On 30 September 2011 Euro Pool System, AtriA Capital Partenaires and the LPR management closed and signed the purchase agreement. This acquisition provides Euro Pool System and LPR with enhanced capacity to grow in their core markets, providing returnable packaging and material handling solutions and related value-added reverse logistics services to the European retail market and to the fresh food and FMCG (fast moving consumer goods) customer base.
Both Euro Pool System and LPR are to complement their product offering with a
high-quality, generally accepted and integrated trays & pallets solution to their existing and new clients and markets. "The acquisition strengthens the PANEuropean presence and networks of both companies, whilst opening up enhanced opportunities to extend the provision of best-of-class logistics services to the European retail industry", says Peter Willems, CEO of Euro Pool System. Going forward, LPR will continue to operate under its own name as a division of Euro Pool System.
European position
Through the acquisition, the joint company, Euro Pool System and LPR, strengthens its leading position as a European forerunner in developing packaging and handling systems for retailers and FMCG producers, with a focus on service delivery, such as integrated service centres, return logistics management, distribution cost optimisation, achieving reduced total supply chain cost. Building onto their innovation capacity, lean structure and flexibility, the combined expertise of both companies deliver an even more distinctive and sustainable added value to the customers of the new group.
Euro Pool System
Euro Pool System is Europe's leading logistics service provider of returnable
packaging solutions for fresh produce, holding a 41% share of the returnable
packaging for the Fruit & Vegetable market in Continental Europe.
In cooperation with European retailers, Euro Pool System focuses on providing
optimal, cost-effective and sustainable logistics solutions. The company employs
155 people in ten countries and operates in fifteen countries, in which they manage more than 620 million roundtrips of returnable trays per year. The company has a network of 45 service centres all over Europe.
LPR
LPR specialises in full service pallet-pooling solutions for suppliers and retailers in the FMCG sector and operates throughout Europe. LPR employs more than 200 people in eight countries and is operational in twelve countries. The organisation handles over 45 million pallet movements a year across Europe.
AtriA Capital Partenaires
Specially dedicated to growing French midcap companies, AtriA Capital Partenaires invests in growth buy-out projects: LMBOs, spin-offs from industrial groups, public-to-private, and also capital development projects. AtriA Capital Partenaires is managed by one of the most experienced French private equity teams, who fully owns the management company. This feature gives AtriA the necessary independence to play its part totally in the projects proposed by entrepreneurs.
Alongside large French and international institutional investors, over fifty entrepreneurs have also invested in the funds managed by AtriA. They form the AtriA Entrepreneurs' Club, and actively contribute to the value creation brought by the team to the portfolio companies.