A ustrian asset and investment management firm CRG Capital has reached a deal with Wosana S.A. majority owner, Mr. Pawel Lyson, enabling it to fully exit from the Polish beverage producer after three years of involvement. The firm agreed to sell the 41.8% stake to Lyson in early December despite looking at bids from several other unidentified investors.
CRG Capital cites Wosana’s decreased leverage, increased profitability, and greater value as evidence of a successful investment.
Wosana S.A. (www.wosana.pl)
Wosana was officially established in 1997 from the former Lemarpol Ltd. and thirteen years later is a leading player in the Polish beverage market.
Wosana produces a wide range of fruit juices, carbonated and non-carbonated beverages, energy drinks, and mineral and spring waters under both private labels and its own name brands.
The company’s 300 employees, three production plants, and three branches account for an annual capacity of 190 million litres. The plants in Batorego, Olsztyn, and Przemysłowa are all EN ISO 22000:2005 certified and the company has won numerous food and beverage industry awards since 2004. Company headquarters are located in Batorego, Poland.
CRG Capital (www.crgcap.com)
Established in 2002 by American investment advisory firm CRG Partners, CRG Capital is an asset and investment management firm based in Vienna, Austria.
The firm focuses its activities in Central and Eastern Europe and the countries of the CIS, investing in direct control equity investments, non-performing debt instruments, stranded or end-of-life regional private equity funds, and other special situations.
CRG Capital typically targets companies from whom it can gain majority control and whose annual sales are between €25 and €150 million. The size of individual investments can be as much as €25 million.
