Munich / Neustadt an der Aisch – The shareholder structure of Onlineprinters GmbH, one of Europe's largest B2B online printing companies, is changing. Bregal Unternehmerkapital plans to acquire all shares in the company held by TA Associates Management LP and become the majority shareholder. The parties involved in the acquisition, which is subject to approval by local competition authorities, have agreed not to disclose details of the transaction.
TA Associates, a global growth private equity firm, became a partner of Onlineprinters in 2013. “I would like to thank TA Associates for the very successful cooperation we have enjoyed over the past three years,” said Walter Meyer, the founder of Onlineprinters. “During this period, we set up management structures, administrative processes and further optimised production systems. In doing so, we built a strong basis for making new investments, driving growth and bolstering our position as a leader in the European e-business printing market. Bregal itself is part of a multi-generational family business. As a result, it is well-versed in the operation of mid-sized enterprises like Onlineprinters. The investor is committed to creating a long-term, collaborative partnership based on entrepreneurial values. It is this commitment that makes Bregal an ideal partner.”
As part of the transaction, Walter Meyer will move from his position as managing director of the company to the newly created Advisory Board. In this new role, he will remain an active advisor to the company. He will also continue to hold a stake in Onlineprinters. Dr Michael Fries will remain CEO of the company.
The latest acquisition is the eighth transaction (including add-on acquisitions) that Bregal Unternehmerkapital has made in the past 12 months. The company is presently investing out of a EUR 550 million fund. The most recent transactions include the acquisition of the Binder Group, an automotive supplier based in the southwestern German state of Baden-Württemberg, the investment in INTER-FORUM, a Leipzig-based company that provides billing and audit services to Germany’s public health insurance companies, and a minority stake in Sovendus, a Karlsruhe-based online marketing firm. Funds advised by Bregal Unternehmerkapital also hold stakes in Novem, an automotive supplier based in the Upper Palatinate region of eastern Bavaria, the direct sales company LR Health & Beauty and proALPHA, a software provider to small and mid-sized enterprises.
During the transaction, Bregal Unternehmerkapital was advised by the following firms: Kirkland & Ellis (legal), OC&C Strategy Consultants (commercial), Ernst & Young (tax), PricewaterhouseCoopers (financial) and Eccelerate (online analytics).
About Onlineprinters
Onlineprinters GmbH is one of Europe's largest online printing companies. The company was set up in 2004 by Walter Meyer as a start-up called diedruckerei.de. As part of its internationalisation activities, the company was renamed Onlineprinters GmbH. In Germany, the company still does business under the name diedruckerei.de. It operates as Onlineprinters in more than 30 other European countries. Last year, Onlineprinters produced more than 2.1 billion printed products, ranging from traditional flyers to complete trade-fair booths, and served more than 500,000 customers. Onlineprinters is one of the first movers in online printing and has been a driving force in the market for printed advertising material in recent years. The key to success in the business of producing individually printed products on an industrial scale is based on three pillars: online sales, fully integrated production that extends from order placement to shipping, and gang-run printing. In this process, multiple printing projects are produced on a common paper sheet, which lowers costs and protects the environment. Onlineprinters GmbH employs a staff of more than 600 people. The company’s online shop in Germany has been honoured by the Handelsblatt business newspaper, DIE WELT daily newspaper, FOCUS news magazine and the COMPUTER BILD magazine.
About Bregal Unternehmerkapital
Bregal Unternehmerkapital is part of a family-owned business that has been built up over generations. Its investment activity is free of institutional constraints, based on long-term commitment and independent of developments in the financial markets. Bregal Unternehmerkapital identifies companies with strong management teams that are regarded as market leaders or “hidden champions” in their particular segment. Flexible financing and transaction structures enable it to acquire both minority and majority stakes. In doing so, Bregal Unternehmerkapital is also able to handle complex industry spin-offs, management buy-outs and succession situations in a sensitive, non-dogmatic manner. Bregal Unternehmerkapital aims to help companies achieve a sustained improvement in sales and profitability, and provides them with capital, proven financial expertise and access to a broad network of entrepreneurs and industry experts.
About TA Associates
TA Associates is one of the largest and most experienced global growth private equity firms. The firm has invested in more than 460 companies around the world and has raised $24 billion in capital. With offices in Boston, Menlo Park, London, Mumbai and Hong Kong, TA Associates leads buyouts and minority recapitalizations of profitable growth companies in the consumer, business services, financial services, healthcare and technology industries. More information about TA Associates can be found at www.ta.com.
Press contact at Bregal Unternehmerkapital
IRA WÜLFING KOMMUNIKATION
Dr Reinhard Saller
Ohmstr. 1, D-80802 Munich
Tel. +49 89 2000 30-30
bregal@wuelfing-kommunikation.de
Press contact at Onlineprinters GmbH
Patrick Piecha, Head of Media and Public Relations
Rudolf-Diesel-Str. 10, D-91413 Neustadt an der Aisch
Tel. +49 9161 6209807
Mobile +49 174 3077250
p.piecha@onlineprinters.com
