Dehler buys Etap

[lydiamight]

From that not very widely read magazine "Private Equity on line". It looks like they will be building Dehlers at the Etap factory.
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Yacht company Dehler, backed by mid-market buyout firm Buchanan Capital Partners, has bought ETAP Yachting for an undisclosed sum.

This is the first bolt-on investment since Buchanan, which invests in the German speaking countries, took a minority stake in Dehler for an undisclosed sum in November.

“Our investment is pure equity. Why put debt on a company that needs cash to grow?” Buchanan managing director Peter Blumenwitz said.

“Dehler’s in the comfortable position where it needed cash to grow by building new and larger production facilities because it has a far larger order book than it could possibly service with [existing plant].”

 

[Sans Bateau]

Re: Full story from the ETAP web site

Dehler purchases the Belgian yacht builder ETAP Yachting

The successful manufacturer of high-end regatta cruisers, Dehler, completes its first takeover since the growth investor Buchanan Capital Partners came on board.


Freienohl, Starnberg, January 21, 2008 – The Sauerland-based yacht builder Dehler is purchasing the Belgian company ETAP Yachting. The yachts of traditional Belgian shipyard ETAP Yachting are considered unsinkable and are specially designed for the needs of families. The ETAP Yachting production facilities in the Belgian town of Malle and its established brands will be fully maintained and further expanded. It was agreed to keep the purchase price confidential.
ETAP Yachting has an excellent reputation among sailors and an established market position. The family-friendly ETAP yachts are especially safe and excel in terms of quality. The shipyard was founded in 1970 by Norbert Joris in the Belgian town of Malle and has also been producing motor yachts for the last five years. “We are very proud to be taking over this traditional shipyard and this strong brand and are now able to further develop these in cooperation with Dehler”, comments Wilan van den Berg, main shareholder and CEO of Dehler. Dehler will fully maintain, and continue to manage, the established ETAP Yachting brands. All staff will continue to be employed at the current ETAP Yachting site in the Belgian town of Malle.
The merger of the two shipyards offers substantial synergies, particularly in purchasing, marketing, sales and finance. There will be no cost-cutting measures implemented in HR. On the contrary: “We need additional, experienced staff to support further growth”, states van den Berg.
“Like ETAP Yachting, Dehler is a traditional shipyard that produces boats that make any sailor's heart leap. Since Wilan van den Berg has been on board, the company has developed very positively. We know that ETAP Yachting is in good hands with him”, comments Anne-Marie Joris, President of the Board, on the sale of ETAP Yachting to Dehler.
For Dehler, the involvement with ETAP Yachting marks – only two months after the joining of the growth investor Buchanan Capital Partners – the beginning of the implementation of its strategy to create a powerful group of shipyards, which is targeted at the synergetic collaboration of various brands in dedicated market segments. Exploiting efficiencies will maintain both the brand identity and the respective sites.
Dehler’s consolidation and growth strategy is being financed by the Starnberg-based growth equity investor Buchanan Capital Partners. At the end of November 2007, Buchanan came on board at Dehler within the context of a capital increase. “The merger of the two traditional shipyards, Dehler and ETAP Yachting, will profit both companies. Together with the management behind Wilan van den Berg, we want to create a powerful network of small, boutique shipyards – with the network producing up to 500 high-end boats annually”, explains Peter Blumenwitz, Managing Partner of Buchanan Capital Partners, his strategy for the fragmented sailing yacht industry. “We are more than willing to accompany the successful setting up of a profitable group of shipyards such as this with further equity.”

About Dehler Deutschland GmbH

The yacht building shipyard Dehler was founded by Heinz and Willy Dehler in 1962. Within only a short time, Dehler – with a total of 21,000 manufactured boats – became Germany’s largest and best-known building companies. However, the company was plunged into a deep crisis in 1998 as a result of management mistakes. In 2004, Wilan van den Berg bought the company. He succeeded in pulling Dehler out of the crisis with a profound restructuring and systematic market reorientation program. As a result, the shipyard received the “Yacht of the Year” award in 2006 for its Dehler 44 – clearly latching onto the successes of the past. The recently-launched Dehler 34 has also been nominated for this award. In parallel, the number of manufactured boats rose from 85 in 2006 to around 155 in 2007, with turnover increasing from € 10 million to € 30 million. To achieve this, the number of employees at the Freienohl site was increased from 90 to in excess of 200. For 2008, the delivery times already stretch to the end of the year. The sporty Dehler yachts are characterised by their particularly high quality and top-notch equipment. Safety, speed, innovation and a high resale value are the fundamental values of every Dehler yacht.

About Buchanan Capital Partners GmbH

Buchanan Capital Partners manages funds that invest in profitable, high-growth companies in the German-speaking region. To support further growth of those companies, Buchanan Capital Partners takes out minority stakes in medium-size firms or acquires a majority holding within the framework of a buyout. The management of Buchanan Capital Partners commands a wealth of expertise in private equity transactions, corporate finance and business consulting. It has more than 35 years’ experience with prestigious international private equity companies.
Buchanan Capital Partners GmbH is a member of the Buchanan Capital Group. The independent German finance house offers premium mid-sized companies flexible, individual financing solutions uniquely combined with professional capital market advice. Its portfolio encompasses private equity capital, mezzanine and debt-financing solutions as well as corporate finance services.

About ETAP Yachting

In 1970, the ETAP 22 was the first boat to be manufactured by the ETAP Yachting in the Belgian town of Malle. Since then, ETAP Yachting has been producing top-quality, family-friendly and extremely leisure-oriented cabin sailing boats. From the very outset, the sailing boats were constructed to be unsinkable and the technology has continued to be developed on an ongoing basis. In 2003, the company expanded its range and presented the first unsinkable ETAP motor yacht. To this end, the same fundamental principles always apply: safety, quality, innovation and leisure enjoyment. The current flagship, the ETAP 46DS, was voted “European Yacht of the Year” in 2006 by a European expert jury, as the most innovative yacht.

 

[Koeketiene]

I spoke to an Etap rep at the Belgian Boat Show last year.
That was when I first heard the place was up for sale. Or as he said it "They were looking for a long-term strategic partner".

A few beers later, however the truth came out - if they didn't manage to find a buyer within a year the place was going to fold. He blamed the high development costs and the disappointing sales of the 46DS.