PAI Partners
PAI Partners is a European private equity firm based in Paris, France. It is one of the oldest firms in the sector with its origins dating back to Paribas Affaires Industrielles, the historical principal investment activity of Paribas, which started operations in 1872.
Type | Private |
---|---|
Industry | Private equity |
Founded | 1998 |
Headquarters | Paris, France |
Key people | Michel Paris (Chief executive officer) Frédéric Stevenin (Chief information officer) |
Products | Private equity funds |
Total assets | €13.5 billion[1] |
Number of employees | 62 |
Website | www |
PAI manages €13.5 billion of dedicated buyout funds. Since 1994, PAI has completed 65 LBO transactions in 11 European countries, representing over €48 billion in transaction value. PAI has 62 agents from 10 countries and teams in Paris, London, Luxembourg, Madrid, Milan, Munich, Stockholm and New York City.
History
PAI was formerly known as Paribas Affaires Industrielles,[2][3] the historical principal investment activity of Paribas. PAI LBO Fund, established in 1998, was the first PAI investment vehicle managing third party capital. Prior to 1998, PAI invested exclusively on the balance sheet of BNP Paribas.
Paribas merged with Banque Nationale de Paris in 2000.[4] In 1993, Amaury de Sèze joined Paribas Affaires Industrielles as chairman and chief executive officer. Under his leadership, PAI developed a strategy in private equity that capitalized on the team's familiarity with industrial sectors.
Paribas Affaires Industrielles led the €610 million buyout of Danone’s pasta and condiment unit in 1997,[5][6] at that time the largest leveraged buyout ever completed in France. The following year, the firm finalized fundraising for its first third party investment fund, raising €650 million of investor commitments. PAI completed a full spinout from BNP in 2000 and the following year raised a new €1.8 billion private equity fund.
History of private equity and venture capital |
---|
Early history |
(origins of modern private equity) |
The 1980s |
(leveraged buyout boom) |
The 1990s |
(leveraged buyout and the venture capital bubble) |
The 2000s |
(dot-com bubble to the credit crunch) |
In September 2009, Lionel Zinsou became CEO and Chairman of the firm.[7][8] In 2015 Michel Paris became CEO after Lionel Zinsou stepped down to become prime minister in Benin.[9][10]
In March 2015, PAI raised its fifth LBO fund, PAI Europe VI, reaching €3.3 billion, above the initial target of €3 billion.[11] In March 2018, PAI closed their PAI Europe VII fund.[12][13]
Investment funds
Funds
Prior to 1998, PAI made investments via the Paribas Portfolio. The Paribas Portfolio was funded directly from Paribas’ balance sheet, largely unleveraged and comprising 51 investments, all of which have now been realised. Reflecting the broader investment remit of PAI at the time, it included control and non-control investments. Since 1998, PAI has raised five private equity funds, as detailed below:
Fund name | Vintage | Total commitment | Focus | Status |
---|---|---|---|---|
PAI LBO Fund | 1998 | €650 million | Buyout | Liquidated |
PAI Europe III | 2001 | €1.8 billion | Buyout | Liquidated |
PAI Europe IV | 2005 | €2.7 billion | Buyout | Exit phase |
PAI Europe V | 2008 | €2.7 billion | Buyout | Exit phase |
PAI Europe VI | 2015 | €3.3 billion | Buyout | Investment phase |
PAI Europe VII[14] | 2018 | €5.1 billion | Buyout | Investment phase |
Detailed investments
Historically, PAI managed Paribas's stakes in large food and consumer goods companies across Europe: Royal Canin (European leader in dry pet food), Diana Ingredients (natural food ingredients), Evialis (animal feed), Saupiquet (ready meals), LDC (premium poultry), Navidul (cured ham – Spain), SOS Arana (rice – Spain) and helped them consolidate their respective sector. PAI has completed a large number of leveraged buyouts of market leading European companies in recent years including several of the most significant in Europe. The most recent transactions in consumer goods and services, healthcare as well as general industrial companies are highlighted below:
