QUEST INTEGRITY acquired by BAKER HUGHES

SNCF and DWS sold their 100% stake in Akiem to CDPQ. This landmark transaction in the rail sector follows the divestment of Ermewa and aims to position Akiem as a key platform for the decarbonization of transport in Europe by investing in new, sustainable locomotive fleets.

Element Materials Technology Group has acquired 100% of National Technical Systems (NTS) from the middle-market private equity firm Aurora Capital Partners. This transaction follows the acquisition of Element by Temasek earlier in 2020 and represents a major strategic move to consolidate the North American TIC market. Under Aurora’s ownership since 2019, NTS underwent an active add-on acquisition program that expanded its geographic breadth and service suite. The strategic rationale for Element is to gain immediate scale and complementary sector knowledge in the United States, particularly in the space, defense, and power sectors. By integrating NTS’s 29 laboratories, Element significantly enhances its "connected technologies" portfolio and its ability to serve more than 50,000 customers worldwide. To support the increased demand following the combination, Element announced plans to hire 1,000 new employees over the next two years.

The acquisition of Phenna Group by Oakley Capital marks a decisive shift in the organization's trajectory, transitioning the group from a minority-held partnership under Inflexion to a majority-controlled industrial platform. The strategic rationale for this transaction centers on a "platform-acceleration" play, merging the target’s industry-leading technical operational depth in the TICC sector with the acquirer’s proven expertise in executing complex buy-and-build roadmaps. This structural alignment provides the organization with the institutional capital and strategic hardware required to address the increasing demand for specialized compliance and safety certification across global supply chains. his operation allows the organization to execute a definitive structural expansion of its service capabilities, building upon the momentum of 23 bolt-on acquisitions completed in the 18 months prior to the exit. By incorporating the sponsor's strategic discipline, the group is now positioned to leverage its recognized leadership in mission-critical workflows to drive deeper market penetration in high-potential geographic zones.

LoxamHune acquired Arteixo Maquinaria to consolidate its leadership in the Spanish market. This tactical acquisition allows Loxam to cover the Galician "white spot" in its national network. By integrating 50 employees and two strategic branches, LoxamHune strengthens its proximity service in a major industrial and logistics hub of Spain.

Loxam acquired Sofranel to strengthen its footprint in the Hauts-de-France region. This tactical move was seen as a bold expansion into the "home turf" of its main rivals (Kiloutou and Acces Industrie). The integration added 8 agencies and approx. 70 employees to Loxam's national network.

DXP Enterprises has successfully finalized the acquisition of Cisco Air Systems, representing a pivotal expansion of its air compressor platform across the Western United States. This strategic transaction integrates a high-performing regional leader into the "One DXP" framework, specifically targeting the resilient industrial corridors of Northern California and Nevada. The strategic rationale for the move centers on the high degree of technical complementarity between the target’s specialized air handling expertise and the group’s existing dominant position in rotating equipment. By incorporating this technical specialist, the organization reinforces its ability to serve mission-critical end markets, notably the food and beverage and transportation sectors, which demand localized, high-tier service models. The partnership is designed to leverage the acquirer’s centralized procurement resources and massive distribution scale while utilizing the target’s exceptional sales expertise. This integration follows a series of recent acquisitions in the compressed air segment, following a disciplined plan to diversify end-market exposure and solidify a multidisciplinary industrial platform capable of providing comprehensive liquid and gas handling solutions.

Solomat Location acquired Locanet to expand its "modular and sanitation" offering. This strategic acquisition allows Solomat to control a larger portion of the construction site value chain, providing not only heavy machinery but also the necessary living facilities for workers.

Dwyer Instruments, a platform company backed by Arcline Investment Management, has finalized the acquisition of Omega Engineering from Spectris plc. The strategic rationale for this transaction centers on a "scale-for-growth" play, merging the target's technical operational depth in omni-channel digital distribution with Dwyer’s extensive sensor manufacturing infrastructure. This fusion effectively creates a specialized powerhouse in the instrumentation sector, repositioning Omega from a non-core division within a large conglomerate into the primary high-service engine for a dedicated sensing platform. This operation allows Spectris plc to execute a definitive structural transformation toward a more streamlined and resilient industrial group. By divesting an asset that required significant global scale to achieve peak profitability, the organization can now concentrate its R&D and capital on its three core pillars: Malvern Panalytical, HBK, and Industrial Solutions. The maneuver optimizes the group's financial profile, sharpening its focus on mission-critical precision measurement solutions for high-growth secular markets.

Kiloutou acquired GSV, the Danish market leader, to establish its third major European pillar alongside France and Poland. This acquisition, the largest in Kiloutou's history at the time, allowed the group to integrate a highly digitalized player and expand its geographical footprint to Northern Europe.

Bufab has successfully finalized the acquisition of all outstanding shares in TIMCO, a move that represents the largest transaction in the group’s history to date. This strategic expansion significantly bolsters the organization's presence in the British and Irish markets, incorporating a highly reputable brand with a dominant position in the construction C-parts segment. The rationale for the move centers on the integration of a specialized "one-stop-shop" platform that provides immediate access to an extensive network of over 4,500 independent merchants. By combining the target’s entrepreneurial DNA and merchant-focused expertise with the group’s global supply chain infrastructure, the partnership aims to accelerate regional growth and broaden the overall service offering. The integration allows for substantial cross-selling opportunities within the construction industry, particularly across safety-critical fasteners and site equipment. Furthermore, the deal reinforces the group’s commitment to consolidating fragmented technical distribution markets while maintaining high standards of customer service.