Heliad Equity Partners acquires a majority interest in Swiss heating installation service provider R. Häsler AG


Heliad Equity Partners GmbH & Co. KGaA / Miscellaneous
07.12.2009 

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++ Heliad acquires a majority interest in Swiss heating installation    service provider R. Häsler AG
++ New portfolio company generates annual sales in excess of 20 million    Swiss francs
++ Systematic implementation of service focus

On 4 December 2009, Heliad Equity Partners GmbH & Co. KGaA ('Heliad') signed an agreement to purchase one hundred percent of R. Häsler AG, Möhlin, Switzerland, thereby acquiring the company from its sole shareholder Roland Häsler as part of a small and medium-sized company succession solution.

This acquisition is a continuation of Heliad's systematic pursuit of its focus on high-growth service companies. R. Häsler AG provides services in the heating installation and maintenance sector in the growth region of Northwestern Switzerland. The company has more than 80 employees at five locations in the cantons of Aargau, Basel-Country and Basel-City, and generates annual sales in excess of 20 million Swiss francs, making it by far the largest heating contractor in Northwestern Switzerland. The company has been benefiting primarily from sustained building activity (single-family homes and condominiums) in the region of Northwestern Switzerland, which is continuing in spite of the current challenging economic environment. Regulations on improved energy efficiency and the general trend toward alternative energy sources (photovoltaics, heat pumps and geothermal systems) are also creating additional growth potential. The company has achieved substantial double-digit growth rates in the past by means of selective company acquisitions and establishing new locations.
The founder and former sole shareholder Roland Häsler is transferring ownership to Heliad as part of a succession solution. Former managing director Jörg Kaiser and the five branch managers will take over responsibility for operations management. In addition, Mr. Häsler himself has agreed to remain in an advisory capacity in order to assist the company with its further growth.

Ralf Flore, CEO of Heliad Equity Partners GmbH & Co. KGaA, has the following to say on the takeover of R. Häsler AG: 'The acquisition of R. Häsler AG is a continuation of Heliad's systematic pursuit of its investment strategy of investing in successful high-growth small and medium-sized service companies. Because Northwestern Switzerland is a high-income immigration region, R. Häsler AG will profit from a continuation of the lively new construction activity prevalent in the region. The current fragmentation of the heating, ventilation and air conditioning market, new building regulations on energy efficiency, and the trend towards alternative heating systems, such as heat pumps, are further drivers of future growth. This initial investment in Switzerland allows Heliad to gain a foothold in an attractive market for succession solutions.'

++ About Heliad

Heliad is a publicly listed investment company which invests in high-growth companies in German-speaking countries. Heliad relies in this respect on established, owner-managed business models with sales of between EUR 10 million and EUR 100 million and a focus on service providers ('asset-light' focus). With this investment focus and its buy-and-build strategy, Heliad is positioned in the attractive niche between venture capital and traditional buyouts. With around 4,000 employees, the twelve companies currently in Heliad's portfolio generate combined sales of more than EUR 650 million. Further information about the company can be found at www.heliad.com.

Contact:
Heliad Equity Partners GmbH & Co. KGaA
Thomas Kunder
Chief Financial Officer
Phone: +49 69 71 91 59 65 39
E-Mail: investor-relations@heliad.com




07.12.2009 Financial News distributed by DGAP. Media archive at www.dgap-medientreff.de and www.dgap.de

 
Language:     English
Company: Heliad Equity Partners GmbH & Co. KGaA               Grüneburgweg 18
              60322 Frankfurt am Main
              Deutschland
Phone:        +49 69 71 91 59 65 0
Fax:          +49 69 71 91 59 65 11
E-mail:       info@heliad.com
Internet:     www.heliad.com
ISIN:         DE000A0L1NN5
WKN:          A0L1NN
Listed: Regulierter Markt in Frankfurt (Prime Standard); Freiverkehr               in Berlin, München, Stuttgart
 
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