DPE acquires Ziegler Group

Speaking to unquote", a source at Ziegler stated the sale process lasted for nine months and was necessary for the further growth of the company. The former owners were unable to provide the necessary financing to facilitate Ziegler's growth and tendered the company out to 12 interested companies. Four were taken into the final stage of talks before DPE was chosen.

DPE and its new investment have created a growth plan up to 2020.

DPE invests in small- and medium-sized organisations in the German-speaking region. It is currently investing its second fund, which closed in April 2013 on its hard-cap of €350m.

Staufen acquired Ziegler from Hartmann in 2003. At the time, Ziegler generated revenues of approximately €10m per year and had 90 employees.

Debt financing
Commerzbank and Landesbank Baden-Württemberg provided debt financing for the deal.

Company
Ziegler, which can trace its roots back to 1874, develops and produces technical nonwovens for the automotive industry, thermal insulation, acoustic insulation and furniture, among others. It manufactures needle-punched nonwovens, laminated nonwovens, wadding and foam nonwoven composites on CAD-controlled cutters and punches.

The company operates from two locations in Germany, including its Achern headquarters, as well as Hungary and China. It has almost 300 employees worldwide.

People
Dierk Mohr is managing director of Ziegler. Frank Müller is partner at DPE.

Advisers
Equity – Ashurst, Bernd Egbers, Heiko Penndorf, Christiane Bestgen, Felix Krüger, Isabell Pöller, Thomas Freund, Susanne Kasnitz (Corporate finance); Wolf Theiss, Zoltan Faludi, Melinda Pelikan, Diana Varga (Legal); Hermann RWS Hermann Jobe & Partner, Florian Schiermeyer (M&A); P+P Pöllath + Partners, Michael Best, Gerald Herrman (Legal).
Debt – Clifford Chance, Thomas Weitkamp, Sabrina Bremer (Legal).

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• Topics
• DACH
• Buyouts
• Industrials
• Germany