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Hamburg, September 25, 2020 – WELL PLUS TRADE GmbH (‘WPT‘), the Hamburg-based specialist for protein-based sports nutrition and nutritional concepts, has appointed a new CEO. Effective as of October 1, 2020, Ms. Annette Horváth will lead WPT’s further development. The renowned innovation and internationalization expert for consumer goods combines extensive management experience and in-depth industry knowledge. Previously, Ms. Horváth was CEO of the Danish fruit and nut bar supplier RAWBITE. The 44-year-old succeeds Mr. Thomas Weiß (64) who will chair the WPT advisory board.

Matthias Tabbert, Partner at HQ Equita, the majority shareholder of WPT: ‘We are delighted that our portfolio company WPT has appointed Ms. Horváth as new CEO. In her previous positions at among others RAWBITE, she demonstrated her innovation and brand expertise. We are looking forward to a successful cooperation to further develop WPT nationally and internationally. We would like to thank Mr. Weiß for his substantial contribution to WPT’s development and are glad that he will continue to actively support the group with his deep consumer goods and retail expertise as chairman of the advisory board.’

Thomas Weiß: ‘With the relaunch of Power System and the introduction of the new brand Enjoy we were able to win momentum in recent months and adapted to the dynamic market conditions. I would like to congratulate Ms. Horváth on her new role and wish her and the entire WPT team every success for the future.’

Ms. Horváth is looking forward to the entrepreneurial role: ‘Particularly in today’s times consumers are recognizing the importance of an active lifestyle and a balanced diet. The market for protein-based sports nutrition is developing dynamically. I am therefore very pleased to be working with the WPT team to innovatively develop our brands and portfolio.’

 

About WELL PLUS TRADE:
WELL PLUS TRADE, based in Hamburg, Germany, is a company that specializes in the development, marketing and distribution of products relating to fitness and dieting. The aim is to support end consumers in achieving their individual sports and health goals with WPT products of the Power System, Power System Enjoy and SedVital brands, as well as various private label products. To this end, WPT develops specially designed product concepts for the optimal success of its consumers.

Bad Homburg, 10th August, 2020 – HQ Equita, trusted partner of SMEs in Germany, Austria and Switzerland for almost three decades, acquires a majority stake in MUEGGE GmbH from MEYER BURGER TECHNOLOGY AG. The agreement is subject to customary closing conditions and must still be approved by the authorities in Germany. MUEGGE is one of the leading manufacturers of industrial mission critical microwave components, systems and plasma sources in German-speaking Europe. Based in Reichelsheim, Germany, MUEGGE provides innovative solutions for a range of industrial applications including the production of food, artificial diamonds and semiconductor components, for drying processes, for chemical molecule extraction and for the production of hydrogen.

“MUEGGE, as a technologically driven company with a strong position in its niche market, is an ideal match for HQ Equita. With its dynamic management team and leading R&D and engineering capabilities, the company is ideally positioned to serve a growing range of applications in international markets. Also in light of our positive experience with corporate spin-offs, we are convinced of MUEGEE’s future potential and are very much looking forward to supporting the management team in building on their success story.” explained Frank Schäfer, partner with HQ Equita.

“As part of our focus on the transformation of Meyer Burger into a solar cell and module producer, we have decided to sell the non-strategic business unit,” explains Gunter Erfurt, CEO of Meyer Burger Technology. “We are convinced that MUEGGE will continue to grow and achieve sustainable success together with a strong partner like HQ Equita.”

“In HQ Equita we have found an ideal partner for our company”, says Klaus Baumgärtner, CEO of MUEGGE. “By investing in research and development, but also in sales and new technologies, we want to grow geographically and technologically. Together we will initiate the next stage in our expansion and internationalization strategy. We look forward to working closely with HQ Equita.”

HQ Equita will hold the majority interest in MUEGGE through a newly established holding company, in which the management will also hold an interest. Besides MUEGGE, HQ Equita currently supports the businesses EBERTLANG, Flad & Flad, The Packaging Group, r2p and WellPlusTrade with the realization of their growth initiatives and their internationalisation.

HQ Equita was supported in the transaction by goetzpartners (commercial due diligence), Deloitte (financial due diligence) and GleissLutz (law and taxes). Meyer Burger was supported in the transaction by IPONTIX (M&A) and Rechtsanwaltssozietät Schmitz Knoth (law). The management of MUEGGE was advised by Waldeck Rechtsanwälte (law).