PAI VI investments
Entry | Exit | Company Name | Business description | Country | Ref. |
2015 | Unrealised | AS Adventure[15] | Outdoor equipment and fashion retailer | Belgium | [16] |
2016 | Unrealised | Atos Medical[17] | Laryngectomy products | Sweden | [18] |
2016 | Unrealised | B&B Hotels[19] | Budget hotel chain | France | [20] |
2017 | Unrealised | Cortefiel[21] | Apparel retailer | Spain | [22] |
2014 | 2017 | DomusVi[23] | Elderly care | France | [24] |
2017 | Unrealised | ELITech[25] | Diagnostic equipment | Italy | [26] |
2016 | Unrealised | Ethypharm | Specialty pharmaceuticals | France | [27] |
2014 | Unrealised | EuroMediaGroup | Technical services to the audiovisual industry | France | [28] |
2014 | 2017 | InnoVista Sensors (formerly CST) | Sensors and control products | United States | [29][30] |
2015 | Unrealised | Konecta | Business process outsourcing and contact centres | Spain | [31] |
2014 | Unrealised | Labeyrie Fine Foods | Gourmet food | France | [32] |
2016 | Unrealised | Roompot | Holiday parks | The Netherlands | [33] |
2014 | Unrealised | VPS | Vacant property services | United Kingdom | [34] |
PAI V investments
Entry | Exit | Company Name | Business description | Country | Ref. |
2013 | 2017 | ADB Safegate | Airfield ground lighting | Belgium | [35] |
2008 | 2015 | Atos | IT service provider | France | [36] |
2010 | 2017 | Cerba European Lab | Specialised biology laboratory | France | [37] |
2013 | Unrealised | Froneri (formerly R&R Ice Cream) | Take-home ice cream manufacturer | United Kingdom | [38] |
2011 | 2016 | Hunkemöller | Lingerie retailer | The Netherlands | [39] |
2013 | 2017 | Group IPH | Industrial supplies distributor | France | [40] |
2011 | 2017 | Kiloutou | Equipment rental services | France | [41] |
2012 | Unrealised | Marcolin | Eyewear design and manufacturing | Italy | [42] |
2011 | 2016 | Swissport | Global ground and cargo aircraft handling services | Switzerland | [43] |
2011 | 2014 | The Nuance Group | Travel retail and duty-free industry | Switzerland | [44] |
2008 | 2017 | Xella | Aircrete blocks | Germany | [45] |
PAI IV investments
Entry | Exit | Company Name | Business description | Country | Ref. |
2005 | 2012 | Chr. Hansen | Natural food ingredients | Denmark | [46] |
2005 | 2017 | Cortefiel | Apparel retailer | Spain | [22] |
2005 | 2016 | Global Closure Systems (aka GCS) | Plastic closures | France | [47] |
2007 | 2017 | Kaufman & Broad | Developer and builder of homes | France | [48] |
2005 | 2011 | Kwik-Fit | Automotive fast-fit | United Kingdom | [49] |
2007 | 2009 | Monier | Roofing products | France | [50] |
2005 | Unrealised | Perstorp | Specialty chemical ingredients used for coatings | Sweden | [51] |
2006 | 2011 | Spie | Multitechnical services | France | [52] |
2006 | 2014 | United Biscuits | Biscuits and snacks | United Kingdom | [53] |
Previous investments
- Amora Maille: Sauces and condiments; acquired from Danone in 1997 sold to Unilever in 1999
- Antargaz: Propane and butane provision; sold to UGI Corporation in 2004
- Carglass: vehicle glass repair and replacement group
- Elis: Textile rental, hygiene services
- Gerflor: PVC flooring
- Groupe Lapeyre: Distribution of construction material
- Ipsen: Pharmaceutical laboratory
- VIA-GTI (known as Keolis): Transport; acquired 1995 and sold in 1999 to SNCF
- Panzani-Lustucru: Pasta and pasta sauces; acquired in 1997 from Danone, sold to Puleva en 2005
- Point P: Construction material distributor;
- Provimi: Animal nutrition
- Royal Canin: Animal nutrition for dogs and cats, sold to Mars Incorporated in 2002
- SAUR: Water distribution, sanitation and waste management services
- Saeco: Coffee machine manufacturer
- Vivarte: Shoe and women wear retailer; sold in 2007 to Charterhouse Capital Partners
- William Saurin: Canned ready meals; sold to Financière Turenne Lafayette (FTL) in 2001
- Yoplait: 51% share: Fresh dairy products, sold to General Mills in 2011
Notes and references
- Funds raised since inception
- "PAI Partners fait évoluer sa gouvernance - Les Echos". www.lesechos.fr (in French). Retrieved 2018-08-24.
