Blackstone agrees to acquire Averys from Equistone
Headquartered in Paris, Averys is a European group with 1,700 employees and is involved in the conception, production and installation of storage systems: racks, warehouse automation and metallic furniture.
Juergen Pinker, Senior Managing Director at Blackstone, said: “We are delighted to have the opportunity to invest in Averys and to partner with its outstanding management team. It has developed a market-leading offer in a sector with huge potential driven by the growing demand for warehouse space fuelled by the move to e-commerce and automation. Averys’ leading position in its markets will enable the company to continue growing both organically and through M&A. We look forward to working with management to capitalise on its success.”
Jos de Vuyst, Chief Executive of Averys, said: “We are extremely excited by the opportunity of a new partnership with Blackstone and have been impressed by their ambition and approach. With their support, we will continue to expand the business, both organically and through acquisitions as we have done over the past three years with Equistone.”
Guillaume Jacqueau, Managing Partner at Equistone, added: “We are proud to have been a strategic partner for Averys during an important period of the company’s development. Averys’ management has done a fantastic job, having expanded the product offer and grown into new markets via internal and external growth. We are confident that Averys is well positioned to continue to consolidate its leadership position going forward.”
Completion of the transaction is expected in the third quarter of 2018 and is subject to the customary social procedures and approval by the relevant antitrust authorities.
About Blackstone
Blackstone is one of the world’s leading investment firms. We seek to create positive economic impact and long-term value for our investors, the companies in which we invest, and the communities in which we work. We do this by using extraordinary people and flexible capital to help companies solve problems. Our asset management businesses, with $450 billion in assets under management, include investment vehicles focused on private equity, real estate, public debt and equity, non-investment grade credit, real assets and secondary funds, all on a global basis. Further information is available at www.blackstone.com. Follow Blackstone on twitter @Blackstone.
About Averys
Averys is a fast growing European leader in industrial racking solutions with several brands such as Stow, Storax, Feralco, Duwic and Acial, with total revenues of over €600 million. Averys operates in most European countries, has 11 factories, and employs 1,700 people. Further information is available at www.averys.fr.
About Equistone
Equistone is an independent investment firm wholly-owned and managed by its executives. The company is one of Europe’s leading investors in mid-market buyouts with a strong, consistent track record spanning over 30 years, with more than 400 transactions completed in this period. Equistone has a strong focus on change of ownership deals and aims to invest between €25m and €125m of equity in businesses with enterprise values of between €50m and €500m. The company has a team of over 35 investment professionals operating across France, Germany, Switzerland and the UK, investing as a strategic partner alongside management teams. Equistone is currently investing its sixth buyout fund, which held a final closing at its €2.8bn hard cap in March 2018. Equistone is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Further information can be found at www.equistonepe.com.
Contact
Blackstone
Andrew Dowler/Rebecca Flower
+44 (0) 207 451 4275
[email protected]
Equistone
Agnès Catineau/ Sofia Norten
+33 (0) 1 53 96 83 83
[email protected]