 

About HQ Equita

HQ Equita is part of the Harald Quandt-Group, based in Bad Homburg. Around 10 investment professionals support primarily owner-managed SMEs in strategically developing and growing their business. HQ Equita has become an established and trusted partner for SMEs since 1992, with around EUR 1 billion invested in over 35 small and medium-sized companies in German-speaking countries.

www.hqequita.com

 

About MUEGGE

MUEGGE is a leading manufacturer and supplier of mission critical industrial microwave components, systems and plasma sources with a strong global footprint. Founded in 1979 and based in Reichelsheim, Germany, the company’s approximately 120 employees provide solutions for a range of industrial applications including the production of food, artificial diamonds and semi-conductor components, for drying processes, for chemical molecule extraction and for the production of hydrogen to customers in more than 40 countries.

www.muegge.de

 

About MEYER BURGER TECHNOLOGY AG

Meyer Burger is a leading and globally active technology company specializing in innovative systems and production equipment for the photovoltaic (solar) industry. As an internationally renowned premium brand, Meyer Burger offers its customers in the PV industry dependable precision products and innovative solutions for the manufacture of high-efficiency solar cells and solar modules.

 

Media contact | Ulrich v. Rotenhan – Head of Communications & Investor Relations HQ Capital | press@hqcapital.com

Investor contact | Jan Herwig – Head of Legal & Investor Relations HQ Equita | jan.herwig@hqequita.com

 

Bad Homburg, March 6, 2020. Following continued growth, the HQ Group is taking the next step in its development. Through a central holding (HQ Holding), the  strategic development of HQ financial service providers will be further driven. The HQ Group unites the asset manager HQ Asset Management, the global alternative investment manager HQ Capital and the multi-family office HQ Trust as well as their associated companies.

HQ Holding will have a supervisory and a management board, subject to the approval of the regulatory authorities. Stefan Keitel has been appointed as CEO of the HQ Holding effective as of August 1, 2020, also subject to the approval of the regulatory authorities.

Stefan Keitel joins HQ Group from Deka Investment and has over 20 years of experience in the financial industry. He will drive the strategic development of the HQ Group, supported by the managing directors of HQ Financial Service Providers, who shall report to him.

The Harald Quandt family has also appointed Dr. Joachim Faber, Philipp Geller, Gregor Harald May, Dr. Konstantin Mettenheimer, Bernhard Oberhofer and Gabriele Quandt to the Supervisory Board. Dr. Joachim Faber has been elected as chairman of the Supervisory Board.

“Against the background of continued growth, we are strengthening our structures. With Dr. Joachim Faber and Stefan Keitel we have gained two very experienced financial managers as Chairman of the Supervisory Board and as CEO. Together we want to take the next step in the further development of the HQ Group,” says Gabriele Quandt, Chair of Shareholders’ Committee of the Harald Quandt family.

“Independent and privately owned, the HQ Group has been providing stable and attractive financial services and investment opportunities for our customers since three decades. Together with the family, the Supervisory Board and the management, I am pleased to build on this strong foundation,” says Dr. Joachim Faber.

“For more than 30 years, the HQ Group has stood for trust, stability and expertise in alternative investments, asset and wealth management. I look forward to working with the Supervisory Board and the teams of the HQ financial service providers,” says Stefan Keitel.

 

About Stefan Keitel

After studying business administration, Stefan Keitel worked for many years at Crédit Suisse as global chief investment officer for all divisions and co-head global asset management. Since 2016, he has been the head of the securities business of Deka, since 2017 CEO of Deka Investment GmbH and Chief Investment Officer of the Deka Group, managing about 300 billion of assets.

 

About Dr. Joachim Faber

After international positions in the financial industry, Dr. Joachim Faber joined Allianz in 1997 to build a global asset manager. He led this as CEO of Allianz Global Investors AG and a member of the Executive Board of Allianz SE from 2000 to 2012. He has been a member of the Supervisory Board of Deutsche Börse since 2009 and took over as Chairman of the Supervisory Board in May 2012. From 2012 to 2019, he was Chairman of JAB Holdings Sarl, Luxembourg, the industrial holding company of the Reimann family. In addition, he supports the German Cancer Aid Foundation on a voluntary basis and took over the chair of the Board of Trustees in 2019.

