VR Equity Partner joins 1AVista Reisen as an investor

Frank­furt a.M. — 1AVista Reisen GmbH, one of Germany’s leading river cruise opera­tors, is setting the course for the future and is arran­ging its corpo­rate succes­sion with VR Equity Part­ner as a stra­te­gic inves­tor. — HEUKING provi­ded the share­hol­ders with legal and tax advice on the succes­sion plan and the entry of VR Equity Part­ner as a stra­te­gic investor. 

Foun­der and share­hol­der Hubert Schulte-Schmel­­ter, who has provi­ded stra­te­gic support to the company in recent years, is reti­ring from the company comple­tely. The opera­tio­nal manage­ment remains in the proven hands of the three mana­ging direc­tors Hagen Mesters, Sascha Gülden­meis­ter, Raphael Dombrow­ski and Manuel Klou­bert as autho­ri­zed signa­tory. Raphael Dombrow­ski and Manuel Klou­bert join the company as new share­hol­ders, ther­eby expan­ding the owner­ship structure. 

VR Equity Part­ner, a private equity company specia­li­zing in succes­sion plan­ning for medium-sized compa­nies and a subsi­diary of DZ Bank, has acqui­red a mino­rity stake in the newly foun­ded holding company as a stra­te­gic part­ner. With this step, 1AVista Reisen is comple­ting a plan­ned gene­ra­tio­nal change that will ensure conti­nuity and stabi­lity while opening up new growth pros­pects. The parti­ci­pa­tion of VR Equity Part­ner secu­res addi­tio­nal finan­cial resour­ces for plan­ned invest­ments and contri­bu­tes many years of exper­tise in succes­sion processes. 

1AVista Reisen GmbH, based in Colo­gne, was foun­ded in 2007 and has since estab­lished itself as one of Germany’s leading river cruise opera­tors. The company specia­li­zes in river crui­ses on the rivers of Europe as well as on selec­ted long-distance routes such as the Nile. 

VR Equity Part­ner is a private equity company based in Frank­furt am Main that specia­li­zes in SME succes­sion plan­ning and growth finan­cing. The company supports owner-mana­­ged medium-sized compa­nies with chan­ges of owner­ship and stra­te­gic deve­lo­p­ment steps. VR Equity Part­ner pursues a part­­ner­­ship-based approach and atta­ches parti­cu­lar importance to preser­ving estab­lished corpo­rate cultures and exis­ting manage­ment structures. 

Advi­sor to the share­hol­ders of 1AVista Reisen GmbH: HEUKING

Dr. Marc Scheu­ne­mann, LL.M., Düsseldorf/Frankfurt, Dr. Timo Piller, (both lead), Düsseldorf,
Dr. Ulrich Jork, Munich,
Robert Clev, LL.M. (all Corporate/M&A), Düssel­dorf, Michael Below (public law), Düsseldorf,
Kers­tin Deiters (employ­ment law), Cologne,
Dr. Tilman Span­cken (real estate law), Düsseldorf,
Dr. Rein­hard Siegert, Ruth Jung­kind (both anti­trust law), both Munich,
Klaus Weinand-Härer, Sebas­tian Eibich (both tax law), both Frankfurt 

An ARQIS team led by part­ner Dr. Lars Laeger provi­ded compre­hen­sive legal advice to VR Equi­typ­art­ner on the acqui­si­tion of the mino­rity stake. VR Equi­typ­art­ner once again relies on the advice of ARQIS. Dr. Laeger and his team recently advi­sed VREP on the sale of Zimmer & Hälbig to VINCI Energies. 

Advi­sor VR Equi­typ­art­ner: ARQIS (Düssel­dorf)

Core team: Dr. Lars Laeger (Lead Part­ner), Benja­min Bandur (Coun­sel, Munich), Chris­tina Huck­schlag (Mana­ging Asso­ciate, all Tran­sac­tions), Part­ners: Dr. Fried­rich Gebert (Regu­la­tory), Johan­nes Landry (Finan­cing), Dr. Ulrich Lien­hard (Real Estate), Tobias Neufeld (Tech Law), Lisa-Marie Niklas (HR Law), Marcus Noth­hel­fer (IP, Munich), Coun­sel: Chris­tian Judis (Compli­ance, Munich). Ulrich Lien­hard (Real Estate), Tobias Neufeld (Tech Law), Lisa-Marie Niklas (HR Law), Marcus Noth­hel­fer (IP, Munich), Coun­sel: Chris­tian Judis (Compli­ance, Munich), Jens Knip­ping (Tax), Fran­ziska Leub­ner (Munich), Martin Wein­gärt­ner (both HR Law), Nora Strat­mann (Commer­cial, Munich), Mana­ging Asso­cia­tes: Hannah Düwel, Dr. Bern­hard Gröhe, Luise Schü­ling (all Regu­la­tory), Anselm Graf (Munich), David Hudde (both Tran­sac­tions), Johanna Klin­gen (Tech Law), Marius Mesen­brink (Japan Desk), Rolf Tichy (IP, Munich), Asso­cia­tes: Rebecca Gester (Commer­cial, Munich), Paulina Hütt­ner (IP, Munich), Sabine Müller (HR Law, Munich), Lia Papis­me­dova (Real Estate)