IMA GROUP acquired by BDT & MSD PARTNERS
Context
BDT & MSD Partners has agreed to acquire a significant minority stake in IMA S.p.A., purchasing the entire 45% holding from private equity firm BC Partners. The founding Vacchi family will retain its majority ownership, controlling the remaining 55% of the company. This transaction marks a successful exit for BC Partners, which had partnered with the Vacchi family to take IMA private from the Milan stock exchange in 2020. During BC Partners' co-ownership, IMA executed several bolt-on acquisitions, enhanced its R&D capabilities, and achieved substantial growth in revenue and profitability. The new partnership with BDT & MSD Partners is designed to launch IMA's next phase of growth. The primary strategic rationale is to leverage BDT & MSD's expertise and long-term capital to accelerate IMA's international expansion, with a particular focus on the U.S. market. Furthermore, the investment will support IMA's leadership ambitions in the transition toward sustainable packaging materials and innovative, eco-friendly solutions, aligning with increasing customer demand for reduced environmental impact. The transaction underscores BDT & MSD's investment philosophy of providing aligned, long-term capital to successful family-controlled enterprises to help them achieve their strategic objectives.
It is worth noting that the fund Bc Partners took control of Ima Group through an LBO in 2021.
IMA GROUP, which reported an EBITDA margin of LOGIN in 2022, is valued in this transaction at an EV/EBITDA multiple of LOGIN, representing a LOGIN to the average currently observed in the Industry & Manufacturing sector (11.2x).
Note that this data is based on contribution from our growing community, composed of M&A and Private Equity professionals, and has been verified by our team to ensure its accuracy.
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Target
IMA Group (Industria Macchine Automatiche S.p.A.) operates as a global industrial manufacturer specializing in the design, engineering, and manufacture of automatic machines and complete lines for processing and packaging. The company's commercial business model centers on supplying highly automated, high-precision processing technologies and packaging systems to a diversified international client base. The group maintains a massive operational footprint across specialized consumer and healthcare end-markets, specifically within the pharmaceutical, food, beverage, cosmetics, and personal care sectors.
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Historical Financials (EUR)
Other operations with IMA GROUP
| Date | Acquirer | Target | Country | Sector | Deal Context |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 02/2026 | IMA GROUP | PROSYS | IRELAND | Life Sciences | IMA Group acquired a majority stake in ProSys Sampling Systems Limited from its co-founder and Treysa Limited. The transaction is a core component of IMA's international growth strategy, aiming to strengthen its "IMA Life" division by integrating specialized containment and sampling expertise |
| 02/2021 | BC PARTNERS | IMA GROUP | ITALY | Industrial Equipment | BC Partners, a leading pan-European private equity firm, partnered with the incumbent Vacchi family to orchestrate the take-private of IMA S.p.A., a global leader in packaging machinery previously listed on the Milan stock exchange |
REFERENCES
Valuation range: EV 3b - 100b EUR
Revenue range: 1b - 3b EUR
EBITDA range: 250M - 500M EUR
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Authors: verified mynth contributor (mynth data is contributed by M&A / PE professionals and systematically cross-verified with private deal documents and official press releases).
Target: ima group
Acquirer: bdt & msd partners