- Arnold, Martin (9 December 2008). "PAI Partners face double deal hit | Financial Times". Financial Times. Retrieved 24 August 2018.
- "10 largest banks in the world as measure by the total assets". www.forexnewsnow.com. Retrieved 2018-08-23.
- "Notre histoire | Groupe Panzani". Groupe Panzani (in French). Retrieved 2018-08-23.
- "Danone cède son épicerie et se recentre sur trois pôles - Les Echos". www.lesechos.fr (in French). Retrieved 2018-08-23.
- Javed, Ayesha (2015-06-19). "PAI Partners Chief To Become Prime Minister of Benin". WSJ. Retrieved 2018-09-11.
- Michel, Serge (2015-08-07). "Lionel Zinsou: from Paris to Benin with an action plan". the Guardian. Retrieved 2018-09-11.
- "Le banquier Lionel Zinsou devient premier ministre du Bénin". Le Monde.fr (in French). Retrieved 2018-08-24.
- "Michel Paris devient seul maître à bord de PAI - Les Echos". www.lesechos.fr (in French). Retrieved 2018-08-24.
- "Hard cap à 3,3 Md€ pour PAI Partners - Private Equity Magazine". www.pemagazine.fr.
- Jacobius, Arleen (2018-03-30). "PAI Partners closes latest fund at €5 billion". Pensions & Investments. Retrieved 2018-09-11.
- staff, PEN. "PAI's Latest Fundraising Effort Closes at €5 Billion Hard Cap". Retrieved 2018-09-11.
- "PAI Partners closes latest fund at €5 billion". Pensions & Investments. March 30, 2018.
- https://www.asadventure.fr A.S. Adventure
- Editorial, Reuters. "Private equity firm PAI buys AS Adventure for 400 million euros". U.K. Retrieved 2018-01-25.
- https://www.atosmedical.com/ Atos Medical
- Figari, Luciano (2016-05-31). "EQT exits Atos Medical to PAI Partners - Real Deals". Real Deals. Retrieved 2018-01-25.
- http://www.hotel-bb.com/en/home.htm B&B Hotels
- "BRIEF-PAI Partners enters exclusive negotiations to buy B&B Hotels". Reuters. 2015-12-15. Retrieved 2018-01-25.
- https://www.fnlondon.com/articles/cvc-agrees-to-split-cortefiel-with-pai-and-permira-20050722%7Ctitle=CVC agrees to split Cortefiel with PAI and Permira|last=Dewson|first=Andrew|accessdate=2018-01-25
- Dewson, Andrew. "CVC agrees to split Cortefiel with PAI and Permira". Retrieved 2018-01-25.
- https://www.domusvi.com/ DomusVi
- Figari, Luciano (2017-06-08). "PAI Partners to sell DomusVi stake to ICG - Real Deals". Real Deals. Retrieved 2018-01-23.
- Langworth, Hannah (2017-05-12). "PAI acquires diagnostics business Elitech from Ergon - Real Deals". Real Deals. Retrieved 2018-01-25.
- Langworth, Hannah (2017-05-12). "PAI acquires diagnostics business Elitech from Ergon - Real Deals". Real Deals. Retrieved 2018-01-25.
- "PAI to buy drugmaker Ethypharm from Astorg for about $855 million: sou". Reuters. 2016-05-06. Retrieved 2018-01-25.
- "France's PAI Partners to buy Euro Media Group". Reuters. 2014-04-24. Retrieved 2018-01-25.
