Crédit Mutuel Equity acquires a stake in swimming pool technology manufacturer CF Group assisted by Heuking

A team led by Dr. Rainer Herschlein and Dr. Anne de Boer advised Crédit Mutuel Equity, the international investment company of Crédit Mutuel Alliance Fédérale, on the acquisition of a minority interest in CF Group based in Wendlingen am Neckar, a company specializing in swimming pool technology, maintenance, and water treatment. The participation was made by a capital increase. The funds from the Crédit Mutuel Equity participation were used to acquire French FIJA Group, which specializes in B2B sales of equipment for private and public swimming pools.

CF Group employs some 800 people, operates in more than 40 countries worldwide, and generates annual revenue in excess of EUR 200 million. FIJA Group operates in more than 30 countries and employs 250 people inside and outside France. Together, they aim to develop further areas in the swimming pool market, ranging from production to maintenance, to be able to even better respond to customer requirements in the future and to expand the geographical reach.

Crédit Mutuel Equity combines all investment activities (minority and majority holdings and venture capital) of the Crédit Mutuel Alliance Fédérale banking group. Crédit Mutuel Equity supports businesses in all phases of corporate development with equity capital – from start-up to succession. Crédit Mutuel Equity exclusively invests the banking group’s equity (EUR 3.0 billion). Geographically, it focuses on Germany, France, the USA, Switzerland, and Canada.

Heuking Kühn Lüer Wojtek advised Crédit Mutuel Equity on the legal review of the acquisition, structuring and negotiation of the investment, including with respect to the parallel acquisition in France.

Counsel to Crédit Mutuel Equity
Heuking Kühn Lüer Wojtek:
Dr. Rainer Herschlein, LL.M. (Lead, M&A, PE),
Dr. Anne de Boer, LL.M. (Lead, M&A, France),
Benedikt Raisch (DD, Corporate),
Tania von Schwanebach, (Commercial),
Dr. Antonia Stein (Employment, France), all Stuttgart
Dr. Arietta von Stechow (Employment), Hamburg
Dr. Nicole Armingeon (Public Law),
Dr. Frank Baßler (Real Estate),
Andreas Lutz (Real Estate),
Sophia Pfisterer (Corporate), all Stuttgart

French law:
Ayache Salama