBG Bayerische.

The investment was made through Equistone's 2015-vintage Equistone Partners Europe Fund V (EPEF V), a €2bn vehicle that targets buyouts in the €50-300m region, and will see the new owner take a majority share in the company.

It is the second investment made through EPEF V, following the secondary buyout of SportGroup from IK Investment Partners in April.

The GP plans to continue Rhodius's international growth strategy, retaining CEO Robert Kopetzky following the deal.

Company
Founded in 1925, Rhodius is a manufacturer of components for the automotive industry based in Weissenburg, Germany.

The company employs around 400 people across four production sites in Germany, Hungary and China, with revenues of €45m in 2014.

People
Equistone partner Marc Arens and senior partner Peter Hammermann led the deal for the GP. Robert Kopetzky is the CEO of Rhodius.

Advisors
Equity – Ashurst (Legal); EY (Financial due diligence, tax); PwC (Commercial due diligence).

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