June 12, 2015
Paris office assists IK in its announced acquisition of leading European manufacturer of ready-to-bake chilled dough products.
On June 5, IK VII Fund, advised by Willkie client IK Investment Partners, announced it had entered into an agreement to acquire a controlling stake in Cérélia Group, a leading European manufacturer of ready-to-bake chilled dough. Cérélia was formed in 2012 through the merger of EuroDough and L'Alsacienne de Pâtes Ménagères (APM), bringing together nearly 40 years of experience.
Today, Cérélia is a leading European manufacturer of ready-to-use private label dough, with sales of € 212 million in 2014. With 650 employees and four production plants, the company offers a wide range of products including rolled pie dough, pizza dough, exotic dough, pastries, cake batter and organic dough, sold through private labels and its own brands Croustipate and Pop! Bakery.
IK is a pan-European private equity firm focused on investments in the Nordics, DACH region, France and Benelux. Since 1989, IK Funds have raised more than €7 billion of capital and invested in close to 90 European companies.
The deal was handled by a multidisciplinary Willkie team in Paris led by Corporate partner Eduardo Fernandez, and including: Corporate -- national partner Gregory de Saxcé and associates Elise Carrera, Virginie Sayag, Marion Bellemin, Xavier Nassoy and Georges Balit; Tax – special European counsel Philippe Grudé and Lucille Villié; Financing – partner Paul Lombard and associate Stanislas Curien and Antitrust – partner David Tayar and associate Nicolas Cassauba.
