News
UK - Matrix backs MBO of Blaze Neon Ltd
Matrix Private Equity Partners has financed a £5m secondary management buyout of Blaze Neon Limited (Blaze) alongside management and senior debt from Lloyds TSB. Blaze is a leading player in the design, manufacture and installation of shop front and...
AUSTRIA - Zumtobel lists 95% of stock on Wiener Boerse
Vorarlberg-based lighting producer Zumtobel has listed on the Viennese Stock Exchange at a price of EUR 20.49 per share.
NL /UK- Reed Elsevier to retain Business Publishing Unit
Reed Elsevier, the publisher jointly owned by Reed Elsevier PLC and Reed Elsevier NV, has reportedly rejected an informal bid by a consortium of private equity investors regarding the sale of its Business Publishing unit.
UK - Enterprise Ventures backs MBO of Acorn Foundation Engineering Ltd
Enterprise Ventures, the North-West based venture capital company, has completed an investment in the management buyout of Acorn Foundation Engineering Ltd (AFE). Andrew Hall, the current managing director of the company received backing from Enterprise...
NETHERLANDS - Stork to sell its WorkSphere Unit
Dutch industrial conglomerate Stork has reached an agreement to sell its WorkSphere unit to Strukton, a Netherlands-headquartered railway construction and maintenance group.
UK - BVCA reports show rise in UK private equity investment
The BVCA's performance measurement and the report on investment activity shows that worldwide investment by UK private equity firms has increased by 21% in 2005 to £11.7bn. 58% of this total was invested in the UK, a 3% rise on the 2004 figure. The survey...
UK - Lasitha Perera joins Glitnir Bank's European leveraged finance team
Lasitha Perera is joining Glitnir Bank's European leveraged finance team where he will report to Erlendur Magnusson, head of leveraged finance.
Mid-market private equity investors brimming with confidence
Market confidence levels among mid-market private equity investors are riding high, according to a survey carried out by Grant Thornton Corporate Finance. During the first quarter of the year, 92% of mid-market VCs predicted that the volume of transactions...
UK - Bank of Scotland Corporate backs MBO of T.M.Lewin
T.M.Lewin & Sons Ltd, the leading retailer of formal shirts has been acquired by its management team from a group of private vendors. With a deal size of £50m, Bank of Scotland Corporate provided an integrated finance funding package and will invest...
EUROPE - Apax Partners publishes report on the future of private equity
Apax Partners, together with the Economist Intelligence Unit, has produced a report on the future of private equity. This follows a 2002 report in which it accurately predicted deal sizes increasing significantly and liquidity improving.
UK - Matrix midlands motoring challenge
Yesterday Matrix Private Equity entertained a group of Midlands corporate financiers (and Kimberly Romaine of Incisive Media, publishers of unquote” and Private Equity Europe) at Prestwold Hall in Loughborough, where guests were treated to a day of...
UK - Deloitte hires two operational diligence experts
Matt Penny and Duncan Robertson have joined the operations due diligence team at Deloitte from Ernst & Young. Both have expertise in the retail and technology manufacturing sectors.
FINLAND - 3i sells majority of Suomen Terveystalo shares
3i has sold the majority of its shares in Suomen Terveystalo to Varma Mutual Pension Insurance Company and Ilmarinen Mutual Pension Insurance Company.
ITALY - Successul listing for Wellington portfolio company NoemaLife SpA
On its first day of trading on the Milan Stock Exchange, NoemaLife's share price grew by 37% from the original issue price of EUR 9 per share to reach EUR 12.30 per share, representing a market capitalization of EUR 52m.
FRANCE - Possible buyout will not be discussed at Thomson's general assembly today
Thomson SA has made it clear that the potential de-listing of the company would not be discussed at today's annual general assembly of shareholders.
ROMANIA - AIG Capital Partners funds security provider
According to reports, AIG Capital Partners, the emerging markets private equity division of American International Group, has acquired a 30% stake in UTI Group. The company is a provider of security systems and services with headquarters in Romania. The...
NORWAY - Thomas Falck of FSV is appointed chairman of NVCA
Thomas Falck, partner at Four Seasons Venture (FSV), was appointed chairman of the Norwegian Venture Capital Association at the organisation's annual meeting yesterday. He will replace managing director of Teknoinvest, Bjørn Bjorå, who will continue...
GERMANY - CBCM boosts corporate finance team
Commerzbank Corporates and Markets has appointed Rolf Betz as co-head of ECM and M&A. Betz joins Commerzbank following three years with DVB Bank AG, where he was a member of the board of managing directors, with responsibility for the bank's corporate...
GERMANY - Nordsee sees return of private equity cash
Jersey-based ACP Capital has acquired an approximate 12% stake in Kamps Food Retail Investments, a holding company owned by German food and drink entrepreneur Heiner Kamps. The investment will assist Kamps in raising his majority stake in fish restaurant...
GERMANY - Towerbrook Capital Partners acquires Fine Chemicals
Towerbrook Capital Partners LP has backed the buyout of Clariant's Fine Chemicals business. The value of the transaction is approximately EUR 70m.
UK - Core Growth Capital leads secondary buyout of London Graphic Centre
Core Growth Capital, manager of Core VCTs I, II and III, has led the secondary MBO of London Graphic Centre (LGC), investing £3m alongside £9m of debt facilities provided by Singer & Friedlander.
UK - Graphite backs £25m MBO of TMP Worldwide
Graphite Capital is backing the £25m management buyout of TMP Worldwide from its American parent, Monster Worldwide, Inc. TMP Worldwide is the UK and Ireland’s leading recruitment communications business, with 70% of its business in the public sector...
UK - Endless acquires GlynWebb.
Endless LLP has acquired chain retailer GlynWebb for an undisclosed sum. GlynWebb, which specializes in selling discounted DIY, homeware and garden products in the North and Midlands of England generates annual sales of £45m and is planning to increase...
UK - PPF Investments appoints new CEO
PPF Investments has appointed Michal Šušák as its new chief executive officer.