Funds managed by private equity firm CVC Capital Partners have entered into exclusive final negotiations with Campbell Soup Company following a firm offer made by CVC to acquire certain European activities (excluding the UK, Ireland, Middle East and Africa) of the company.   Campbell Europe is a consumer food business primarily active in Belgium, France, Germany, Sweden and Finland. Campbell Europe owns a portfolio of heritage consumer brands primarily in soups, sauces and bouillons such as Devos Lemmens, Royco, Liebig, Déli Soup, Erasco, Blå Band, Touch of Taste and Lacroix.   In fiscal 2012, Campbell Europe generated annual net sales

Newell Rubbermaid is to sell its Hardware business, which includes the Amerock, Ashland, Bulldog and Shur-Line brands, to Nova Capital, an acquirer of corporate and private equity portfolios.   Newell Rubbermaid is an American manufacturer and distributor of many household items.   The transaction is expected to close within the third calendar quarter, subject to certain customary conditions.   2013 sales for the Hardware business are estimated to be approximately USD255m. Gross proceeds from the transaction are expected to be USD214m, which includes the retention of accounts receivable. The company anticipates after-tax cash proceeds of approximately USD175m. Rothschild acted as

Law firm Eversheds has advised Pinstripe, a US-based recruitment process outsourcing (RPO) business, and its private equity backer Accel-KKR on the purchase of UK-based Ochre House.   The acquisition will form the largest independent provider of global RPO and strategic talent management solutions.   Financial investments from both leadership teams and technology-focused private equity firm Accel-KKR enabled the transaction.   Pinstripe and Ochre House’s combined presence includes 767 employees, serving 88 clients in 43 countries around the world. This footprint includes Ochre House’s 2012 acquisition of two strategic resourcing firms in the Middle East and North Africa, TAAHEED and Carmichael

Private equity firm Harvest Partners’ portfolio company TruckPro has purchased CCI Corporation from Illinois Tool Works.   Terms of the transaction have not been disclosed.   TruckPro is one of the largest independent distributors of heavy duty aftermarket truck parts and accessories in the US. TruckPro distributes a full range of maintenance and repair products for heavy duty vehicles of substantially all makes and models. The company sells its products to a diverse, growing base of customers in numerous end markets, including small, regional and national trucking companies, private fleets, waste services companies, construction companies, municipalities, and independent repair shops.

Drive Capital, a venture capital investment firm targeting promising companies in the Midwest, has made its first two investments – Roadtrippers, a web-based company that helps travellers plan road trips, and CrossChx, which provides patient identification and security technologies for healthcare facilities.   According to Drive Capital’s co-founders and principals, Mark Kvamme and Chris Olsen, both are consistent with the firm’s commitment to Midwest-based companies and investments.   “Aspiring entrepreneurs like Sean Lane and James Fisher represent some of the great individuals in the Midwest building world class companies," says Olsen. "We are excited to be given the opportunity to

HIG WhiteHorse, a credit affiliate of investment firm HIG Capital, has arranged and provided a GBP28.4m unitranche debt financing for Kelvin Hughes, a supplier of maritime navigational data and a designer and manufacturer of surveillance radars and navigation systems.   With the new support of HIG WhiteHorse and continued support of its majority shareholder ECI Partners, Kelvin Hughes will be further leveraging its position as a supplier of maritime navigational data and continue developing radar solutions globally.   Appu Mundassery, managing director at HIG WhiteHorse, says: “We are pleased to support Kelvin Hughes with a financing package that allows the

Global ATM services provider Cardtronics has acquired Cardpoint Limited, which trades as ATM services provider Cashzone in the UK and as Cardpoint in Germany.   In conjunction with this deal, Cardtronics has launched a new corporate identity for its European operations, Cardtronics Europe, which will combine Cashzone, Cardpoint and Bank Machine, Cardtronics’ existing UK subsidiary.   From a consumer point of view, the Bank Machine and Cashzone brands remain intact in the UK, as well as the Cardpoint brand in Germany.   Cardtronics chief executive officer Steve Rathgaber says: "Cardtronics has been operating in the UK since our 2005 acquisition

Rock Hill Capital Group has sold its ownership position in Blackhawk Specialty Tools to Bain Capital and Blackhawk management.   Rock Hill invested in Blackhawk in February 2010 to provide the company with growth capital to expand its markets and product offerings.   “We are pleased to have had the opportunity to work with the Blackhawk team and its CEO Billy Brown through an exciting and dynamic growth period for the company,” says Randall Hale, founder and managing director of Rock Hill. “We enjoyed our relationship with the Blackhawk team and could not have asked for better partners. We wish