Author: markenmut

January 2019: I-ADVISE AG advised Stadtwerke Gießen AG (“Stadtwerke Gießen”) on the sale of the electricity distribution grids of the city of Selters and the local community of Maxsain (“electricity distribution grids”) to Energieversorgung Mittelrhein (“evm”).

Around 88 kilometres of power lines and an associated operating property were sold to evm and the transfer of the grid service employees working in the grid area was agreed.

Stadtwerke Giessen is the regional energy supplier for the city of Giessen and the region “Mittelhessen” regarding electricity, natural gas and heat as well as drinking water. In addition, it operates the public bus services and the public baths. Stadtwerke Giessen, a 100% subsidiary of the university town of Giessen, with around 800 employees, supplies more than 190,000 customers and generated sales revenues of more than €400 million in 2017.

I-ADVISE comprehensively supported Stadtwerke Giessen in the preparation and execution of the transaction, by evaluating the electricity distribution grids and the operating property, preparing a fairness opinion and accompanying the contract negotiations.

January 2019: I-ADVISE AG advised ENGIE in Germany in the acquisition of OTTO Luft- und Klimatechnik GmbH & Co. KG (“OTTO Group”), Bad Berleburg. OTTO Group is a leading specialist in ventilation and air-conditioning solutions, cooling technology and building automation in Germany. By acquiring Otto group, ENGIE strengthens its leading market position in technical building services and deepens its product portfolio in ventilation and air-conditioning.

Otto Group with its 700 employees generated revenues of approx. €120m in 2018.

ENGIE in Germany is specialising in technical building services, facilities management, industrial refrigeration technology and energy services. ENGIE Deutschland AG is part of listed ENGIE group generating €65bn in revenues with more than 150,000 employees worldwide.

I-ADVISE provided both, Financial and Tax Due Diligence support to ENGIE.

January 2019: I-ADVISE AG supported the merger of Mayersche Buchhandlung KG and Best Of Books (B.O.B) with Thalia GmbH. The combination of 55 Mayersche bookstores in North Rine-Westphalia and Rhineland-Palatinate and the 300 Thalia stores in German speaking countries including Best Of Books (B.O.B) are forming Europe’s leading family-led bookseller.

Ongoing challenges in retail markets require innovative concepts and new alliances to sustain market success. Thalia and Mayersche are merging into an innovative bookseller with a strong regional footprint in the German speaking market, and the most successful omni-channel bookselling business. I-ADVISE provided Financial Due Diligence services to Mayersche and supported in all financial aspects of the merger.

I-ADVISE provided Mayersche Buchhandlung with Financial Due Diligence and financial advisory.

About Mayersche
In 1817 Mayersche Buchhandlung was founded in Aachen by Jacob Anton Mayer. It celebrated its second centenary anniversary in 2017 and is ever since its foundation a family owned business. Today Mayersche is run by the Falter family and is represented in 55 stores in the Western part of Germany. The Shop-in-Shop provider Best of Books is also part of the Mayersche business. In total, 1000 employees including 120 trainees are employed by Mayersche.

About Thalia
Thalia was established in 1919 in Hamburg and is market leader in retail bookstores in German-speaking countries. Thalia is owned by the Herder, Kreke, Busch and Göritz families. Thalia operates ca. 300 stores in Germany and Austria, including a 50% share in more than 30 Orell Füssli Thalia PLC bookstores in Switzerland. Thalia’s successful omni-channel strategy enables customers to access its products via all existing sales channels. Thalia employs 5,000 people.

Düsseldorf, November 2018: I-ADVISE continues its growth in valuation services and complements the valuation services team led by Dr. Jochen Beumer with Pia Brandenstein.

Pia Brandenstein is an expert in the field of valuation service with particular experience as auditor or independent expert appointed by the court in the context of German stock corporation laws and transformation laws. She also has a large consultancy track record being both German public accountant (Wirtschaftsprüfer) and German tax accountant (Steuerberater) Starting her career in a next-ten-auditory she changed to a specialist in valuation to finally reach I-ADVISE.

