Frankfurt am Main, August 17th, 2011

 
The Phönix / Strack Group, a leading German manufacturer of high performance valves for various industries, has acquired the Hanover-based company Daume Regelarmaturen GmbH from family Daume. The Phönix / Strack Group is headquartered in Volkmarsen  and will be able to extend its product range and may now offer customized control valve solutions to its clients. Concerning the purchase price, the parties concluded a non-disclosure agreement. Last year, AXA Private Equity acquired the majority shares of Phönix / Strack.
 
The Daume Regelarmaturen GmbH develops and manufactures valves for the energy sector and for the process control, such as for the chemical industry and the processes in the unit technology, petroleum processing, pharmaceuticals and steel industry. By the acquisition of Daume Regelarmaturen GmbH, Phönix / Strack extends its product portfolio by adding control valves, which can now be distributed worldwide through the network of the Phönix / Strack Group.
 
Lothar Fichtner, CEO of Phönix / Strack Group, said: "Through this acquisition, Phönix / Strack gains access to the segment of control valves and is now able to offer a wider product range to its clients. I am convinced that we can help the renowned manufacturer Daume Regelarmaturen GmbH to achieve a greater success by usage of our global distribution and supplier network. "In the transaction, Lothar Fichtner was supported by Dirk Wittneben and Marc Abadir of AXA Private Equity.

Quelle: AXA Private Equity - Press release "Phönix/Strack Group acquires Daume Regelarmaturen GmbH by support of AXA Private Equity" (Extract)

Frankfurt am Main, July 12th, 2010.

AXA Private Equity, the leading European diversified private equity firm, has acquired a majority stake in the Phönix/Strack Group, a leading manufacturer of high-quality special valves for international blue chip companies in the fields of energy, petrochemicals and chemicals.

Thanks to its recognised quality, innovation and engineering expertise, the Phönix/Strack Group has continually strengthened its market position over the past five years. Following the acquisition of the majority stake by AXA Private Equity, the company plans to increase its international presence through acquisitions and by exploiting existing market opportunities.

Lothar Fichtner, Managing Partner of Phönix, said: "AXA Private Equity is our partner of choice with whom we will continue to pursue our growth objectives in the coming years." The energy sector is an important business segment for the Phönix Group. Phönix solutions are employed in both conventional power plants and the regenerative energy.

Dirk Wittneben, Managing Director of AXA Private Equity, said: "Phönix/Strack is an extremely well positioned company with outstanding products. The partnership makes perfect sense as, using our experience in helping companies grow, we can support Phönix, in its continued strategic expansion. As a stakeholder we are looking forward to working together with the experienced management team to achieve a common objective of continued growth."

ABOUT AXA PRIVATE EQUITY

AXA Private Equity is a leading private equity firm with US$25 billion in managed assets and a global reach extending across Europe, North America and Asia. The firm offers investors the full spectrum of private equity services for every market segment: direct funds, infrastructure financing, mid cap and small cap buyouts, venture capital, co-investments, fund of funds as well as mezzanine financing. With offices in Paris, Frankfurt, London, New York, Singapore, Milan, Zurich and Vienna, AXA Private Equity supports the development and long-term growth of its portfolio companies with sustainable growth strategies and by granting them access to the AXA international network. AXA Private Equity has earned the trust of its investors by regularly supplying them with transparent performance data on its funds and portfolio companies.

Source: AXA Private Equity - Press release " AXA Private Equity partners with Phönix/Strack Group to support the company's international growth strategy. (Extract)