Mid-Market Euro PE Firms Launch Private Equity Network

Graphite Capital, Activa Capital, ECM and MCH have launched the Private Equity Network. The network brings together the local expertise of European mid-market firms with the primary aim of building international portfolio companies.

PRESS RELEASE

Graphite Capital (UK), Activa Capital (France), ECM (Germany), and MCH (Spain) have launched the Private Equity Network, (PEN), a pan-European network of four leading mid-market private equity firms.

The Private Equity Network brings together the strong local expertise of leading European mid-market firms with the primary aim of building international portfolio companies. The priorities of the Private Equity Network are to:

· assist with European buy-and-build projects: increasingly, European mid-market investments are looking to build their presence outside their national territories. PEN members will help each other’s portfolio companies to expand within Europe through their respective sector knowledge and network of local advisers and intermediaries;

· promote portfolio companies and identify build-up opportunities outside Europe: PEN members will leverage their existing strong relationships with private equity firms, suppliers, managers, intermediaries and consultants in North America and emerging markets;

· share sector expertise and best practice portfolio management techniques, including operational improvement and management know-how; and

· identify opportunities for cross-border co-operation.

The founder members of PEN may expand the network by inviting firms from complementary countries or regions within Europe.

Charles Diehl, a partner of Activa Capital and PEN’s first annual chairman, commented:

“The Private Equity Network is an exciting initiative, which will allow each of its members to develop the mid-market private equity model internationally. It will help our portfolio companies grow overseas and become European and global champions in their sectors, while preserving the local strengths.”

For further information, please contact:
Graphite Capital (UK)
Markus Golser, Senior Partner +44 (0)20 7825 5300
mgolser@graphitecapital.com
www.graphitecapital.com
or Caroline Cecil, Caroline Cecil Associates +44 (0) 20 7610 4110

Activa Capital (France)
Charles Diehl, Partner +33 (0)1 43 12 50 12
charles.diehl@activacapital.com
www.activacapital.com

ECM Equity Capital Management GmbH (Germany)
Chris Peisch, Senior Partner +49 69 97 102 0
Peisch@ecm-pe.de

MCH Private Equity (Spain)
Jose-Maria Muñoz, Founding Partner +34 91 426 44 44
jmmunoz@mch.es

About Graphite Capital

Graphite is a specialist provider of private equity finance to mid-market companies in the UK. Graphite focuses on management buy-outs and buy-ins, expansion capital and turnaround opportunities. It invests in transactions with enterprise values of £25 million to £200 million. Graphite manages more than £1.2 billion through three private funds and the publicly-quoted Graphite Enterprise Trust PLC. The current fund, Graphite Capital Partners VII, is a £585 million fund raised in 2007. The fund’s investments include Alexander Mann Solutions, the global leader in recruitment process outsourcing, U-POL, a world leader in automotive refinishing products; London Square, a new house-builder focused on prime sites within the M25; NFA, the largest provider of foster carers in the UK; Explore Learning, the UK’s leading provider of tuition for primary school children; and Rex Restaurant Associates, operator of The Wolseley, The Delaunay and Brasserie Zedel restaurants. In 2011 the fund realised its investment in Kurt Geiger, the luxury shoe retailer and distributor, on which it made a return of 2.6 times its investment.