The Danish family-run enterprise KIRKBI A/S, very well-known for its brand LEGO ®, together with Minimax Viking Management with Klaus Hofmann at the helm, the Groos family and the financing partner ICG, will hold 100 percent of the shares in the fire protection company from Schleswig Holstein, Germany. KIRKBI and Intermediate Capital Group (ICG) will hold roughly the same interest as the previous investor, IK (Industri Kapital), which had held an investment interest in Minimax Viking since 2006.
The family-run enterprise KIRKBI A/S will invest in the Minimax Viking Group along with the current owners and, together with ICG, will take over all shares from the private equity firm IK. Alongside a broad investment portfolio, KIRKBI also owns the LEGO ® brand, including a majority-held interest in the LEGO Group and a stake in Merlin Entertainments, which also owns, for example, LEGOLAND ® Parks and LEGOLAND Discovery Center.
"All corporate activities are guided by our commitment to quality, entrepreneurial spirit and care for people. This is reflected both in our management and our investments", explained Thomas Lau Schleicher, Senior Vice President at KIRKBI. "We are convinced that with the Minimax Viking Group we have not only found a partner which represents these corporate values, but is also an excellent match in the light of our growth oriented portfolio. Consequently, we are very much looking forward to the future collaboration."
The management with Klaus Hofmann at the helm will increase its stake in the Minimax Viking Group, the Viking founder-family Groos will increase their investments.
KIRKBI pursues long-term investment goals and is strongly interested in stable industrial shareholdings. The company therefore regards itself as responsible investor with high ethical standards. "These factors have convinced us that this share acquisition is an excellent solution for us", stated Klaus Hofman, CEO of the Minimax Viking Group. "Thanks to the stable ownership structure of KIRKBI in conjunction with the well-proven partnership with ICG, we are able to pursue our ambitious goals in the long term. We expect that the investment by KIRKBI in Minimax Viking will be approved by the merger control authorities."
As dependable financial partner of Minimax Viking, ICG has been cooperating closely with the fire protection specialist for a decade and is likewise highly satisfied with the new partnership. "We have been working with Minimax Viking for a long time", said Jens Tonn, head of ICG in Germany. "The merger between Minimax and Viking in 2009 and other successful management decisions have ensured the group's stable course of growth, and we are pleased to go along with this in the future."
The parties involved agreed that the concrete details of the deal will remain confidential.
About KIRKBI
KIRKBI is a combination of the family name KIRK and the location of the company in Billund, Denmark. The name dates back to the 1980s when it was adopted for the Kirk Kristiansen family's investment company. Since 2007, the majority of the family's investment activities have been combined in KIRKBI A/S. The company's long term investment approach reflects an ambition to build value across asset classes. In addition, it aims for sustainable value creation that can enable an attractive total risk-adjusted return. For more information, please visit www.kirkbi.com
About Intermediate Capital Group (ICG)
Founded in 1989, ICG is a specialist investment firm and asset manager providing mezzanine finance, leveraged credit and partnership equity, managing over €13 billion of assets in proprietary capital and third party funds. ICG has a large and experienced investment team operating from its offices in London, Paris, Madrid, Singapore, Stockholm, Tokyo, Frankfurt, Amsterdam, Hong Kong, Sydney and New York. Its stock is listed on the London Stock Exchange. For more information, please visit www.icgplc.com
The family-run enterprise KIRKBI A/S will invest in the Minimax Viking Group along with the current owners and, together with ICG, will take over all shares from the private equity firm IK. Alongside a broad investment portfolio, KIRKBI also owns the LEGO ® brand, including a majority-held interest in the LEGO Group and a stake in Merlin Entertainments, which also owns, for example, LEGOLAND ® Parks and LEGOLAND Discovery Center.
"All corporate activities are guided by our commitment to quality, entrepreneurial spirit and care for people. This is reflected both in our management and our investments", explained Thomas Lau Schleicher, Senior Vice President at KIRKBI. "We are convinced that with the Minimax Viking Group we have not only found a partner which represents these corporate values, but is also an excellent match in the light of our growth oriented portfolio. Consequently, we are very much looking forward to the future collaboration."
The management with Klaus Hofmann at the helm will increase its stake in the Minimax Viking Group, the Viking founder-family Groos will increase their investments.
KIRKBI pursues long-term investment goals and is strongly interested in stable industrial shareholdings. The company therefore regards itself as responsible investor with high ethical standards. "These factors have convinced us that this share acquisition is an excellent solution for us", stated Klaus Hofman, CEO of the Minimax Viking Group. "Thanks to the stable ownership structure of KIRKBI in conjunction with the well-proven partnership with ICG, we are able to pursue our ambitious goals in the long term. We expect that the investment by KIRKBI in Minimax Viking will be approved by the merger control authorities."
As dependable financial partner of Minimax Viking, ICG has been cooperating closely with the fire protection specialist for a decade and is likewise highly satisfied with the new partnership. "We have been working with Minimax Viking for a long time", said Jens Tonn, head of ICG in Germany. "The merger between Minimax and Viking in 2009 and other successful management decisions have ensured the group's stable course of growth, and we are pleased to go along with this in the future."
The parties involved agreed that the concrete details of the deal will remain confidential.
About KIRKBI
KIRKBI is a combination of the family name KIRK and the location of the company in Billund, Denmark. The name dates back to the 1980s when it was adopted for the Kirk Kristiansen family's investment company. Since 2007, the majority of the family's investment activities have been combined in KIRKBI A/S. The company's long term investment approach reflects an ambition to build value across asset classes. In addition, it aims for sustainable value creation that can enable an attractive total risk-adjusted return. For more information, please visit www.kirkbi.com
About Intermediate Capital Group (ICG)
Founded in 1989, ICG is a specialist investment firm and asset manager providing mezzanine finance, leveraged credit and partnership equity, managing over €13 billion of assets in proprietary capital and third party funds. ICG has a large and experienced investment team operating from its offices in London, Paris, Madrid, Singapore, Stockholm, Tokyo, Frankfurt, Amsterdam, Hong Kong, Sydney and New York. Its stock is listed on the London Stock Exchange. For more information, please visit www.icgplc.com
