Groupe Charlois specializes in oak and particularly in cooperage for great wines and spirits whom 75% of the barrel production is exported. The Group is also a European leading manufacturer of railway sleepers.
Ardian first invested in Groupe Charlois in December 2009. This investment has enabled the Group, which at the time was mainly an oak stave producer, to merge with the Saury Group, one of the world’s most prestigious cooperages. This created the first fully integrated, independent cooperage, which is a guarantee of quality and safety for its clients.
In 2011, Groupe Charlois completed a strategic acquisition of Winemakers Cooperage in (California), from the Australian beer and wine maker, Foster’s Group. This strengthened Groupe Charlois’ position as a leader in the wine market worldwide. The company has also broadened its product portfolio with the development of oenological wood products.
Sylvain Charlois, President of Groupe Charlois, said:
Our partnership with Ardian has allowed the Group to accelerate its changes from up to downstream, to cover the full value chain. ICG’s arrival will allow me to increase my stake from 51% to 67%. Besides, a partner like ICG will help us pursue our external and organic developments on a market which is consolidating.
Hadj Djemaï, Head of Mezzanine and Equity investments at ICG in France, said:
We are very pleased to support Sylvain Charlois in this new stage of development and we are convinced that the Group has a strong growth potential.
François Jerphagnon, Managing Director within the Expansion team at Ardian, added:
We are delighted to have supported Sylvain Charlois and his team at Groupe Charlois in a partnership lasting just over five years. This transaction demonstrates clearly how Ardian works with companies to support their transformational growth strategies. We wish Sylvain and Groupe Charlois well for the future.
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