 

About the Harald Quandt Group

The Harald Quandt Group (HQ Group) unites the independent financial service providers of the Harald Quandt family (HQ). These include HQ Asset Management, which specializes in quantitative asset management, the global alternative investment specialist HQ Capital and the multi-family office HQ Trust. Starting in 1982 as a family office, the HQ Group now offers specialized financial services with a focus on alternative investments. With around 210 employees and central offices in Bad Homburg, Düsseldorf, New York and Hong Kong, the HQ Group is one of the few privately held global financial service providers.

 

More information: www.hqam.com, www.hqcapital.com and www.hqtrust.de.

Media contact:

HQ Capital Ulrich von Rotenhan Ulrich.Rotenhan@hqcapital.com +49 6172 402 818
HQ Trust /
HQ Asset Management		 Jochen Mörsch Jochen.Moersch@hqtrust.de +49 211 311979 25

 

 

Bad Homburg – 05 November 2019 HQ Equita, a trusted partner for small and medium-sized enterprises in the DACH region for nearly three decades, is further expanding its Industrial Advisory Board. With the addition of four more top-class industry experts, the HQ Equita Industrial Advisory Board now comprises six members.

The Industrial Advisors closely support HQ Equita companies and the HQ Equita team on strategic issues, lend operational assistance in transactions and in realising value creation potential. Deployment depends on the topic and focus of a given situation. Industrial Advisors have assumed key interim responsibility on HQ Equita projects or in its companies in the past.

The new Industrial Advisors Robert Fellner-Feldegg, Dr. Jürgen Onasch, Prof. Dr. Peter Pleus and Thomas Weiss join Friedbert Klefenz and Helmut Kraft in exclusive service to HQ Equita.

“Our Industrial Advisory Board enables us to actively generate added value for our companies and offer them support on all key trending topics in our defined industry sectors,” commented Matthias Tabbert, HQ Equita Partner. “This often entails professionalisation and development of organisational structures, or also digitalisation of functional interfaces in our companies. As our experts bring valuable practical experience to these key functions, we can join forces to strengthen and strategically develop further our role as a trusted partner for SMEs.”

“We are pleased to have been able to recruit such outstanding industry experts to serve us exclusively on our Industrial Advisory Board. We welcome them as members in our HQ Equita family and look forward to continuing our intensive exchange of information and further collaboration,” said Hans J. Moock, Partner and Managing Director at HQ Equita.

HQ Equita is currently supporting five middle-market companies to grow and internationalise their business models. The Industrial Advisors combine their entire expertise, experience and networks in achieving these goals.

 

The HQ Equita Industrial Advisory Board (previous positions)

Robert Fellner-Feldegg SLV (CEO), VAG Holding (CEO)
Friedbert Klefenz Bosch Packaging (CEO)
Helmut Kraft Stada (CFO), Phoenix Group
Dr. Jürgen Onasch Stromag (CEO)
Prof. Dr. Peter Pleus Schaeffler Automotive (CEO)
Thomas Weiss Windstar Medical (CEO)

 

Further information and the Industrial Advisor profiles can be found at: www.hqequita.de/industriebeirat

 

About HQ Equita

HQ Equita is part of the Harald Quandt Group based in Bad Homburg. Some 20 experts support medium-sized, primarily owner-managed, companies in the strategic development and growth of their businesses. HQ Equita has become an established and trusted partner for middle-market companies, with around €1 billion invested in over 30 SMEs in the German-speaking countries, since 1992.

www.hqequita.com

 

Media contact | Ulrich v. Rotenhan – Head of Communications & Investor Relations HQ Capital | press@hqcapital.com

Investor contact | Jan Herwig – Head of Legal & Investor Relations HQ Equita | jan.herwig@hqequita.com

Bad Homburg, 18 November 2019 | HQ Equita, trusted partner of SMEs in Germany, Austria and Switzerland for almost three decades, has acquired a majority stake in WOLF Verpackungsmaschinen GmbH, based in Lich-Birklar. WOLF is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of vertical form, fill and seal machines for food, industrial goods and chemicals.