- "The Carlyle Group and PAI Partners Enter into Exclusive Discussions with Schneider Electric for the Acquisition of a Majority Stake in Custom Sensors & Technologies, a Specialist in Designing and Manufacturing Sensing, Control and Motion Products | The Carlyle Group". www.carlyle.com. Retrieved 2018-01-25.
- Riordan, Darragh (2017-12-14). "Carlyle, PAI sell Crouzet to LBO France - Real Deals". Real Deals. Retrieved 2018-01-25.
- "PAI Partners acquires a 40% stake in Grupo Konecta - Nearshore Americas". Nearshore Americas. 2015-10-06. Retrieved 2018-01-25.
- Bray, Chad. "PAI Partners Plans Joint Venture to Control Labeyrie Fine Foods". DealBook. Retrieved 2018-01-25.
- Bobeldijk, Yolanda. "PAI Partners buys Dutch holiday park business". Retrieved 2018-01-25.
- "PAI Partners acquires VPS Holdings from TDR Capital - PE Hub". PE Hub. 2014-06-25. Retrieved 2018-01-25.
- Riordan, Darragh (2017-07-17). "PAI Partners sells ADB Safegate to Carlyle - Real Deals". Real Deals. Retrieved 2018-01-25.
- "Private equity firm PAI sells out of". Reuters. 2015-02-25. Retrieved 2018-01-25.
- "Subscribe to read". Financial Times. Retrieved 2018-01-25. Cite uses generic title (help)
- "https://www.nestle.com/media/pressreleases/allpressreleases/nestle-rr-joint-venture-froneri". www.nestle.com. Retrieved 2018-01-25. External link in
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(help) - "Carlyle's Hunkemöller acquisition approved". RetailDetail. 2016-02-08. Retrieved 2018-01-25.
- White, Lucy (2017-06-12). "Advent wraps up IPH deal to create €2.1bn industrials business". Retrieved 2018-01-25.
- "Kiloutou sold by PAI Partners - XPERTS COUNCIL". XPERTS COUNCIL (in French). 2017-12-07. Archived from the original on 2018-01-26. Retrieved 2018-01-25.
- "Italian eyewear maker Marcolin sold to private equity". Reuters. 2012-10-15. Retrieved 2018-01-25.
- Bray, Chad (2015-07-30). "PAI Partners to Sell Swissport International for $2.8 Billion". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2018-01-25.
- "Dufry buys Nuances's duty free shops for 1.55 billion Swiss francs". bebeez.it. Retrieved 2018-01-25.
- "PAI Partners and Goldman sell Xella to buyout group Lone Star". Reuters. 2016-12-01. Retrieved 2018-01-25.
- "PAI Partners sell 25.7 pct of Chr Hansen to Novo A/S". Reuters. 2012-01-11. Retrieved 2018-01-25.
- "PAI uncorks sale of French bottle-top maker Global Closure Systems - s". Reuters. 2015-10-28. Retrieved 2018-01-25.
- "Kaufman & Broad: Un fonds de PAI Partners cède 17% du capital". Challenges (in French). Retrieved 2018-01-25.
- Editorial, Reuters. "Itochu says to buy Kwik Fit for £637 million". U.K. Retrieved 2018-01-25.
- "PAI takes hit as lenders wrestle control of Monier". Reuters. 2009-07-06. Retrieved 2018-01-25.
- "Perstorp tombe dans le giron du Français PAI Partners - Info Chimie". www.industrie.com. Retrieved 2018-01-25.
- Cauchi, Marietta. "PAI Partners sells Spie for $2.1 billion". MarketWatch. Retrieved 2018-01-25.
- "Blackstone and PAI Partners agree sale of United Biscuits to Yildiz Holding - FoodBev Media". www.foodbev.com. Retrieved 2018-01-25.
External links
- Official website
- PAI partners BusinessWeek Profile
- "Builder To Sell Water Unit." New York Times, November 16, 2004
- Timmons, Heather, Private Equity Investors Are Reshaping the Landscape of European Business. The New York Times, May 5, 2005
- IPH shareholders