Perceva Capital has become the sole shareholder in SHARK after strengthening the equity base of the French supplier of mid-range and high-end motorcycle helmets. It follows an equity raising process that started in June 2010, led by the management with the support of its major shareholder AtriA Capital Partenaires.
Based in Marseilles, SHARK is an internationally renowned company that designs innovative helmets offering a high level of performance and safety. The company has its own integrated production facilities, with two factories producing more than 300,000 helmets each year. SHARK employs 670 people and generated sales of EUR30 million in 2010.
On the back of its high-quality product range, SHARK has managed to stand out from the competition to become a true benchmark worldwide. SHARK sells its products in more than 35 countries and exports 60% of its production to Europe, Asia, Canada, Brazil, Australia and South Africa.
Xavier Lépine, Partner with Perceva Capital, says: “We are delighted to have strengthened the company’s equity base and provided the resources it needs to step up its expansion plans. SHARK is exactly the kind of company we like to invest in: it is a leading French SME with a robust presence in France and internationally, unrivalled technical expertise and high innovation capacity, backed by its own production and marketing facilities.”
Patrick François, Chairman of SHARK, adds: “This recapitalisation will enable us to step up our investments in our product range and distribution networks. This will increase our market share in France, where we are the industry leader, and internationally, particularly in neighbouring European countries, as well as North America, Latin America and Asia.”
