Private equity group MerchantBridge and partner Lafarge have assumed control of the Karbala Cement Plant. The USD220m transaction marks the region’s largest private equity deal this year The partners now take on full operations and management of the plant from the Government of Iraq under a 15 year lease agreement.

Privalia Venta Directa, a private online sales club providing value for fashion brands and consumers, has received a EUR70m (USD95m) financing. Privalia was founded in Barcelona, Spain in 2006 by Lucas Carné and José-Manuel Villanueva. New investors General Atlantic and Index Ventures, together with current shareholder Highland Capital Partners, participated

Atlas Holdings has completed its purchase of AGI, a network of packaging businesses primarily serving the media and entertainment industry, from MeadWestvaco. AGI operates under the names AGI Media, AGI Amaray and AGI Polymatrix, and specialises in packaging for Blu-ray discs, DVDs, music and video games. In addition, AGI provides

Global mergers and acquisitions totalled USD1,420.2bn for the first three quarters of 2010, up 24.8 per cent from the same period in 2009, according to figures from mergermarket. Deal count was also up by 16.7 per cent at 8,010 announced deals.   Goldman Sachs is the leading financial adviser, having

Bain Capital has completed the acquisition of Asimco Technologies and its 11 wholly owned and joint venture companies in China from Key Principal Partners and co-investors. Financial terms of the private transaction were not disclosed. Asimco is the largest independent producer of diesel engine components in China. It supplies products

Private equity firm Riverside has completed its first deal in Italy with the acquisition from the Italian fund BS Private Equity of 100 per cent of the Arena Group, a waterwear brand. This is Riverside’s 14th acquisition in 2010 and is part of the Riverside Europe Fund IV. Arena’s management

NuCO2, a US supplier of beverage carbonation services for the restaurant and hospitality industry, which is owned by Los Angeles-based private equity firm Aurora Capital Group, has formed an alliance with Praxair.  NuCO2, a US supplier of beverage carbonation services for the restaurant and hospitality industry, which is owned by

Huntsman Gay Global Capital, a middle market private equity firm, has made a majority investment in iQor, a provider of business process outsourcing services and the world’s second largest accounts receivable management company. iQor’s current management team will remain in place and retain a significant ownership stake in the company.