mynth
07/2023

IMA GROUP acquired by BDT & MSD PARTNERS

ITALY Industrial Equipment / Special Machinery / Robotics & Automation EV 3b - 100b EUR

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 in 2022, is valued in this transaction at an EV/EBITDA multiple of , representing a to the average currently observed in the Industry & Manufacturing sector (11.6x).

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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.

Ent. Value

Equity Value

Multiples

EV / Revenue

EV / EBITDA

EV / EBIT

Historical Financials (EUR)

Year
Rev
EBITDA
EBIT
2022
2021

Other operations with IMA GROUP

List of similar M&A transactions (Date, Acquirer, Target, Country, Sub-sector)
DateAcquirerTargetCountrySector
02/2026IMA GROUPPROSYSIRELANDMedical Devices
02/2021BC PARTNERSIMA GROUPITALYRobotics & Automation

REFERENCES

Valuation range: EV 3b - 100b EUR

Revenue range: 1b - 3b EUR

EBITDA range: 250M - 500M EUR

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Authors: This transaction was contributed by a verified mynth contributor and cross-checked against available transaction documents and official company communications.

Target: ima group

Acquirer: bdt & msd partners