Riverside: private equity firm buys German Kaul GmbH

Munich / DE. (rc) The Riverside Company said it has bought a majority stake in Kaul GmbH, a German producer of glazing and other agents used in the confectionery and pharmaceutical industries. Financial details of the transaction were not disclosed. Kaul makes a broad range of products for sugar confectionery such as jelly beans, gummy bears, gums and sugar-coated chocolates, including both standard products and tailor-made items, among them Kosher and organic ingredients. It also makes glazing and sealing products for the pharma industry. The company has a trademarked portfolio of some 250 products. It operates in 60 countries supplying most of the major confectionery companies. «Kaul fits perfectly into our target profile of ‘Hidden Champions’, well managed companies with a strong market position and further growth potential», said Riverside Partner Volker Schmidt. Equity for the deal will come out of Riverside´s most recent European Fund REF IV.

About: The Riverside Company is the largest global private equity firm focused on the smaller end of the middle market (SEMM) and is one of the industry´s most experienced leveraged buyout investors. Riverside invests in premier SEMM companies valued up to 150 million USD and partners with strong management teams to build companies through acquisitions and value-added growth. Since its founding in 1988, the firm has invested in 216 transactions with 5,0 billion USD in enterprise value, and has a current portfolio in North America, Europe and Asia consisting of 67 companies.

About: Founded in 1975, Kaul GmbH is the global leader in the development and manufacturing of premium polishing, anti-sticking and release agents used in the confectionary, agricultural and pharmaceutical industries, with an absolute global leadership position in the development of glazing + polishing agents for sugar confectionary, in example jelly beans, gummy bears, gums. The Company differentiates itself from the competition through its trademarked portfolio of over 250 market-leading products. The company´s customer base is extremely stable and diverse and includes almost all major confectionary companies. Kaul services its customers directly as well as through agents and distributors in over 60 countries globally. The Company is headquartered in Elmshorn near Hamburg, Germany.