Heliad acquires indirect shareholding of 22% in time:matters GmbH


Heliad Equity Partners GmbH & Co. KGaA / Miscellaneous
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++ Heliad acquires indirect shareholding of 22% in time:matters GmbH, a leading company in the field of specialist logistics
++ Unique position in an attractive niche of the logistics market

Heliad, a publicly listed private equity investment company, has acquired an indirect shareholding of 22% in time:matters GmbH ('time:matters'), a leading company in the field of specialist logistics. A majority of the shares in the former Lufthansa Cargo AG subsidiary was acquired by funds advised by Buchanan Capital Partners, an investment company focused on high-growth medium-sized companies, at the end of last year. Since then, the company has been successfully assisted in its further expansion. Heliad’s investment should enable the complementary networks and the capital strength of the two investment companies to be used for the further development of time:matters, in which Lufthansa Cargo AG still holds a minority shareholding. In the interests of maintaining a uniform management structure, Buchanan Capital Partners will continue to act as the lead investor for time:matters and will manage Heliad’s investment.
The specialist logistics company time:matters provides its customers with services in the fields of courier, same-day and emergency logistics. The company, which is based in Neu-Isenburg, relies in this respect on a network of more than 300 transport and logistics partners around the world, which provide transport by air, rail and road. The core business of extremely time-critical courier services forms the foundation for the two high-growth business fields of same-day services and emergency logistics. Exclusive agreements with Lufthansa Cargo AG and Deutsche Bahn provide time:matters with a favourable starting point to benefit as an established logistics company from the general trend towards complex courier same-day and emergency logistics services, as well as from the globalisation of markets, and to exploit market opportunities flexibly. Since its foundation in 2001, time:matters has achieved consistently profitable growth averaging 30% per annum, generating sales of more than Euro 30 million in 2006 with a total of 45 employees at the end of the year.
Ralf Flore, CEO of Heliad, sees the investment as being highly promising. 'Alongside the superb management, it was the company’s unique market position due to its close cooperation with Lufthansa Cargo AG and Deutsche Bahn AG which drove our decision to invest in time:matters. The company has occupied a highly attractive niche within specialist logistics and fits excellently into our portfolio of high-growth owner-run companies.'
++ About Heliad

Heliad is a publicly listed investment company that focuses on companies in predominantly German-speaking countries. It invests in companies that are undergoing a strong growth phase or that are in a special situation. With Heliad, investors therefore participate strongly in the growth prospects of traditional German SMEs as well as in upcoming German technology companies.
Further information about the company can be found at www.heliad.de.

Contact:
Heliad Equity Partners GmbH & Co. KGaA

Alexander Mitsch
Chief Financial Officer
Tel.: +49 (0) 69 71 91 59 65 28
E-Mail: alexander.mitsch@heliad.de


30.08.2007  Financial News transmitted by DGAP

 
Language:     English
Issuer: Heliad Equity Partners GmbH & Co. KGaA               Grüneburgweg 18
              60322 Frankfurt am Main
              Deutschland
Phone:        +49 (0)69 719 15 965 0
Fax:          +49(0)69 719 15 965 11
E-mail:       info@heliad.de
Internet:     www.heliad.de
ISIN:         DE0006047293
WKN:          604729
Indices:      
Listed: Geregelter Markt in Frankfurt (Prime Standard); Freiverkehr               in Berlin, München, Stuttgart
 
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