Inflexion Private Equity has agreed to acquire Aspen Pumps, a manufacturer of specialist pumps, from 3i Group plc. The investment is being made by Inflexion Buyout Fund V, Inflexion’s dedicated mid‐market buyout fund. This will be Inflexion’s second period of ownership of Aspen, following a highly successful partnership between 2007 and 2015, during which EBITDA tripled.
Aspen is the global leader in the design, manufacture and distribution of mini pumps that remove condensate water from air conditioning and refrigeration systems. The group also sells a range of ancillary products for air conditioning installers and engineers. The company has offices and warehousing in the UK, France, Germany, USA and Australia. The group currently employs over 200 people and exports its products to over 100 countries.
Under Inflexion’s prior ownership, Aspen saw significant organic and acquisitive growth. Together with the management team we implemented an aggressive internationalisation strategy, innovative digital approach to new product development and a compelling acquisition plan. Aspen increased its international sales distribution from 50 to 100 countries and, with the support of Inflexion’s in-country international teams, the company launched in China and India where pump sales achieved in excess of a fourfold increase.
Simon Turner, Managing Partner at Inflexion, says: “Aspen Pumps is a world leading business led by an extremely experienced and highly capable management team. We are delighted to be re-investing in this business that we know so well and have had such a strong partnership with in the past. Aspen has a proven track record of organic and acquisitive growth and we look forward to using our global presence to support its further expansion in key markets such as the United States.”
Adrian Thompson, CEO at Aspen, says: “It is a pleasure to be partnering again with Inflexion as we embark on the next stage of our exciting growth journey. We know they have the right experience, connections and expertise to support our ambitious expansion plans. We are strategically positioned to capitalise on favourable tailwinds in our markets and look forward to working closely with Inflexion to achieve our growth objectives.”
This investment was made by affiliated funds advised by Inflexion Private Equity Partners LLP.
