Devglass Group, an independent manufacturer and distributor of insulating glass, has refinanced its bank debt and repaid EUR35 million of senior and junior mezzanine bonds held by European Capital. European Capital will continue to hold 40% of the equity alongside Olivier Rambeau, CEO and majority shareholder of the Devglass Group. "We are very pleased with our investment in Devglass. The group has been able to create value ever since 2007," declared Ira Wagner, President of European Capital Financial Services Limited ("European Capital Services"). "This refinancing shows that French banks are still prepared to back the most dynamic and best-performing regional

RJD Partners (RJD) has sold its investment in TransLinc, the market leader in the provision of specialised vehicles and related services to local authorities and the utilities market, in a trade sale to May Gurney Integrated Services. The transaction values TransLinc at GBP65.6 million, giving a return to RJD of approximately 2.7x its original investment and an IRR of 26%. TransLinc is the second realisation from RJD’s second fund, RJD Private Equity Fund II. RJD backed the GBP50 million buyout of TransLinc in June 2007. Having originally been formed within Lincolnshire County Council, TransLinc has grown to become the market

Private equity firm Denham Capita has committed USD200M to establish an African mining platform in partnership with Pangea Exploration, a South African mining exploration company. The new business will target a wide range of opportunities across Africa. Pangea Exploration is led by Rob Still and his team, who have a strong track record of entrepreneurial success and proven operating experience in large corporate ventures. Mr. Still’s recent positions included Chairman of Zimbabwe Platinum Mines (Zimplats), Chairman of Metorex and director of Pan African Resources.  The new venture will look at opportunities across all stages of the project life cycle, from

Private equity investors Warburg Pincus and GS Capital Partners are to acquire a majority stake in Endurance International Group, a provider of hosting and online services to small- and medium-sized businesses, from Accel-KKR. Endurance’s current management team and Accel-KKR will continue to maintain an interest in the Company. Terms of the transaction have not been disclosed. Since its founding in 1997, Endurance has grown to become one of the world’s leading providers of hosting and related online services for small- and medium-sized businesses – providing web hosting accounts to over 1.9 million unique customers, managing more than 7.7 million domains

Economic uncertainty is having an increasingly negative impact on the success of transactions and squeezing access to acquisition finance. Those are the key findings of the quarterly survey in October 2011 of the M&A panel polled by commercial law firm CMS Hasche Sigle and Finance magazine, comprising some 70 investment bankers and corporate M&A professionals. While corporates consider that the uncertain macroeconomic climate is having only a moderate impact on acquisitions, acquisition finance and company sales, the effects seen by investment banks have been dramatic. Companies have observed a marked increase in the number of buyers withdrawing from purchases, and

Oragroup, the Togo-based regional commercial banking holding company with operations spanning six countries in West and Central Africa, has attracted a USD20 million growth equity investment from Development Finance Institutions (DFIs) BIO (USD7million) and PROPARCO (USD13 million). This investment marks  a major step in an ongoing focus on fundraising and growth expansion at Oragroup, led by pan-African private equity specialists Emerging Capital Partners (ECP). By the end of 2011 Oragroup will have raised in excess of USD85 million through a combination of debt and equity financing from a diversified investor base which includes local, regional and international investors, adding both retail

Middle market investment bank Harris Williams & Co has advised GSO Capital Partners pin the sale of its portfolio company Stolle Machinery, LLC to strategic buyer Toyo Seikan Kaisha, Ltd. (Toyo Seikan; TSE:5901), for USD775 million.  The transaction closed on 3 November, 2011 and was led by Mike Hogan, Chris Williams, John Arendale, Jershon Jones and Karl Kirkeby from the firm’s Richmond office.  Harris Williams & Co. acted as the advisor to Stolle, and was also the advisor to Stolle in 2008 in its sale to GSO.   “Stolle is the market and technology leader in the can-making equipment industry

A consortium comprised of funds advised by Apax Partners, together with controlled affiliates of Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPSP Investments), has completed its acquisition of Kinetic Concepts, Inc (NYSE: KCI) for USD68.50 per common share in cash. KCI shareholders approved the transaction at a special meeting held on 28 October. KCI is a US-based medical device company focused on the design, manufacture, marketing and service of therapies and products for the wound care, tissue regeneration and therapeutic support system markets. The transaction is valued at approximately USD6.1 billion, including KCI’s outstanding debt. The consortium plans to work actively in