Deloitte Romania assisted AQUILA in acquisition of Romtec Europa

Deloitte Romania assisted AQUILA, leader in the integrated distribution and logistics services for the fast-moving consumer goods market in Romania and the Republic of Moldova, in the acquisition of Romtec Europa, the company that produces car care fluids and aerosols. The transaction, valued at €3.2 million, was signed in December 2023 and completed recently, following approval from the Competition Council.

As a result of this acquisition, AQUILA will diversify its portfolio with the 20 brands produced by Romtec Europa in their production unit in Iasi, which include Jet Xpert, Clima Xpert, and Brake Xpert.

“We thank the Deloitte team, which assisted us in the acquisition of Romtec Europa. Following our business development strategy, announced when we listed on the Bucharest Stock Exchange, we continue to acquire companies and maintain our broader perspective approach on both the market and the target company profitability. At the same time, this acquisition allows us to expand also into the production segment and consolidate our presence across all distribution channels with products complementary to our activities. We are committed to growing sustainably and to strengthening our position on the distribution market by contributing to developing the business on a strong foundation, in line with our mission to have an AQUILA product distributed in every household,” stated Cătălin Vasile, CEO, AQUILA.

The Deloitte Romania multidisciplinary team assisted AQUILA in the financial and fiscal due diligence. The financial advisory team working on the project included Radu Dumitrescu, Partner-in-Charge, Vlad Balan, Director, Sorin Rugina, Manager, Sorin Vinatoru, Senior Associate, and Marc Nedera, Associate. The tax experts who worked on the transaction were Dan Badin, Partner, Laura Bobar, Senior Manager, and Ana Bica, Senior Consultant.

“This is AQUILA Group’s first acquisition since its listing on the Bucharest Stock Exchange, so the entire process has been representative and important. We are extremely pleased to have been able to contribute to this project, which proved to be complex, with many financial and tax-related aspects to align, but which ultimately represented the continuation of a successful collaboration,” said Radu Dumitrescu, Financial Advisory Partner-in-Charge, Deloitte Romania.

AQUILA was established in 1994 as a family business and has consistently expanded over the past 30 years, both organically and through acquisitions, such as the takeover of AGRIROM, in 2019, and of Trigor AVD, from the Republic of Moldova, in 2021. The company has partnerships with international giants such as Unilever, P&G, Coca-Cola, Philips, and its products are distributed through over 1,000 sales points across the country, located in major retail chains and gas stations. According to the latest financial results, AQUILA ended 2023 with revenues of 2.5 billion lei, driven mainly by the distribution segment.

Romtec Europa has over 30 years of experience in producing car care fluids and cosmetic products. The company will continue to operate as a separate entity after the completion of the acquisition by AQUILA.