Here are the main deals in the Automotive, Manufacturing & Heavy Industry sector that were registered last year. For a forecast regarding the M&A market this year, you can read this exclusive article.
AUTOMOTIVE
Transaction: Autonet closes deal with Swiss Automotive Group (SAG)
Value of transaction: N/A
Legal team buyer: Lenz & Staehelin, acting for SAG
Legal team seller: Țuca Zbârcea & Asociații, acting for Autonet
Description: Shareholders of the Autonet group of companies, the leading service provider on the Romanian automotive aftermarket, have closed a transaction with Swiss Automotive Group (SAG), one of the largest European independent providers of car parts. From here on, Autonet companies will be comprised within a holding, with SAG owning 51 percent of the shares, and the existing Autonet shareholders 49 percent. SAG and Autonet will continue to operate separately within their own markets. Their joint coverage encompasses seven countries – Romania, Hungary, Slovenia, Slovakia, Switzerland, Austria and Belgium.
Transaction: Dexter Axle Holding Company has acquired ALOIS KOBER GmbH from AL-KO Kober SE and formed a new company – DexKo Global Inc.
Value of transaction: N/A.
Legal team buyer: Wolf Theiss
Legal team seller: N/A
Description: Dexter Axle Holding Company, the leading designer and manufacturer of trailer axles, brakes and related components in North America, has acquired ALOIS KOBER GmbH from AL-KO Kober SE for the following jurisdictions: Romania, Poland, Czech Republic and Austria. The newly created company, DexKo Global Inc., will become a global leader in trailer axle and chassis supply, with sales approaching nearly USD 1 billion. The transaction is expected to close at year end. DexKo Global Inc. will be majority owned by funds managed by The Sterling Group, Dexter’s current majority owners. The combined company will include AL-KO Kober SE as a significant shareholder. Dexter and AL-KO VT will remain under their current brands as market leaders in their respective geographies.
MANUFACTURING AND HEAVY INDUSTRY
Transaction: Kingspan buys Joris Ide Group
Value of transaction: EUR 315 million
Legal team buyer: (Kingspan Group) Clifford Chance
Legal team seller: N/A
Description: Kingspan, the Irish based isolation specialist, acquired Belgian headquartered Joris Ide Group, leading producer of steel profiles for walls and roofs, which is active in Romania through Megaprofil Buzias. The acquisition is subject to regulatory conditions, including merger control filings in the EU and Russia, and is expected to close in approximately two months.
Transaction: Rosti Group indirectly acquires stake in Bianor Solutions
Value of transaction: N/A
Legal team buyer: Dentons
Legal team seller: N/A
Description: Supplier of precision injection moulded products Rosti Group has acquired of Bianor Solutions in Romania as part of a cross-border deal with the private equity company Nimbus Investment. The deal involved the direct acquisition of the Dutch holding company and the indirect acquisition of its subsidiaries in Romania and Poland.