GROUPE COQUELLE acquired by IRD INVEST

Infranity, a prominent European sustainable infrastructure investor and part of the Generali Group, has finalized the acquisition of a majority stake in TRANSARC. This investment, closed on July 3, 2024, marks a significant move to decarbonize one of France's leading private regional transport operators, as a core pillar of this partnership is the rapid electrification of TRANSARC�s fleet. Immediately following the acquisition, the group announced a strategic collaboration with RETROFLEET to implement an ambitious "retrofit" program.

ACEH, the parent company of Transports Cheminal, is continuing its geographical expansion southward by acquiring all the shares of Transports du Vivarais. This transaction allows the Haute-Loire-based group to establish a presence in the Ardeche region, a strategic axis for serving the Rhone Valley, and to increase its fleet by approximately forty vehicles.

The US private equity giant Carlyle Group has acquired the majority of the Locabox network (20 out of 25 centers) from its founding family, the Demonchy Group. This transaction marks Carlyle's entry into the French self-storage market, a sector consolidating rapidly. The operation is structured as a sale of assets/business, while the historical owners retain a minority scope of 5 centers in the South of France.

DIMOTRANS Group welcomed Credit Mutuel Equity as a new minority shareholder to accelerate its transition toward a EUR1 billion revenue target within five years. The transaction involves a significant reinvestment from historical partner BNP Paribas Developpement and the management team. The deal is supported by a senior debt pool led by CIC Lyonnaise de Banque and other major French banks. The strategic focus is on consolidating the fragmented logistics market through aggressive acquisitions while maintaining the group's independent alternative positioning against global freight forwarding companies.

The 2L Logistics group, a specialist in automotive logistics (EUR115 million in revenue), is continuing its strategy of expanding its network by acquiring Transports Marzat. This transaction allows 2L Logistics to strengthen its presence in Nouvelle-Aquitaine and consolidate its "Automotive" division (vehicle transport), which represents the majority of its business.

The group finalizes the acquisition of LM Trans Fret, a regional transport operator specializing in freight forwarding, chartering, and pallet distribution, primarily serving the agri-food and industrial sectors. This bolt-on transaction perfectly aligns with the acquirer's strategy to densify its geographical footprint. By integrating this player, the group optimizes its domestic and regional transport flows, and unlocks commercial synergies across a diversified industrial customer base, further consolidating its position as an entrenched, end-to-end supply chain partner.

The Bernardi Group, a major player in the transport sector in the Hauts-de-France region, is strengthening its local position by acquiring the assets of its neighbor, Transports Boquet. This external growth operation allows Bernardi to expand its network in the Pas-de-Calais department and integrate a complementary client base in the industrial sector.

Groupe GPS, a specialist in reusable industrial packaging logistics, completes a secondary LBO ("LBO bis"). The private equity firm MML Capital, alongside Metric Capital Partners, acquires the stakes previously held by Cerea Partners, Bpifrance, and Arkea Capital. This transaction, valuing the group at over EUR250 million, aims to fund the massive expansion of its crate fleet and accelerate international growth, particularly in Asia and the US.

The consortium formed by Globalvia and Kinetic acquired the UK-based transport operator Go-Ahead Group. This take-private transaction values the company at approximately �669 million. The deal allows Globalvia to enter the UK bus market and Kinetic to expand its global footprint, aiming to accelerate the decarbonization of Go-Ahead's fleet.

Vectorys, the leading logistics provider for Europe-North Africa flows, completes its third LBO (LBO ter). The group welcomes a new financial partner, IDIA Capital Investissement, while historical backers Bpifrance and Sofipaca reinvest. This operation, which raises EUR26 million (including debt refinancing), allows the management team led by Nabgha Salem to retain a strong majority control while securing resources to accelerate growth, particularly in the logistics sector in Tunisia and through digitization.