Succession: Bregal takes over EA Elektro-Automatik
Viersen / Munich — As part of a succession plan, funds advised by Bregal Unternehmerkapital have acquired a majority stake in the hidden champion EA Elektro-Automatik. The goal of the long-term partnership is to continue EA’s successful history and further growth. Shearman & Sterling advised the banks on acquisition financing of EA Elektro-Automatik by Bregal.
EA-Elektro-Automatik GmbH & Co KG is Germany’s leading manufacturer in laboratory power supply, high performance power supplies and electronic loads. In 1974, Helmut Nolden founded the company with the vision of developing highly qualified power supply systems for all applications. Today, EA-Elektro-Automatik is a globally active, medium-sized company.
What began in 1974 in a basement workshop with the first development of fixed-voltage power supplies for the laboratory and hobby sector has quickly developed into one of the most sought-after suppliers of highly complex solutions. Today, EA produces on 10,000m² at its main site in Viersen, has subsidiaries in China as well as in the USA and employs about 250 people. Founded by Managing Director Helmut Nolden, the company has been growing strongly for years, supplying customers in the industrial, alternative energy, electrochemical, process technology and telecommunications sectors. EA devices for testing high-performance electrical components also make an important contribution to the global development of electromobility.
EA operates in a market that is experiencing high growth and benefiting from long-term macro trends such as increasing electrification, rising connectivity (smart home, IoT and Industry 4.0), shorter product life cycles and greater battery usage. Bregal comments: “We are looking forward to working together in this promising environment and expect EA to continue on its path of sustainable success through its high level of innovation, excellent customer relationships and broad product diversity. Together with the management and employees, we also want to open up new growth paths and future prospects, such as by further strengthening EA’s presence in the USA and Asia, launching new innovative products, and making further investments in the Viersen site, including a significant expansion of production capacity.”
Shearman & Sterling advised a consortium of banks led by Commerzbank on the financing of the acquisition of a majority stake in EA Elektro-Automatik, a leading supplier of power electronics, by Bregal Unternehmerkapital advised funds as part of a succession plan.
The Shearman & Sterling team led by partner Winfried M. Carli (Germany-Finance) included Sven Oppermann (Germany‑M&A/Finance).
About Bregal Entrepreneurial Capital
Bregal Unternehmerkapital currently manages around 2.5 billion euros (assets under management), of which 1.2 billion euros are available for new investments. — Bregal Unternehmerkapital is part of a family business that has grown over generations. The focus is on majority or minority shareholdings, primarily in medium-sized companies in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. These investments are independent of developments on the financial markets. With patient capital, an entrepreneurial approach and a spirit of partnership, we can focus on the success of our investments and help them create sustainable value. Particularly important are financial stability, a high degree of flexibility, short decision-making paths and a high degree of entrepreneurial freedom for the companies.
About Shearman & Sterling
Shearman & Sterling is an international law firm with 24 offices in 13 countries and approximately 850 lawyers. In Germany, Shearman & Sterling is represented at the Frankfurt office. The firm is one of the international market leaders in advising on complex cross-border transactions. Worldwide, Shearman & Sterling primarily advises international corporations and large national companies, financial institutions, and large mid-sized companies. For more information, visit www.shearman.com.