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OMERS Private Equity and Partners Sell Cari-All Group to Wanzl Metallwarenfabrik GmbHTORONTO, ONTARIO - (January 17, 2012) - OMERS Private Equity, the private equity arm of the OMERS Worldwide group of companies, and a consortium equity group, including the Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec, have sold Cari-All Group Inc. (together with its affiliates, “Cari-All” or the “Company”) to German based cart manufacturer Wanzl Metallwarenfabrik GmbH (“Wanzl”). Founded in 1969, Cari-All is the leading manufacturer and distributor of shopping carts, shelving and backroom equipment to retailers across North America.
Since OMERS Private Equity acquired Cari-All in 2005, the Company has strengthened its position in the North American cart market through a number of strategic initiatives, including bolstering the management team, improving operational efficiencies and growing through acquisition. In the first quarter of 2011, the Company acquired Tote Cart, which expanded its customer base and further enhanced its leadership position in the market.
Jim Orlando, Managing Director at OMERS Private Equity, commented “Cari-All has been an excellent investment and we are pleased to have completed the sale of Cari-All to Wanzl. We believe Wanzl will be a good partner to lead Cari-All’s business and employees moving forward.”
Alain Michel, Chairman of Cari-All, said “Pierre Arsenault and his management team have done an exceptional job navigating through a difficult retail environment in North America over the past several years, and the Company has emerged from the recession in a much stronger position.”
Pierre Arsenault, CEO of Cari-All, said “I’m proud of the work my team did over the past several years.” He added, “Wanzl, having been a strategic partner to the Company for many years, is a logical home for Cari-All. As a major player in the global cart market, Wanzl will bring technical expertise and market reach that will benefit Cari-All.”
Harris Williams & Co. served as financial advisor and McCarthy Tetrault LLP acted as legal counsel to Cari-All.
About Cari-All Group
Cari-All is the leading manufacturer and distributor of shopping carts to the North American retail market. The Company’s products and services are offered under the Technibilt, Cari-All, and Rondi brand names. The Company markets shopping carts, shelving, and backroom equipment sold in the United States under the Technibilt brand. In Canada, all of the Company’s shopping cart products are sold under the Cari-All brand. For further information visit: www.cari-all.com or www.technibilt.com.
About OMERS Private Equity Inc.
Operating under the OMERS Worldwide brand, OMERS Private Equity today manages the private equity activities of OMERS and has over $5.5 billion of investments under management. The group's investment strategy includes the active ownership of businesses in North America and Europe. OMERS Private Equity is headquartered in Toronto, Canada, with offices in New York and London. For further information visit: www.omerspe.com.
About OMERS
OMERS is one of Canada's largest pension funds with over $53 billion in net assets. It provides first-class pension administration and innovative products and services to over 400,000 members. Approximately one in every 20 employees working in the province of Ontario is an OMERS member. Through the OMERS Worldwide brand, its team of investment professionals uses a direct drive, active management investment strategy to invest in public and private market assets, including publicly-traded equities, fixed-income, infrastructure, private equity and real estate. For more information, please visit www.omers.com, or www.omersworldwide.com.
About Wanzl
Wanzl, a 100 percent family owned company, is Headquartered in Leipheim Germany. Wanzl is the world’s largest manufacturer of shopping carts and other retail systems. Each year, around two million units, in a variety of models, are produced and sold. For decades, the company has continued to develop landmark products for comfortable shopping and selling that have set new standards world-wide. Today, Wanzl has over 4,000 employees in seven production facilities – in Germany, England, France, the Czech Republic and China. Branches and agencies ensure the company's close proximity to customers, a goal Wanzl has strived to meet since its founding.
For further information, please contact:
Jim Orlando
Managing Director
OMERS Private Equity
(416) 864-3200
Don Morrison
Senior Managing Director and Country Head, Canada
OMERS Private Equity
(416) 864-3200
Lori McLeod
Media Relations
OMERS
(416) 369-2399 |