After acquiring a majority stake in the packaging machine specialists FAWEMA and HDG in 2018, HQ Equita is strengthening its platform investment The Packaging Group (TPG) with WOLF. In future, WOLF, FAWEMA and HDG will operate as a group of companies to develop specific packaging solutions for customers. In addition to a joint product development, a sales and service platform is to be established for all three companies in order to be able to advise and support customers worldwide competently and reliably on all product groups. The traditional brands WOLF, HDG and FAWEMA will be retained and selected operations strategically reinforced. As a group, the three companies employ over 400 people at 14 locations worldwide in the production, assembly, service and sales of specialized packaging machines for food, chemical products and industrial applications.

Similar to previous investments, HQ Equita is acquiring the majority of the family-owned packaging specialist WOLF from the family and other investors, who will remain shareholders in the company. The transaction was closed on 6 November 2019. The Wolf family remains as C-level management as before. The parties have agreed to maintain confidentiality regarding the purchase price.

“We are delighted to have a strong new partner by our side,” said Günter Wolf, Managing Director and founder of WOLF Verpackungsmaschinen GmbH. “We have found an ideal partner for the company in HQ Equita, to successfully implement the next phase of expansion and internationalisation.”

WOLF is a pioneer and specialist in the packaging industry. The machines can pack powdered, pourable, frozen and liquid products, among others, and are also used in particular for snack products. WOLF’s expertise in vertical form, fill and seal machines perfectly complements the product families of HDG and FAWEMA. Together, the group can offer customers tailor-made solutions for distinctive packaging trends from a single source. This merger also means ideal positioning for new and environmentally friendly alternative packaging materials such as paper and paper laminates.

“The packaging industry is a growth market. WOLF is optimally positioned with its innovative and high-quality products and services and the state-of-the-art assembly site in China. It will enable us to strengthen our packaging platform and drive the growth and internationalisation of our three packaging specialists through promising synergies,” said Florian Wiemken, Partner at HQ Equita.

With over 200 employees at nine locations, including a second assembly site in China, WOLF is a global contact for food manufacturers, and companies in the chemicals sector and industry. In addition to the manufacture of sophisticated packaging machines, WOLF also has a global service and sales network that perfectly complements the existing sales and service activities of FAWEMA and HDG in the markets of Eastern Europe, Asia and the Middle East.

“We welcome WOLF to the HQ Equita family. The name WOLF represents innovation, reliability and quality in the packaging industry. FAWEMA, HDG and WOLF form a strong alliance that we aim to support and strengthen in the next stage of its development,” said Christine Weiss, Partner and Managing Director at HQ Equita.

HQ Equita has been active in the growing packaging machine market for many years. For instance, the company held a majority in Rovema Group, another specialist for vertical packaging solutions, until 2017.

WOLF was advised on the transaction by cf:M (M&A), taxess (tax) and EGW Law (law). HQ Equita was supported by ALANTRA (M&A), Ebner Stolz (FDD), Munich Strategy Group (CDD), Watson Farley & Williams (law, tax, structuring), Henderson Taxand (tax China), Eiger Law (law China), ERM (ESG), and MSLAW (acquisition finance agreement).

 

 

About HQ Equita

HQ Equita is part of the Harald Quandt Group, based in Bad Homburg. Around 20 experts support primarily owner-managed SMEs in strategically developing and growing their business. HQ Equita has become an established and trusted partner for SMEs since 1992, with around EUR 1 billion invested in over 30 small and medium-sized companies in German-speaking countries.

www.hqequita.com

 

Media contact | Ulrich v. Rotenhan – Head of Communications & Investor Relations HQ Capital | press@hqcapital.com

Investor contact | Jan Herwig – Head of Legal & Investor Relations HQ Equita | jan.herwig@hqequita.com

 

 

Bad Homburg, April 11 2019 – HQ Equita has successfully concluded fundraising for its fifth fund, HQ Equita V (“Fund V” or the “Fund”), with capital commitments totaling €308 million. With the Fund now closed, at a level comparable to its main predecessor fund, HQ Equita remains true to its strategic investment focus.

Established as a GmbH & Co. KG based in Bad Homburg, Germany, Fund V will focus on investments in small- and medium-sized enterprises (“SMEs”) in German-speaking Europe. The Fund’s limited partners include entrepreneurial families, foundations, and select institutional investors, consistent with HQ Equita’s historical investor base comprised of entrepreneurial capital. With investors from both European and non-European countries committing to the Fund, HQ Equita continues to expand its international network.

