Funds advised by CVC Capital Partners (CVC) are to acquire 100 per cent of ÅR Packaging Group AB (AR Packaging) from Ahlstrom Capital and Accent Equity.
Founded in 2011 through the merger of A&R Carton and Flextrus, AR Packaging is one of Europe’s leading packaging companies with sales of approximately EUR560 million (pro forma 2015) and 2,200 employees across 17 factories in 9 countries. The company has performed strongly in recent years, posting a 27 per cent increase in net sales last year.
Headquartered in Lund, Sweden, the group is divided into three divisions: Branded Products, Barrier Packaging and Food Packaging. Its products and solutions are predominantly used for folding carton and flexible packaging, as well as machinery systems, packaging design and development. AR Packaging has long-standing customer relationships with many of the world’s leading consumer brands in the food and tobacco segments.
Harald Schulz, President and CEO of AR Packaging, says: “We are on an exciting trajectory, building on last year’s strong performance and operational progress, and I would like to take this moment to thank Ahlstrom Capital and Accent Equity for their support over the last years. We are now well placed for the next phase of our development and CVC’s expertise, financial resources and global network make them the perfect partner to help us achieve our long-term growth ambitions.”
Peter Törnquist, Chairman, CVC Nordic, says: “AR Packaging is a key player in the European packaging space with an excellent management team, a strong product portfolio and many strategic client relationships. We believe there are significant opportunities to grow the business organically and through acquisitions while continuing to put the customers first. We look forward to deploy CVC's global resources and to work with AR Packaging’s management team and employees in achieving their vision for the future."
The completion of the transaction is subject to customary regulatory clearances.
