Livingstone advises Zehnder Pumpen GmbH on sale to French SFA Group
Livingstone’s industrial sector team has advised the three shareholders Wachstumsfonds Mittelstand Sachsen (“WMS”), MS Industrie AG and MuM Industriebeteiligungen GmbH on the sale of German pump specialist Zehnder Pumpen GmbH to Paris-based SFA Group, a French manufacturer of sanitary equipment. The parties have agreed not to disclose any financial terms of the transaction.
Zehnder Pumpen, located in Grünhain-Beierfeld, Saxony, is a recognized manufacturer of branded pumps and pump systems for water supply and disposal in houses, apartments and other similar applications. Founded in 1976, the company has always been at the forefront of development of pump technologies for both clean and waste water for households, garden usage and industrial applications. From borehole pumps through garden pumps and rain water centers to lifting units, Zehnder is offering its products predominantly via the three-tiered sales channels in Germany. It offers its extensive product portfolio and wide range of applications with market leading quality made in Germany under the cornerstone brand Zehnder as well as a partly cost-efficient portfolio addition marketed under the secondary brand blueZPring made for Zehnder pumps with international sales success particularly in Europe and China.
Hans-Jörg Herold, CEO of Zehnder Pumpen, commented: “We are extremely grateful for the close cooperation with our former shareholders from WMS, MS Industrie AG and MuM Industriebeteiligungen GmbH in the last decade. The partnership and seamless collaboration between all parties was key for the successful development and growth in recent years. Now we are looking forward to becoming a part of the prospering future of SFA Group, especially for the benefit of our customers and employees.”
SFA Group is a family-owned French company with a 60-year-long tradition in manufacturing sanitary appliances and a global market leader in the niche market of wastewater technology and small sewage lifting units. SFA operates three production plants in France as well as 24 subsidiaries around the world and works with more than 60 distributors. Livingstone identified SFA as a strategic partner with significant synergy potential, which pursues a product portfolio extension and multi-brand strategy.
Stéphane Harel, Deputy Managing Director of SFA Group, said: “The acquisition of Zehnder Pumpen allows SFA to extend its product portfolio as well as to strengthen its leading position in the growing global sanitary market.”
Harald Rehberg, Managing Director of CFH governing the WMS fund investments and Dr. Andreas Aufschnaiter and Markus Wenner, representing MS Industrie and MuM Industriebeteiligungen, added: “We would like to thank Mr. Herold and the entire team of Zehnder Pumpen for the outstanding development and the family-like cooperation. The company and its employees were always special to us and we would also like to thank the Livingstone deal team who understood this special relationship straight from the beginning. It was very important to us to find a partner who offers not only a great new perspective to the company but who is also highly interested in the future of the site in Grünhain-Beierfeld.”
Johannes Faber, Director of Livingstone Partners in Düsseldorf, commented: “It always feels special to us when we are not only able to craft a successful deal but truly forge a promising future and a win-win-win situation for sellers, acquirers and especially the target and its employees. Zehnder Pumpen is a well-known hidden champion in the German household pump market and we are glad that we were able to support the combination of its leading technology know-how especially for larger lifting units with the outstanding global market presence and international sales force of SFA Group. We see a huge potential going forward for this cross-border combination.”
