Times are difficult. Particularly in construction, the word ‘crisis’ is the most common term applied to the industry. Yet considerable success can be achieved on the sale of a company providing services in this field. AED project knows its stuff. The trick is to be well prepared for the sale and to put yourselves in the hands of experts.
The turn of March and April saw the completion of a change in the ownership structure of AED project, a major player in the construction design industry, with more than 70 employees and sales of over CZK 100 million. The majority shareholding was acquired by the SUDOP Group. After several months of preparations, the transaction was undertaken with the aim of the owners being to find a strong strategic partner. The original shareholders continue to co-own and manage the firm.
New capital
SUDOP has a strong interest in further developing AED project. To support this, SUDOP will engage primarily in business activities focused on projects in other sectors of the construction market, including projects implemented abroad. In addition, SUDOP will also offer sufficient capital resources, expertise, knowledge and experience. Both parties to the transaction trust that this partnership will bring them a number of synergies and will strengthen the leading position of AED project in constructing design.
To the original owners, the magic of the successful transaction comes not only from the sale of the majority stake but also from the careful pre-sale restructuring. In this case, non-operating assets were identified and their structure for separation from AED project was devised before the sale was implemented. As a result, the final effect of the transaction for AED project’s original owners was significantly magnified and provided a good starting point for negotiations over the sale of the majority stake.
A year that was worth it
The original owners Aleš Marek and Zbyněk Ransdorf add: “We must admit that the end result of the process significantly exceeded our expectations. It was the creative approach of RSM CZ that allowed us to realise our two main aspirations. After years of building up AED, we have not only received attractive financial compensation but also acquired a strong partner for the further growth and development of the company. We trust that our joint efforts were worth it and we look forward all the more to developing AED project in the following years!”
The entity advising the sellers on the transaction was RSM CZ. In addition to comprehensive management and organisation of the transaction, RSM CZ also proposed a structure for, and fully implemented, the pre-sale restructuring.
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