Corporate | 5 August 2014 07:00
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AURELIUS AG / Key word(s): Disposal
AURELIUS sells Swiss subsidiary connectis to SPIE Group – Strategic investor SPIE to continue path of successful growth – Purchase price (enterprise value) of CHF 48.0 million (approx. EUR 40 million) – Fourth successful exit by AURELIUS in 2014 – Executive Board is planning a stock buyback Munich, August 5, 2014 – The AURELIUS Group (ISIN DE000A0JK2A8) is selling the Switzerland-based ICT service provider connectis AG, together with its small sister company SOFTIX AG, both based in Berne, to SPIE Group. Headquartered in Cergy-Pontoise, France, SPIE Group is a leading independent European multi-service provider in the fields of electronics and information technology, mechanical engineering and building services. SPIE generated revenues of EUR 4.6 billion in 2013 with a global workforce of 37,000. As of todaySPIE has had a presence on the European market in the ICT sector in Germany, France and the Netherlands. In acquiring connectis, the number two on the Swiss ICT market, SPIE is gaining strategic access to this lucrative, highly promising segment. The purchase price corresponds to an enterprise value of CHF 48.0 million (cash-free/debt-free). The transaction will have a strong positive impact on the results of AURELIUS inthe third quarter of this year. After acquiring connectis from Swiss Sunrise Group in 2008, AURELIUS systematically enhanced the company’s market position and moved connectis up from fifth-biggest to second-biggest ICT provider in Switzerland. In this regard, connectis has made a number of add-on acquisitions over recent years with support from AURELIUS. connectis offers its customers solutions for secure networks and applications in voice, data and video communications together with the world of unified communications and workspace management services. The company’s 370 employees carry out the planning, realization, maintenance and operation of system solutions. During its affiliation with AURELIUS, connectis has extended its product portfolio toward higher-margin solutions and concentrated on the sustainable expansion of its service activities at an early stage. The company has won several awards of the last few years, most recently being named Global Service Partner of the Year by Cisco. Furthermore, connectis is an official partner to leading global players like Microsoft and Avaya. Following the acquisition by AURELIUS, connectis achieved a successful turnaround, greatly increasing both revenues and profits. In 2013, the company generated revenues of CHF 132.4 million with a normalized operating EBITDA margin of 5.7 percent. “Under the aegis of AURELIUS, connectis has been fully restructured and realigned over the last nearly six years. We have improved profoundly in terms of revenues and results, are now the clear number two on the Swiss market and see further opportunities for growth which a strategic investor from within our industry such as SPIE can help us exploit,” comments Matthias Täubl, CEO of connectis AG. Like connectis. SPIE is a member of the Getronics Workspace Alliance. With the acquisition, SPIE is seizing a unique opportunity to establish itself on the Swiss ICT market. The Getronics Workspace Alliance will enable connectis to retain a strong partnership with the other companies of the AURELIUS IT family and collaborate on international projects. “The sale to SPIE will give connectis a committed new owner who will assist the company over the next steps in its development,” says Dr. Dirk Markus, CEO of AURELIUS. “The transaction already represents the fourth successful exit for us in 2014. We expect to see a period of busy transaction activity over the rest of the year as well.” As usual, AURELIUS will distribute a portion of the proceeds to shareholders in the form of a special dividend. In addition, the AURELIUS Executive Board is planning to deploy funds towards a stock buyback. A telephone conference with the Executive Board of AURELIUS AG is being held for interested investors and journalists in English at 2pm CET on August 5, 2014. To register, please email us at investor@aureliusinvest.de .
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