ECAS European Cap

    RNS Number : 2345E
  European Capital Limited
  24 September 2008
   

    First Floor, Dorey Court
Admiral Park 
St. Peter Port, Guernsey GY1 4AF





    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
    24 September 2008 

    Contact: European Capital Financial Services       +33 1 40 68 06 66
    Tristan Parisot, Director
    Alexandre Bruyelle, Manager
    Guillaume Peroz, Manager    
    Marie Bal, Communications Manager      

    EUROPEAN CAPITAL INVESTS EUR30 MILLION IN CEPL

    St. Peter Port, Guernsey - 24 September 2008 - European Capital Limited (LSE: ECAS) ("European Capital"), announced today that its
subsidiary ECAS S..r.l. has invested EUR30 million ($43 million) in Compagnie Europnne de Prestations Logistiques ("CEPL"), a leading
European logistics provider specialized in the outsourcing of automated multi-product order preparation ("Detailed Picking").  The
investment was led by the Paris office of European Capital Financial Services Limited ("European Capital Financial Services") and supports
the acquisition of the company by Arcapita Bank B.S.C.(c) and its affiliates.  CEPL management also significantly invested in the company,
valued in the EUR550 million to EUR600 million range.

    "We are very excited to support CEPL, which has a unique and recession-resistant business model in the logistics sector in Europe," said
Jean Eichenlaub, Managing Director Southern Europe, European Capital Financial Services.  

    "CEPL has benefited from being a first mover in its market.  The highly successful and entrepreneurial team led by Thierry Ortmans, CEO
and founder, and Akim Lamrani, COO, already manages a network of 23 fully automated sites, all of which are equipped with a single IT system
and automated preparation lines capable of shipping a large number of small-volume, multiple-SKU orders to multiple client locations within
24 hours," said Tristan Parisot, Director, European Capital Financial Services.

    European Capital has invested EUR357 million ($516 million) year to date and EUR3.3 billion ($4.8 billion) since inception. European
Capital has raised over EUR2.4 billion ($3.5 billion) in capital including EUR1.3 billion ($1.9 billion) in debt and EUR1.1 billion ($1.6
billion) in equity and realised EUR1.1 billion ($1.6 billion) from committed capital.  For more information about European Capital's
portfolio, go to www.EuropeanCapital.com/our_portfolio/portfolio.html 

    "CEPL enables clients to fully outsource non-core logistics functions including warehouses and related employees.  They also benefit
from lower costs as other clients are integrated onto optimized platform sites in order to spread fixed costs, smooth out seasonality and
enhance productivity with an improved picking success rate," said Alexandre Bruyelle, Manager, European Capital Financial Services.

    "CEPL, which is well positioned to benefit from the increased outsourcing trend, is one of the best assets on the French LBO market,"
said Guillaume Peroz, Manager, European Capital Financial Services.  "CEPL's clients include branded-product companies like Guerlain, and
specialized distributors like Marionnaud, operating in the perfume and cosmetics, textile, consumer electronics and sports industries." 

    Founded in 1998, CEPL employs 2,200 staff in 23 sites across France and Germany. Since 2001, sales and EBITDA grew at 27% and 30% CAGRs,
respectively. With only 20% of Western European detailed picking sites outsourced, CEPL has a strong growth potential in France, Germany,
Benelux, Spain and Italy.  

    "The management of CEPL is very pleased to partner with Arcapita and mezzanine lenders ICG and European Capital and is looking forward
to expanding the business thanks to the combined network of our three new international partners," said Mr. Ortmans. 

    "Management plans to double the size of the company over the holding period," said Manuel Barbieux, Principal, Arcapita. "We rely on
European Capital's and ICG's commitments to support the ambitious development plan of CEPL." 