„We are very happy to welcome Pia on board as a well-renowned valuation expert“, so Dr. Jochen Beumer, Head of Valuation Services of I-ADVISE AG.

October 2018: Evonik is taking the next step in systematically focusing on specialty chemicals with the divestment of its US Jayhawk site in Galena, Kansas. The site produces precursors for agrochemicals, which are not included in the growth businesses defined by Evonik.
Jayhawk’s activities fall under the Agrochemicals & Polymer Additives business line in Evonik’s Performance Materials segment. Under a share deal, funds advised by the international investment firm Permira will acquire the site along with the company and its approximately 120 employees. The sale price is in the high double-digit million dollar range. The transaction is subject to approval by antitrust authorities in several countries.

I-ADVISE provided financial sell-side support to Evonik including the compilation of a financial fact book.

Permira is a global investment firm. Founded in 1985, the firm advises funds with a total committed capital of approximately €32 billion. The Permira funds have a long track record of successfully investing in industrial companies around the world and have invested over €4.6 billion in more than 20 companies. The CABB Group, headquartered in Sulzbach am Taunus, Germany, is a globally active producer of precursors, intermediates, and active substances for fine chemicals. With about 1,000 employees, the Group generates annual sales in the region of €450 million.

Evonik is one of the world leaders in specialty chemicals. The focus on more specialty businesses, customer-orientated innovative prowess and a trustful and performance-oriented corporate culture form the heart of Evonik’s corporate strategy. They are the lever for profitable growth and a sustained increase in the value of the company. Evonik benefits specifically from its customer proximity and leading market positions. Evonik is active in over 100 countries around the world with more than 36,000 employees. In fiscal 2017, the enterprise generated sales of €14.4 billion and an operating profit (adjusted EBITDA) of €2.36 billion.

September 2018

Bad Blankenburg. Intercus GmbH retained I-ADVISE AG to assess options to fund its strategic growth perspectives. Such growth financing was provided by the new minority shareholder bm|t beteiligungsmanagement thüringen gmbh, Erfurt.

The cash injected into equity will support Intercus in its efforts to develop marketable product innovations and to expand into new regional markets.

„bm|t and Intercus form a partnership that is built on a long-term relationship and reliability. Intercus is therefore ready to cope with coming challenges and well-prepared to take advantage of new opportunities”, explained Thomas Busch, managing director of Intercus.

About Intercus

Since 15 years Intercus develops and manufactures implants in the field of traumatology and orthopaedy for domestic and international markets. Intercus specialises on polyaxial locking systems and innovative products enhancing wound healing.

Together with well-renowned clinics and universities from all over the world, Intercus’ R&D department seeks to develop new implants and to identify new materials. Intercus’ highest quality products are manufactured in a state-of-the-art production site in Thuringia.

About bm|t

Back in 2003, bm|t was founded by its sole shareholder Thuringia development bank (“Thüringer Aufbaubank”). Its funds are used to provide equity capital to younger and also well-established enterprises from Thuringia with particular growth perspectives. In general, equity financing is provided by Midcap Fund for Thuringia (“Mittelstands-Fonds Thüringen”) which is managed by bm|t.

Düsseldorf, February: I-ADVISE continues its growth in valuation services and complements the valuation services team led by Dr. Jochen Beumer with Klaus Jürgens.

Effective 1 February I-ADVISE hired Klaus Jürgens, an expert in the field of valuation service particularly in the banking and insurance industry. After his training as a banker he studied business administration at the WWU Münster and passed the exam as a German tax accountant (“Steuerberater”). In his professional career he worked at a Big4 Accounting and Advisory firm and an international insurance group.

„We are very happy to welcome Klaus on board as a well-renowned valuation expert“, so Dr. Jochen Beumer, Head of Valuation Services of I-ADVISE AG.