“Our strategy of developing partnerships to further advance and create value for German-speaking SMEs attracted great interest from investors. We will leverage our team’s deep experience and our broad network to support our portfolio companies’ growth and generate value for both the companies and our investors. With Fund V, we will continue to invest in SMEs, seek to expand our team and advance our strategic development even further,” said Christine Weiß, Partner and Managing Director at HQ Equita.

Since 2017, Fund V has already invested in four attractive companies. The portfolio includes WELL PLUS TRADE (2017), The Packaging Group – consisting of FAWEMA and HDG – (2018), r2p (2018), and EBERTLANG (2019). WELL PLUS TRADE is a specialist developer of protein-based sports nutrition. The Packaging Group is a leading manufacturer of packaging machines. r2p is an international provider of digital systems for public transportation. And EBERTLANG is a leading value-added distributor of infrastructure software for SMEs in German-speaking Europe.

With these four investments, HQ Equita continues to pursue its nearly three-decade long focus on investing in highly specialized small- and medium-sized “hidden champions” in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. By investing in companies with revenues ranging between €20 million and €150 million, HQ Equita is able to provide sustainable growth capital, enact succession planning solutions, and provide the network necessary to develop corporate structures and internationalize the businesses.

“HQ Equita has continued to enhance its profile over the years and remains a trusted partner for growth capital and succession planning solutions for SMEs in German-speaking Europe. With the successful closing of Fund V and the initiation of the generational management change, the foundation for long-term stability and continuity at HQ Equita is firmly in place,” said Dr. Bernd Türk, Managing Director and Chairman of the Executive Committee of HQ Capital.

After three successful investments in the last 12 months, HQ Equita will continue to strategically deploy capital in attractive portfolio companies in the German-speaking DACH region.

 

About HQ Capital

HQ Capital is a global alternative asset manager that has been investing in private equity and U.S. real estate on behalf of institutions and family offices since 1989. With approximately $12 billion in assets under management and more than 145 employees across 10 offices worldwide, HQ Capital has the platform and experience needed to effectively allocate capital in private markets.

HQ Equita is HQ Capital’s private equity direct investment arm. HQ Equita has developed into an established and trusted partner for middle-market companies, with approximately $1 billion of capital invested in over 30 small- and medium-sized enterprises in the German-speaking DACH region since 1992.

 

Media contact:
Ulrich von Rotenhan
Head of Communications & Investor Relations HQ Capital
+49 6172 401 818
press@hqcapital.com

Investor contact:
Jan Herwig
Head of Legal & Investor Relations HQ Equita
+49 6172 9441 227
jan.herwig@hqequita.com

Bad Homburg, March 25, 2019 – HQ Equita, the direct investment company of HQ Capital, is acquiring a majority interest in the leading value-added software distributor EBERTLANG from Beyond Capital Partners and the company’s founders. Based in Wetzlar, Germany, EBERTLANG is one of the leading value-added distributor of infrastructure software for small and mid-sized companies in German-speaking Europe. The company provides software solutions for email archiving, back-up, IT-security, automation and continuity, and offers comprehensive training, consulting and service support for partners and software vendors.

“EBERTLANG is the ideal partner for small and mid-sized companies to maintain their IT-infrastructure for the future and fulfilling ever-increasing regulatory requirements, such as legally compliant archiving of emails. EBERTLANG is optimally positioned and set up for megatrends including digitization, IT-security, cloud services and regulatory compliance. We are delighted to enter the next phase of EBERTLANG’s development, working together with the strong team that founders Steffen Ebert and Volker Lang have built,” explained Florian Wiemken, partner with HQ Equita.

“EBERTLANG is a success story and has enormous potential. We are pleased to have actively guided the company and its management in an important phase of growth. With HQ Equita the company will have a financially strong, stable and reliable partner for future growth,” says Christoph D. Kauter, Managing Partner of Beyond Capital Partners.

EBERTLANG is the central interface between small- and medium-size companies and leading software vendors. The company offers these vendors access to the highly fragmented German-speaking market, with more than 17,000 IT-system houses, and provides both software distribution as well as product and channel management, marketing, training and technical support. EBERTLANG guides system houses in executing managed services and SaaS concepts for their end customers. EBERTLANG uses its industry-leading business intelligence database and personalized customer care throughout the process.

