Munich, November 10th, 2017 — Blättchen & Partner advises the management of Stark Group on the sale to Lone Star Funds
Ferguson plc has sold Stark Group, its Nordics building materials distribution business, to an affiliate of Lone Star Funds, a global private equity firm, for €1,025 million on a debt-free and cash-free basis. The transaction is still subject to approval from the relevant competition authorities. Subject to satisfaction of this condition, the firm expect the transaction to complete early in 2018. In the year ended 31 July 2016, Stark Group had revenues of 18.4 billion DKK and the profit before interest and tax was 530 million DKK. Headquartered in Zug, Switzerland, Ferguson is a multinational heating and plumbing distributor with approximately 33,000 employees. On 1 August, 2017, the Company changed its name from Wolseley to Ferguson, to reflect the United States being the predominant market. The Company is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index. Prof. Dr. Alexander Götz advised the management of Stark Group with regard to its management participation program. Alongside traditional corporate finance advisory mandates, Alexander Goetz has specialized in providing managers and private equity investors with advice on the design of management equity programs.
For more than 30 years, Blättchen & Partner GmbH has been one of the leading corporate finance consulting firms in Germany known for its innovative finance strategies. With offices in Munich and Stuttgart it has been advising on initial public offerings, bond issues, private equity investments, mergers & acquisitions as well as on management compensation and participation systems. More than 500 transactions demonstrate the expertise of the firm. The interdisciplinary network of excellence, high customer satisfaction and many publications on major financing issues reflect the established reputation of Blättchen & Partner GmbH.
