Backers: AAC and Polaris
Business description: Baby equipment retailer
Deal value: Undisclosed
Notified: 29/02/08
Provisional deadline: 09/04/08
Founded in 1976, Babysam is a chain of 31 independent stores with a combined revenue of approximately €65m. BabySam enjoys the largest market share in Denmark and its brand is widely recognised as a retailer with a high quality product range (including baby carriages, pushchairs, nursery, safety and feeding products and clothing).
AAC and Polaris plan to transform the chain to create the Nordic region’s leading integrated baby equipment retail chain.
Backers: Montagu
Business description: Waste services
Deal value: £1.7bn
Notified: 11/02/08
Cleared: 17/03/08
The EU has approved the purchase of waste services group
Shareholders of Biffa have approved the offer, with shareholders owning 98% of Biffa stock voted in favour of the takeover deal. The deal is expected to be completed by April 7th, at which time the company will be delisted from the London Stock Exchange.
Backers: Colony Capital, Goldman Sachs and Merchant Equity Partners
Business description: Electricals retailer
Deal value: €550m
Notified: 05/02/08
Cleared: 11/03/08
The EU has approved the purchase of
Kesa Electricals is a holding company with subsidiaries operating through 796 stores in twelve European countries. It is Europe’s third largest electrical retailing group by sales. The Group comprises four operating divisions: Darty (France), BUT (France), Comet (UK) and Other businesses which consists of Vanden Borre (Belgium), BCC (Holland), Datart (Czech Republic and Slovakia), Darty (Italy), Darty (Switzerland), Menaje del Hogar ( Spain and Portugal) and Darty (Turkey).
Backers: Altor Equity Partners
Business description: Paper producer
Deal value: US$979.5m
Notified: 14/03/08
Provisional deadline: 16/04/08
The Finnish paper producer
The transaction consideration consists of approximately €490m in cash, approximately €93m of net liabilities assumed by the purchaser, and a vendor note of €57m.
The sale is expected to be finalised in the second quarter of 2008, subject to customary statutory approvals. The cash proceeds from the transaction will be used to pay down Stora Enso’s debt.
Papyrus, based in Molnlycke, Sweden, is one of Europe’s leading paper merchants with 3,100 employees in 22 European countries.
Backer: Bridgepoint
Business description: Sandwich chain
Deal value: £350m
Notified: 22/02/08
Provisional deadline: 02/04/08