“With the support of HQ Equita, we plan to drive our already-strong growth even higher. In addition to expanding our solutions portfolio in the software area, we plan to significantly strengthen our service offerings – which IT professionals in the German-speaking countries already value – in order to offer even better support to system houses in all matters relating to sophisticated infrastructure,” explained Steffen Ebert, founder and Co-CEO of EBERTLANG. “Besides expanding our offerings, with help from HQ Equita we will also advance our upcoming national and international expansion – also through acquisitions,” added Volker Lang, second founder and Co-CEO. Discussions with potential acquisition targets have already been started.

HQ Equita will hold the majority interest in EBERTLANG through a newly established holding company, in which the management will also hold an interest. The purchase price was not disclosed.

HQ Equita was supported in the transaction by goetzpartners (M&A, commercial due diligence, debt advisory), Alvarez & Marsal (financial due diligence) and Watson Farley & Williams (law and taxes). Beyond Capital Partners was supported in the transaction by Lincoln International (M&A), Latham & Watkins (law) and EY (financials). The management of EBERTLANG was advised by CMS (law).

  

About HQ Capital
HQ Capital is a global alternative asset manager that has been investing in private equity and U.S. real estate on behalf of institutions and family offices since 1989. With approximately $12 billion in assets under management and more than 145 employees across 10 offices worldwide, HQ Capital has the platform and experience needed to effectively allocate capital in private markets.

HQ Equita is HQ Capital’s private equity direct investment arm. HQ Equita has developed into an established and trusted partner for middle-market companies, with approximately $1 billion of capital invested in over 30 small- and medium-sized enterprises in the German-speaking DACH region since 1992.

 

About EBERTLANG
EBERTLANG is the leading value-added distributor of infrastructure software for small and mid-sized companies in German-speaking Europe. Founded in 1995 and based in Wetzlar, Germany, the company’s approximately 60 employees provide leading software solutions and services in the areas of email archiving, back-up, IT-security, automation and IT-failover to a network of around 17,000 partners.

 

About Beyond Capital Partners
Beyond Capital Partners is a holding company focused on acquiring majority interests in profitable mid-sized enterprises in German-speaking Europe (Germany, Austria, Switzerland). With its portfolio companies LDBS Lichtdienst, Larsen Indoor Light Concept, Heitronic, sysob IT and BigCityBeats, Beyond Capital Partners currently holds interests in five businesses in the areas of lighting services, IT security and lifestyle & entertainment.

 

Contact HQ Capital:
Ulrich von Rotenhan
Director Marketing
+49 6172 401 818
press@hqcapital.com
www.hqcapital.com

 

Contact EBERTLANG:
Steffen Ebert
Co-CEO
+49 6441 67118 600
steffen.ebert@ebertlang.com
www.ebertlang.com

 

Contact Beyond Capital Partners:
Christoph D. Kauter
Managing Partner
+ 49 172 865 2169
c.kauter@beyondcapital-partners.com
www.beyondcapital-partners.com

 

 

Bad Homburg, 6 March 2019 – HQ Equita, the mid-cap buyout arm of HQ Capital and a successful partner for small and medium-sized enterprises in the German-speaking area for about three decades, strengthens its management team and initiates the generational change. Christine Weiß, who joined HQ Equita in 2006 and became a Partner in 2014, is appointed Managing Director of HQ Equita. Frank Schäfer, Matthias Tabbert and Florian Wiemken are appointed Partners.

Frank Schäfer has been part of HQ Equita’s Investment Team since 2012. During this time, he was involved in the management and successful sales of ISOLITE and MEN. Most recently, he completed the acquisitions of r2p Group and Open Access (Sydney).

Matthias Tabbert has over ten years of experience in the mid-cap buyout business and joined HQ Equita’s Investment Team in early 2011. He has worked on various portfolio company acquisitions and exits, including WindStar Medical and Well Plus Trade.

Florian Wiemken has been a member of HQ Equita’s Investment Team since 2012 and has been involved in numerous transactions over the past seven years, including the acquisition, management and successful sale of Rovema Group.

Torsten Krumm, who has been responsible for leading the generation change at HQ Equita and has successfully strengthened its management team, will head the Investment Committee in a new role in the future.

The team has been working together successfully for many years and has been instrumental in the development of HQ Equita. With the generational change and the support of Managing Director and Partner Hans J. Moock, who has been working for HQ Equita for more than 13 years, continuity in the management of HQ Equita will be ensured.

“As an experienced and proven team, we are optimally positioned to further develop HQ Equita. Together, we will continue to consistently realize attractive investment opportunities and support the growth strategies and development of our portfolio companies in a sustainable manner”, says Christine Weiß.

