Metrika buys machinery business Robor

Following the deal, the founding Borsato family will retain a minority stake in the company. Simone Borsato will continue to lead the business as CEO.

Crédit Agricole Friuladria and Intesa San Paolo provided a debt package to support the acquisition.

Robor has been on the market since February 2020, when the company hired EY to run the sale. The process attracted several private equity firms, including Wise, Progressio, Quadrivio, Aksia, IGI and Alcedo, according to Unquote sister publication Mergermarket.

This is the second investment made by Metrika's debut private equity fund, following its acquisition of a majority stake in detergent specialist Allegrini in October 2020.

The vehicle targets majority and controlling minority stakes in export-focused Italian companies, generating revenues of €20-100m. It has a focus on the manufacturing, packaging, food, speciality chemicals, pharmaceuticals and cosmetics sectors, and deploys equity tickets in the €5-20m range. The fund has raised almost €100m so far and expects to hold a final close by the end of the year, hitting its €150m hard-cap.

The GP intends to consolidate the company's market position and boost its international expansion with the launch of new subsidiaries in China, Russia and North America. Metrika also plans to strengthen Robor's management team, expand its production capabilities broaden its sales network and reach new market segments.

Company
Established in 1972, Robor specialises in the manufacturing of industrial machines used in the production of insulated panels.

Its products include milling and squaring machines for wall panels; machines to cut bituminous membrane; machines for coupling insulating material with bituminous membranes; machines for jacketing pipes, matrasses and roll-boards; cutting machines for pipes; and pantographic machines for polyurethane foams.

The company sells its products in 50 countries worldwide. It generated revenues of around €30m in 2020, of which 90% came from outside of Italy.

The company generates annual revenue of €30m.

People
Metrika – Marco Giuseppini (CEO); Nicola Pietralunga (managing partner).
Robor – Simone Borsato (CEO).

Advisers
Equity – LegisLab (legal); Russo De Rosa Associati (tax); KPMG (commercial due diligence); Tauw (ESG due diligence); Marsh (insurance due diligence).
Company – EY (M&A); Zarbo-Costantino (legal).

• Tweet  
• Facebook  
• LinkedIn  
• Google plus  
• Send to  

• Topics
• Buyouts
• Southern Europe
• Industrials
• Italy
• EY (Ernst & Young)
• KPMG
• Intesa Sanpaolo