Category: Press

A team of unyer firms, led by Fidal, unyer’s member firm in France, has assisted the SGT Group in its acquisition of Axium Packaging, a manufacturer of plastic packaging previously owned by Cerea Partners, with a multi-jurisdictional and multi-disciplinary team of lawyers led by Rozenn Berthelot (Tax Partner) and Isabelle Cornu (Corporate/M&A Partner). The team included three members of the international unyer organization (Fidal in France, Luther Rechtsanwaltsgesellschaft mbH in Germany and Pirola Pennuto Zei & Associati in Italy) as well as PRK Partners s.r.o., advokátní kancelář in the Czech Republic, coordinated by Gacia Kazandjian (Corporate/M&A Partner). The team members worked together to provide legal and tax advice (transactional, financing, legal and tax advice as well as legal, tax and labour due diligence) in the various jurisdictions involved in the acquisition transaction, namely France, Germany, Italy and the Czech Republic. The transaction was made possible thanks to the unique support of the team of unyer firms, who provided the necessary legal and tax advice across multiple jurisdictions involved in the transaction, leveraging their extensive knowledge of local laws and regulations and their ability to collaborate effectively across borders.

This acquisition gives SGT Group access to new skills while diversifying its product portfolio. It consolidates the company’s presence in the European market, providing new opportunities in sectors such as cosmetics, hygiene and beauty. The SGT Group is a French manufacturer specializing in the design and manufacture of PET preforms for food and non-food applications, as well as HDPE caps. A family business founded in Nantes in 1981, SGT is recognized for its innovation capabilities, supported by an R&D laboratory and one of the most modern plants in France, located at its headquarters in Rezé (44).

Axium Packaging is a manufacturer of plastic packaging (specializing in virgin and recycled PET bottles, jars and caps) for the food, cosmetics and pharmaceuticals sectors. In over 55 years, Axium Packaging has become a major player in the design and manufacture of PET & R-PET plastic packaging for the food industry as well as for consumer health, hygiene and beauty products. Axium Packaging’s products include bottles, caps and boxes. With 385 employees, Axium Packaging operates 6 production sites, including 3 in France, 1 in Germany, 1 in Italy and 1 in the Czech Republic, and achieving over €76 millions in revenue in 2024

Frédéric Mignot, Chairman and CEO of the SGT GROUP: “This acquisition is perfectly in line with our growth strategy. By joining forces with Axium Packaging, we are enhancing our ability to offer innovative and sustainable packaging solutions that meet the current and future needs of our clients.”

Yves Cury, President of AXIUM PACAKGING : “Joining SGT Group is an exceptional opportunity for Axium Packaging. We share common values and a strong drive to innovate in response to growing demands for sustainability and quality.”

Isabelle Cornu and Rozenn Berthelot, Partners at Fidal: “We are delighted to have assisted the SGT Group and its shareholders in this transaction, which will enable it to strengthen its position as an independent player in the market for the design and manufacture of PET & R-PET plastic packaging for the food industry and consumer health, hygiene and beauty products. This transaction will enable the SGT Group to pursue its development and diversification plan, based in particular on new value-added and sustainable products.”

Fidal and Luther are advising the acquirer, Aldebaran, on the acquisition of PAM Building, the European leader in sustainable cast iron for the construction industry, from Saint-Gobain. Alongside Aldebaran, Bpifrance is co-purchaser of PAM Building.

PAM Building designs, manufactures and supplies cast-iron sanitary and rainwater drainage systems for buildings. With around 400 employees and 2 production plants, in Bayard (Haute-Marne, France) and Telford (UK), PAM Building generated revenues of €110 million in 2023. The company is the European leader in its market, with strong positions in France, the UK and Germany, as well as a commercial presence in nearly 50 countries worldwide.