“The generation change is the next logical step in HQ Equita’s onward development as a specialist for primary investments in SMEs,” says Dr Bernd Türk, Managing Director of HQ Capital. “These appointments lay the foundation for stability and continuity. I am pleased to work with this dynamic team.”

With the strengthened management team, HQ Equita intends to expand its existing relationships with entrepreneurs, enhance its investment focus and raise its profile in the market.

For three decades, HQ Equita has been an expert for succession solutions and investments in medium-sized companies in the German-speaking area.

 

 

About HQ Capital
HQ Capital is a global alternative asset manager that has been investing in private equity and U.S. real estate on behalf of institutions and family offices since 1989. With approximately $12 billion in assets under management and more than 145 employees across 10 offices worldwide, HQ Capital has the platform and experience needed to effectively allocate capital in private markets.

HQ Equita is HQ Capital’s private equity direct investment arm. We have developed into an established and trusted partner for middle-market companies with approximately $1 billion of capital invested in over 30 small- and medium-sized enterprises in the German-speaking DACH region since 1992.

 

Media contact:
Ulrich von Rotenhan
Head of Communications & Investor Relations HQ Capital
+49 6172 401 818
press@hqcapital.com

 

Investor contact:
Jan Herwig
Head of Legal & Investor Relations HQ Equita
+49 6172 9441 227
jan.herwig@hqequita.com

  • Refinancing of the leading packaging machine manufacturer completed as planned
  • New lines for CapEx, organic growth and targeted acquisitions
  • Investments in research and development, sales and infrastructure
  • Expansion of worldwide platform in the packaging machinery market

 

Bad Homburg, 16 January, 2019. The Packaging Group (TPG), a company in the HQ Equita portfolio, has successfully completed its refinancing scheduled for 2018. TPG came into existence in 2018 through the merger of FAWEMA and HDG (formerly: Steindl Group) under HQ Equita. The company is a worldwide leader in the development and production of premium packaging machines for the foodstuffs, animal feed and chemical industries.

The financing volume provided by two banks supported TPG in extending its technical competence and geographic reach by means of carefully-targeted acquisitions, in order to further expand its market position as a globally-active platform in the packaging machinery market. The strengthened capital base also permits TPG to extend one production facility and erect a third, highly-modern production facility on a green field site. Furthermore, the intention is to accelerate investment in sales, as well as research and development, and to further institutionalise the organisation.

Peter Steindl, CEO of TPG: “The refinancing permits us to accelerate the planned further development. By investing in research and development, as well as in sales and new technologies, we want to promote growth, in both geographic and technological regards. Augmented by carefully-targeted acquisitions.”

Florian Wiemken, responsible for the investment at HQ Equita: “The refinancing is a significant element of the strategy in order to secure organic and anorganic growth at TPG. HQ Equita supports TPG in expanding its market position as the worldwide leading packaging machine manufacturer in the premium segment. As shareholders, we actively support the structural growth and internationalisation of TPG.”

TPG develops and supplies packaging machines for filling dry, free-flowing bulk materials into a variety of paper or plastic laminate bags. The machines offer packaging solutions for flour, sugar, baking mixtures, confectionary, animal feed and a variety of chemical products. In addition, around a quarter of TPG’s turnover is accounted for by the service and spare parts business.

The new financing was arranged through a consortium consisting of the Commerzbank and Oldenburgische Landesbank (OLB). During the refinancing process, TPG has been supported by Alantra as debt advisor. MSLaw from Frankfurt served as legal advisor. The bank consortium was advised by Ashurst LLP.

 

About The Packaging Group

The Packaging Group is a worldwide leading producer of packaging machines for filling dry, free-flowing bulk materials into various types of paper or plastic laminate bags. TPG came into being in 2018 as a result of the merger of FAWEMA and HDG (formerly Steindl Group). Around 210 people are employed by TPG, working at four international production and sales sites. The product portfolio includes servo- and cam-controlled horizontal form, fill and seal machines with a rotary system (HDG) as well as servo-controlled high-performance packaging machines with chamber transport, and vertical, intermittent and continuous fill and seal machines (FAWEMA).

