LAMEPLAST acquired by TEKNI-PLEX

Cobepa S.A. has acquired a majority stake in Gerflor SAS from Intermediate Capital Group (ICG) and other shareholders, including Credit Mutuel Equity. Following the transaction, ICG (which had owned the company since 2011) will retain a significant minority stake. The deal was finalized in late January 2020 after receiving approval from the European Commission. The strategic rationale for the acquisition is to strengthen Gerflor’s market leadership and accelerate its international expansion, particularly in North America and Asia. Under ICG’s previous ownership, the company more than doubled its revenues, reaching the €1 billion milestone through a mix of organic growth and strategic bolt-on acquisitions. The new ownership structure under Cobepa is designed to provide the long-term capital necessary to pursue further external growth and leverage Gerflor’s expertise in high-growth niches like sports and healthcare flooring.

Green Arrow Capital has acquired a majority stake in Poplast from Eos Investment Management (which held 86.5%) and minority operating partners. The management team, including Carlo Callegari and Pierangelo Fantoni, has reinvested in the company. The deal values the company at over EUR110 million. The acquisition aims to create a "Green Packaging" pole by aggregating other companies in the flexible packaging sector that focus on recyclable and compostable materials. The transaction was financed by Credit Agricole Italia and Deutsche Bank.

Blackstone entered into a definitive agreement to acquire an initial 51% controlling stake in Essel Propack from the Ashok Goel Trust. The transaction was strategically motivated by the rapid growth of the Indian consumer market and the increasing global demand for specialized pharmaceutical and personal care packaging. By transitioning from a family-led structure to a private equity-backed model, the deal was designed to accelerate Essel Propack’s expansion across the Asia Pacific and Oceania regions, utilizing India as a central manufacturing and export hub.

Alpha Private Equity acquired a controlling stake in Laminam from the Stefani family (System Group). The CEO reinvested significantly alongside Alpha and continued to lead the company. The acquisition followed a competitive auction involving funds like InvestIndustrial, Ardian, and BC Partners. The transaction was financed by Banco BPM. The strategic goal was to accelerate Laminam's global expansion and capitalize on its tripled production capacity following recent investments in its Parma (Italy) and Vorsino (Russia) plants.

Parcom Capital acquired a 60% majority stake in 247TailorSteel from its founder, Carel van Sorgen. The transaction was designed to solve the founder's succession while providing the industrial group with the financial muscle to accelerate its European rollout.

Platinum Equity has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Multi-Color Corporation in a transaction valued at an enterprise value of $2.5 billion. This acquisition serves as a massive transformative add-on for Platinum's existing portfolio company, WS Packaging Group. The merger combines MCC's global footprint and leadership in premium label segments (Wine & Spirits, Healthcare) with WS Packaging's extensive domestic manufacturing network and pressure-sensitive capabilities. The deal will take MCC private, delisting it from the NASDAQ, and is financed through equity from Platinum Capital Partners IV LP and debt financing from Bank of America Merrill Lynch and Deutsche Bank.

AptarGroup has finalized the 100% acquisition of Reboul S.A.S. from Vacheron Industries in an all-cash corporate transaction. The acquisition strengthens the buyer's structural capabilities within the high-growth color cosmetics vertical by integrating Reboul's highly specialized expertise in custom metal casing and engineered lipstick mechanisms. The investment thesis centers on consolidating market share in premium beauty packaging by absorbing a recognized player with innovative technologies. For AptarGroup, the strategic rationale focuses on leveraging its existing, extensive global commercial network to cross-sell Reboul's high-end technical solutions. Under the post-closing operational framework, substantial geographical and industrial synergies are unlocked, as Reboul's manufacturing facility in Annecy is strategically located near Aptar’s pre-existing corporate operations, ensuring a seamless integration of supply chains and production capacities.

Lindsay Goldberg has acquired the "Global Rigid" division of Coveris Holdings S.A. Coveris, owned by Sun Capital Partners, sold this division as part of a broader deleveraging strategy (simultaneously selling its Americas division). The Rigid business will be separated from the Flexible business and operate as a standalone entity (later rebranded PACCOR). The deal followed a competitive auction where Ardian and Triton were underbidders.

As part of one of the biggest LBO since 2008, a consortium formed by The Carlyle Group and GIC acquired 100% of AkzoNobel Specialty Chemicals in a landmark corporate carve-out transaction. The deal was structured via a competitive bidding process under a definitive share purchase agreement, outnegotiating rival private equity syndicates including Apollo Global Management, Bain Capital, Advent International, and Hal Investments. The transaction was financed via a high-leverage capital structure comprising institutional sponsor equity alongside €6.5 billion in senior secured acquisition debt, representing a leverage ratio of 6.5x EBITDA. The debt package was arranged by a tier-one global banking syndicate led by Barclays, HSBC, and JPMorgan, alongside Citi, Credit Suisse, Deutsche Bank, RBC, and UBS, and included an additional €800 million in undrawn revolving credit lines. Under the binding terms of the agreement, Carlyle committed to maintaining the standalone entity’s corporate headquarters in the Netherlands.

Alliance Etiquettes has finalized a transformative transaction by integrating Groupe Etienne, a significant competitor based in the Loire Valley. This deal represents a major milestone in the consolidation of the French label market. By combining Alliance Etiquettes' existing operations with Groupe Etienne's six production sites, the new entity becomes the undisputed French leader in wine labels. Under the terms of the agreement, Activa Capital remains the majority shareholder with 60% of the new entity, while the management teams of both Alliance Etiquettes and Groupe Etienne hold the remaining 40%. The financial investors previously backing Groupe Etienne (LT Capital, Sodero Gestion, Alliance Entreprendre) have fully exited their positions.