Amélie Brossier, founder of Aldebaran: “We are proud to support the PAM Building teams in the future development of the group. Our plan is to strengthen the company’s innovative capabilities and international reach, positioning it as a major player in sustainable cast iron. To this end, we will be implementing an ambitious decarbonisation plan, switching to an electric furnace at Bayard, to significantly reduce its environmental footprint.”

unyer is advising the buyer Aldebaran on the corporate, environmental and labor due diligence aspects of the transaction. The Fidal team includes Anne Fréchette-Kerbrat, Vincent Poulain, Lorraine Raimbert-Nusse, Hélène Leung, Thibaut Geib and Ghislain Loiseau. The Luther team includes Dr. Thomas Kuhnle, Rares Holonec, Marco Dauner, Dr. Andreas Kloyer, Dr. Thorsten Becker, Lida Karra, Dr. Astrid Schnabel, Amelie Raepple and Fabien Benjamin Wehner.

This new investment is emblematic of Aldebaran’s commitment to supporting French industrial champions in the regions. It also illustrates the Aldebaran team’s expertise in carrying out complex carve-outs for major groups. This acquisition of a majority interest is accompanied by Bpifrance’s participation as co-investor.

The deal remains subject to the usual conditions for this type of transaction and should be finalised by the end of 2024.

unyer advisors from Luther and Fidal provided guidance to init innovation in traffic systems SE during its recent acquisition of DILAX Intelcom GmbH, a hardware and software provider for urban spaces.

The acquisition aims to boost init’s growth through the development of urban mobility concepts and digitalisation solutions. Fidal and Luther, members of unyer, collaborated to make the acquisition possible.

DILAX is specialised in hardware and software solutions for urban spaces in 30 countries. The acquisition also involved a consortium of Best friends firms in five countries led by Private Equity partners Philipp Glock and Michael Ströbel. Fidal’s advisors Christine Blaise-Engel and Alice Godeberge provided French guidance on the acquisition in France.

To ensure a smooth and successful outcome, the unyer network played a key role in advising and supporting init throughout the acquisition process. Luther’s expertise in Private Equity investments and M&A transactions was complemented by Fidal’s in-depth knowledge of the technology sector.

“The acquisition of DILAX gives us access to over 300 long-standing clients and strengthens our position in the rail market in Europe and North America. At the same time, we can leverage synergies in the development of new hardware and software products,” says Dr. Ferber, CFO of init. He expects positive effects on incoming orders, sales and earnings as early as the 2024 financial year.

Member law firms Fidal, Luther, and Pirola Pennuto Zei & Associati advised De Dietrich Process Systems on its acquisition of the HEINKEL Drying & Separation Group. This strategic acquisition enables De Dietrich to enrich and expand its portfolio of solutions for its customers, offering the most comprehensive premium range on the market. The acquisition ensures De Dietrich Process Systems becomes the European leader with a strategic commitment to local manufacturing.

The international transaction was led by the Fidal Mediterranean Financing team, headed by Arthur Bombard and the Fidal Grand Est Corporate team with the lead of Ludovic Gloeckler. Fidal was supported by unyer network member Luther in Germany and Pirola Pennuto Zei & Associati in Italy. The advisor team also included the leading law firms Ploum and MLL Legal in Netherlands and Switzerland.

The client benefited by unyer`s core strength in seamless cross border advise combined with specialized M&A and Finance as well as in-depth regional market knowledge.

“This transaction marks an important turning point for the De Dietrich Group. Fidal, its teams and network were invaluable in helping us complete this acquisition,” said Frédéric Burg, Group Executive Chief Financial Officer, De Dietrich Process Systems.

unyer member law firms Fidal and Luther have advised France’s leading provider of boat hire services on the takeover of Hamburg-based Scansail Yachts International GmbH.

The French Click&Boat (Clickandboat S.A.S.) is pushing ahead with consolidation in the charter market. As part of a cross-border merger, the company has integrated Scansail Yachts International GmbH, headquartered in Hamburg, into the group. The merger was carried out in accordance with the new provisions of the German Transformation Act and the French Commercial Code following the transposition of the EU Directive (EU) 2019/2121 into national law.

unyer member Fidal took the lead in the overall transaction. Isabelle Lanoë (Corporate) and Matthieu Chapin (Tax), acted as central advisors to Click&Boat and worked closely with Dr Florian Schulz and Dr Amos Münch, corporate/M&A lawyer at Luther’s Hamburg office.

The client benefited from the experienced and well-coordinated Fidal-Luther team, which mastered the EU regulatory challenges in particular. With the integration of Scansail, Click&Boat is continuing its course of consolidation in order to establish itself as a leading charter service provider beyond France.