Capital SCF, the technology-focused independent corporate finance boutique, is pleased to announce that is has advised Altran Technologies SA, the European leader in innovation and high-tech engineering consulting, on the disposals of its engineering services subsidiaries Hilson Moran UK and Hilson Moran Italia. Hilson Moran UK was sold to its management team in an MBO backed by Albion Ventures, an independent Venture Capital firm based in the UK. Hilson Moran Italia was acquired by Deerns Group BV, the Netherlands based international engineering consultancy firm.
These disposals are in accordance with Altran’s strategic plan announced on 19 October 2011 by Phillip Salle, Chairman and CEO of Altran, to exit non-core operations and refocus on innovation and information systems consulting, and enable Altran to reach a turning point in its development.
The MBO of Hilson Moran UK enables its directors to gain independence from the UK subsidiary of Altran Technologies (which acquired Hilson Moran back in 2002) and react to changing markets and evolving client needs.
With the acquisition of Hilson Moran Italia, a high-calibre Italian engineering consultancy, Deerns aims at further strengthening its position in the larger EU markets where it now has offices in six countries. It follows the recent opening of offices in Paris (2010) and London (2011), whilst the Group’s strongest presence is in The Netherlands and in Germany.
Nicolas De Smet, Head of Strategy and M&A, Altran Technologies SA, said:
Capital SCF brought to the transaction the competence of a large bank, the knowhow and understanding of technology experts and the flexibility of a responsive organisation. Capital SCF has assisted us on domestic and cross-border transactions, and on both accounts their understanding of our objectives greatly eased the negotiations and allowed us to extract the best value for our stakeholders.
About Altran
As the European leader in innovation and high‐tech engineering consulting, Altran accompanies its clients in the creation and development of their new products and services. Altran has been providing services for around thirty years to key players in the Aerospace, Automotive, Energy, Railways, Finance, Healthcare and Telecoms sectors. Covering every stage of project development from strategic planning through to manufacturing, Altran’s offers capitalise on the Group’s technological know‐how in four key areas: Product Lifecycle Management, Mechanical Engineering, Systems Engineering and Embedded Systems, and IT Systems.
With sales of €1,437m in 2010, Altran has a staff of more than 17,000 employees worldwide, including 15,000 consultants, and 500 major clients. For more information about the company and its services go to: www.altran.com.
About Hilson Moran UK
Hilson Moran provides consultancy in building services, sustainability, facilities management and other services and is firmly established as a leading engineering consultancy to commercial office, data centre, retail, leisure, hotel and residential projects such as “The Gherkin”, Wembley Arena and the Olympic Village at Stratford. The company employs more than 200 staff based in London, Manchester, Farnborough, Abu Dhabi and Qatar and achieved a growth in turnover of more than 20% last year. For more information about the company and its services go to: www.hilsonmoran.com.
About Albion Ventures
Albion Ventures is one of the largest independent venture capital investors in the UK, managing approximately £230 million across seven Venture Capital Trusts. It looks to invest £1-10 million in a wide range of growing businesses, from technology orientated companies to service and asset-based businesses. For more information about the company and its services go to: www.albion-ventures.co.uk.
About Deerns Group BV
Deerns Group BV is an international multi-disciplinary consulting engineering firm founded in 1928 to provide expert design services in the fields of Energy Supply, Sustainability, MEP systems and Master Planning. The privately held firm specialises in building services consultancy and engineering and sustainable building design. Its strongest presence is in The Netherlands and in Germany. Apart from its European activities, Deerns has offices in Dubai (UAE) and in Denver (USA). Its 500 professional staff serve clients worldwide in the airports, health care, data centres, clean technology, commercial and office real estate, and sustainable design markets. For more information about the company and its services go to: www.deerns.com.
About Capital SCF
Capital SCF is a technology-focused independent corporate finance boutique headquartered in London. It provides high quality, independent advice to the senior management teams and boards of the European technology industry’s innovative incumbent and disruptor companies on strategic matters critical to their growth and success. Capital SCF’s directors combine a broad network of global relationships with deep sector knowledge and specialist M&A experience to deliver a superior, senior level of service for clients who value experience, judgment, insight and innovative thinking. In addition to mergers & acquisitions advice, Capital SCF leverages its team’s extensive corporate finance and capital markets experience to advise companies on capital structure and capital raising choices, selectively raising private capital for clients.
