MergerMarket
This is a list of “companies to follow” in German-speaking countries. They are interesting, organic-growth businesses with hidden potential to use M&A now or in the future.
Germany
Holemans, a gravel plant operator, is constructing new facilities
Geta, a vehicle interior producer, is eyeing growth
SolarisBank, a digital banking operator, is considering expansion
Aktivbank, a bank serving midsized companies, is investing in digitization
Pleines Fashion Optik, an eyewear maker, aims to grow its chain
Franz Gaissmaier Baustoffe, a building materials company, is expanding its location
Otto Bock, a prosthetics company, raised EUR 600m
Austria
Danzer, a decorative hardwood producer, plans further investments
Switzerland
Transa, an outdoor equipment maker, took over the Spatz tent range
Holemans builds new facilities
Holemans, operator of the Wesel-based gravel plant Kieswerk Ellerdonk, is constructing new facilities, Rheinische Post reported on 21 March. A new treatment plant has been under construction for about eight weeks, the report noted. It cited Thomas Derksen, the technical director, as saying the gravel plant will be more densely furnished, allowing the new facility to be 17 meters high instead of 26 like the older one. Operations are expected to become more efficient. Construction is proceeding according to the time plan, according to the article. Production is expected to resume in early summer.
Geta aims for more growth
Geta, the Wangen-based vehicle interior producer, is eyeing growth, Schwaebische Zeitung reported on 17 March. The company pursued strong international growth in 2015, founding operations in Russia and Italy, the report said, citing Chief Executive Peter Buhmann. Since 2006, it has had a joint venture serving the Chinese market, while Russia has also been a major focus for its business, the report said. In the coming two years, it plans to establish three further international partnerships. The 30-year-old company mostly produces items for train interiors, the report said. Last year's turnover reached EUR 50m.
SolarisBank targets expansion with banking license
SolarisBank, the Berlin-based digital banking platform operator, is eyeing expansion having obtained a full banking license. The company stated that it has received a license from the German financial supervisory authority (BaFin) and aims to boost the growth of the digital economy. The company has built a modular platform for digital companies, letting them develop financial solutions suited to their requirements. It said it is filling a gap left by traditional banks, which are generally ill-suited to the digital economy. Besides ecommerce businesses, SolarisBank will serve fintech companies aiming to launch new business models and financial technologies. Managing Director Andreas Bittner said partners can pick SolarisBank services like building blocks to create custom solutions. The company was launched in 2015.
Aktivbank invests in digitization
Aktivbank, the Pforzheim-based bank serving midsized companies, is investing in digitization, Pforzheimer Kurier reported on 19 March. The firm boosted its turnover last year by 1.8% to EUR 2.78bn. Manager Hauke Kahlcke was cited as saying the bank is continuing its investment in digitizing business processes in order to provide up-to-date services. He said there will be a focus on electronic billing and a customer-oriented development of the firm's factoring services. The year 2015 already saw Aktivbank making investments in new financial services for midsized companies and their groupings, the report said. Its factoring turnover rose by EUR 41.1m. During 2016, investment will go into IT solutions in building up the corresponding personnel base. Moreover, Aktivbank was cited as saying it may seek to acquire stakes in companies with suitable digitization solutions.
Pleines Fashion Optik plans more outlets
Pleines Fashion Optik, the Korschenbroich-based eyewear maker, aims to expand its chain of outlets, Rheinische Post reported on 4 March. Based largely in Germany's Lower Rhine region, the company aims to grow beyond this while staying inside the state of Nordrhein-Westfalen, the report said. Owner R. Dieter Pleines mentioned the major city of Düsseldorf as one place where the company is not yet represented. The 60-year-old family company sees growth potential through internet sales, with which it is complementing its traditional sales, Pleines was cited as saying. The company operates a chain of 17 optical businesses and 15 acoustics ones. Pleines said it is in the top 20 of 12,000 ophthalmic businesses in Germany. The company has 110 employees.
Franz Gaissmaier Baustoffe expands with new property
Franz Gaissmaier Baustoffe, the Tettnang-based building materials company, is expanding its base location by 5,400 square meters, Schwaebische Zeitung reported on 16 March. The report cited Managing Director Peter Gaissmaier as saying the company has acquired land and buildings from the construction components company Aich in Schaeferhof, a part of the city of Tettnang, and will use these for its work. The company has long been seeking expansion of its 10,000 square-meter headquarters, as it wanted more space for storing materials, he said. Aich is relocating operations.
Otto Bock raises EUR 600m with promissory notes
Otto Bock, the Berlin-based prosthetics company, has raised EUR 600m through a promissory note (Schuldschein) issuance, Boersen-Zeitung reported on 17 March. The transaction was arranged by Deutsche Bank and legally advised by White & Case.
Danzer to invest in deck layers
Danzer, the Austrian decorative hardwood producer, plans further investments in its business with deck layers for hardwood flooring, it announced on 3 March. That part of its business saw strong growth in 2015. Chief Executive Hans-Joachim Danzer said EUR 15m will be invested in expanding and upgrading factories in France and the Czech Republic. The year 2016 will see a launch in production of deck layers at the company's US plants, too, the company announcement stated. The company boosted sales in 2015 by 9.5% to EUR 254m. In its first business year located at its new head office in Dornbirn, the company acquired a veneer splicing plant in the Czech Republic. The family-held Danzer has three production plants in Europe, five in the Americas and one in Africa. Its employees number 2,600 worldwide.
Transa to produce acclaimed tent brand
Transa, the Swiss outdoor equipment maker, has taken over production of the acclaimed Spatz tent range, Neue Zuercher Zeitung reported on 22 March. The report said Transa is an investor in a new Wädenswil-based business that will make tents and sleeping bags. This follows an auctioning off of the tent production operation under the Spatz brand name, the report said. According to the article, the entity that will continue the production is a cooperative venture launched in January by Transa and the businessman Olivier Lüthold. The report cited Lüthold as saying there is much business potential in the venture.