  

About HQ Capital

HQ Capital is a global alternative asset manager that has been investing in private equity and U.S. real estate on behalf of institutions and family offices since 1989. With approximately $12 billion in assets under management as of September 30, 2018 and more than 145 employees across 10 offices worldwide, HQ Capital has the platform and experience needed to effectively allocate capital in private markets.

HQ Equita is HQ Capital’s private equity direct investment arm. We have developed into an established and trusted partner for middle-market companies with approximately $1 billion Euros of capital invested in over 30 small- and medium-sized enterprises in the German-speaking DACH region since 1992.

 

Media Relations:
Ulrich von Rotenhan
Head of Communications & Investor Relations HQ Capital
+49 6172 401 818
press@hqcapital.com

 

Investor Relations HQ Equita:
Jan Herwig
Head of Legal & Investor Relations HQ Equita
+49 6172 9441 227
jan.herwig@hqequita.com

 

 

Bad Homburg, Germany, 4 September 2018. HQ Capital’s Germany office organized a group of 27 employees, from both its Private Equity and HQ Equita teams, to participate in the Malteser Social Day 2018.

Malteser Social Day is an annual nationwide event hosted by the Order of Malta in Germany, where companies and their employees spend a day giving back to communities in need. Malteser is a catholic relief organization with the long-term objective of alleviating poverty through hands-on, active and on-going volunteer work. With their “Social Day,” the Malteser encourages companies to free up their employees for one day to take part in various social projects within their communities.

As part of this year’s Malteser Social Day, the HQ Capital team helped to refresh the appearance of the Georg-Büchner-Gymnasium (GBG) in Bad Vilbel by painting its corridors. GBG is a general education and performance-oriented high school of the Wetteraukreis that focuses on helping its students to be well-rounded, both academically and socially. The school offers a wide range of opportunities for children from sports, music and vocational studies, to leisure and social activities that promote the importance of giving back to your communities. This volunteer service was a great opportunity for HQ Capital to reward the school’s good work by helping prepare for their upcoming 50th anniversary, while exemplifying the benefits of team work for the students.

Oliver Schlümer, Director at HQ Capital, commented, “Participation in the Social Day was successful in many ways. First and foremost, we were able to help children by beautifying their school. In addition, it was a great teambuilding event that allowed us to get to know colleagues even better. Special thanks go to the headmaster of the Georg-Büchner-Gymnasium for the delicious food and the Malteser for the organization of the day.”

Daniela Hufnagel, IT & Office Management at HQ Equita and the event organizer added, “Our first Social Day experience was very rewarding. The pre-planning with both GBG and the Malteser was seamless and enjoyable. The enthusiasm and gratitude of the school management and teachers for supporting them in their project helped to motivate and energize our team. The event was fun and has helped to bring us closer as colleagues and teammates. I would encourage other companies to consider participating in the next Malteser Social Day.”

HQ Capital is committed to supporting social initiatives around the world. Its New York and Hong Kong offices also participated in community service days earlier this year. Georg Wunderlin, CEO of HQ Capital, explained, “As part of our HQ Capital Gives Back! initiative, we will continue to seek out opportunities to share the same professionalism and dedication that we bring to our firm with those in need, through team work and community engagement.”

 

About HQ Capital

HQ Capital is a leading independent manager of alternative assets, investing on behalf of institutions and families in global private equity and U.S. real estate since 1989. As of June 30, 2018, the group has more than 140 employees managing $11.5 billion in total assets from 10 offices in North America, Europe and Asia. With its innovative and entrepreneurial culture, strong investment acumen, and commitment to social responsibility, the HQ Capital Group is a trusted partner to its clients worldwide.

Further information can be found at www.hqcapital.com.

 

About Malteser

The Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of St. John of Jerusalem of Rhodes and Malta, better known as the Order of Malta, has a two-fold nature. It is one of the most ancient Catholic Religious Orders, founded in Jerusalem in around 1048. At the same time, it has always been recognized by nations as an independent subject of international law.

The Order’s mission is summed up in its motto “Tuitio Fidei et Obsequium Pauperum” – which translates as live the faith and assist those who suffer. The Order of Malta works in the field of medical and social care and humanitarian aid, in over 120 countries, supported by the diplomatic relations it currently has with 104 nations. Malteser International, the Order’s worldwide relief agency, works the front line providing humanitarian aid in situations such as those where natural disasters have occurred, or civil conflicts. It is completely neutral and impartial.

Further information can be found at https://www.malteser.de/