    ABOUT EUROPEAN CAPITAL  
    European Capital is a publicly traded investment company for pan-European equity, mezzanine and senior debt investments with current
capital resources of approximately EUR2.4 billion ($3.5 billion).  It is managed by European Capital Financial Services (Guernsey) Limited
("ECFSG"), a wholly-owned affiliate of American Capital, Ltd. 

    European Capital invests in and sponsors management and employee buyouts, invests in private equity buyouts and provides capital
directly to private and public companies headquartered predominantly in Europe. European Capital generally invests between EUR5 million and
EUR500 million per transaction in equity, mezzanine debt and senior debt to fund growth, acquisitions and recapitalizations. 

    The investment objective of European Capital is to provide investors with dividend income and the potential for share value appreciation
by investing in debt and equity investments in private and public companies headquartered primarily in Europe. 
    European Capital seeks to achieve this through pursuing the following types of investments:

    European Capital One Stop Buyouts*
    Through our One Stop Buyouts*, European Capital provides equity, mezzanine debt and senior debt as the lead investor in the buyout of
private and public companies.

    Mezzanine Direct with Sponsors
    European Capital provides one stop financing of subordinated debt and equity for buyouts sponsored by private equity firms where
European Capital is either the sole or lead mezzanine debt investor.

    Syndicated Mezzanine and Senior Debt
    European Capital provides mezzanine financing for buyouts sponsored by private equity firms where European Capital is neither the sole
nor lead mezzanine or senior debt investor.

    Direct Investments
    European Capital provides subordinated debt and equity financing directly to private and public companies, which is used for growth,
acquisitions or recapitalizations, and investing in structured finance vehicles.

    Companies interested in learning more about European Capital's flexible financing should contact Nathalie Faure Beaulieu at + 44 (0)20
7539 7000 in London, Jean Eichenlaub at + 33 (0)1 40 68 06 66 in Paris, Robert von Finckenstein at +49 (0) 69 71 71 297-0 in Frankfurt, or
Luis Felipe Castellanos at + (34) 91 423 27 60 in Madrid, or visit the website at www.EuropeanCapital.com.

    ABOUT AMERICAN CAPITAL
    American Capital (Nasdaq: ACAS), with $20 billion in capital resources under management1, is the only private equity fund and the
largest alternative asset management company in the S&P 500. American Capital, both directly and through its global asset management
business, originates, underwrites and manages investments in private equity, leveraged finance, real estate and structured products.
American Capital and its affiliates invest from $5 million to $800 million per company in North America and EUR5 million to EUR500 million
per company in Europe. American Capital was founded in 1986 and currently has 13 offices in the U.S., Europe and Asia. For further
information, please refer to www.AmericanCapital.com 

    ABOUT ARCAPITA
    Arcapita is a global investment bank headquartered in Bahrain with offices in Atlanta, London and Singapore, and operates across four
lines of business: Corporate Investment, Real Estate Investment, Asset-Based Investment and Venture Capital. Since its foundation in 1997,
Arcapita has completed 73 transactions with a total value of almost $27 billion and has a balance sheet footing of over $5 billion. Arcapita
recently reported a net income of $362 million for its fiscal year 2008. Arcapita's portfolio of investments covers numerous industries, in
particular business services, which includes logistics, retail, consumer products, energy, specialized manufacturing and healthcare.

    This press release contains forward-looking statements. The statements regarding expected results of European Capital and/or American
Capital are subject to various factors and uncertainties, including the uncertainties associated with the timing of transaction closings,
changes in interest rates, availability of transactions, changes in regional, national or international economic conditions, or changes in
the conditions of the industries in which European Capital and/or American Capital has made investments.


    1As of 30 June 2008.











This information is provided by RNS
The company news service from the London Stock Exchange
 
  END 
 
ACQUSRVRWURKUAR

European Cap (LSE:ECAS)
Graphique Historique de l'Action
De Mai 2024 à Juin 2024

European Cap (LSE:ECAS)
Graphique Historique de l'Action
De Juin 2023 à Juin 2024