Omnes Capital is selling its stake in the Pommier Group as part of a management buyout (MBO) headed by Jean-Patrick Sauvy, supported by a consortium of investors comprising BPI, NCI and BNP Paribas Développement.
Based in Saint-Ouen-l’Aumône and founded in 1945, the Pommier Group is one of Europe’s leading names in industrial vehicle accessories and equipment. Omnes Capital acquired a stake in the company in 2007.
The group has three main divisions: Pommier Truck Accessories (accessories), Pommier OEM Solutions (design and production), and Pommier Dock Equipment (dock security and protection). It has four sites in France in Saint-Ouen-l’Aumône (Val-d’Oise), Dives-sur-Mer (Calvados), Neufmanil (Ardennes) and Izeron (Isère), and four subsidiaries in Europe (UK, Italy, Spain and Poland).
The group has expanded by successive acquisitions of companies in order to provide added value in the use of industrial vehicles and offer comfort, security and productivity on use of its products. The brand is recognised for the quality and reliability of its products, supported by significant R&D investment that has allowed it to submit over 70 patent applications.
The Pommier Group has 12,000 clients, over 7,000 products and 300 employees. In 2015, it generated sales of around EUR70 million, 50 per cent of which came from exports.
Jean-Patrick Sauvy, chairman of the Pommier Group, says: “The aim of the deal with Omnes Capital in 2007 was to enable the company to restructure and clarify its business activities, while also helping the management team to work towards a further deal allowing them to protect Pommier’s values.”
Eric Rey, partner at Omnes Capital, says: “The Pommier Group is one of the great French mid-sized companies that is symbolic in terms of its historic expertise. We are very proud to have worked with Jean-Patrick Sauvy and his team. This deal marks the accomplishment of their work.”
Benjamin Arm, managing director at Omnes Capital, adds: “This is the final disposal for our CACI 2 midcap fund (created in 2005), which is now fully divested after just 11 years. This is a very short period compared with the majority of funds on the market. And with an IRR of 15 per cent, CACI 2 is one of the best French funds of its vintage.”
