EQUITA assisted Barbieri & Tarozzi Group
Laminam, global leader in the production and marketing of large format ceramic slabs for the high-end architecture and interior design sectors, owned by Alpha Private Equity, and the Barbieri & Tarozzi Group, a manufacturer of technology and complete plants serving the ceramic industry, announce that they have reached an agreement for the acquisition of 100% of Best Surface by Laminam.
Barbieri & Tarozzi Group has been assisted by Equita K Finance (Clairfield Italy), part of Equita Group, as financial advisor and by SCOA as legal advisor. Laminam has been assisted by KPMG, as legal advisor and in the financial, legal, fiscal and labour due diligence activities, and by ERM for the Environmental Social & Governance due diligence.
Best Surface, born from an idea of the Barbieri & Tarozzi Group in 2018 – although not included in the consolidation perimeter of SITI B&T Group S.p.A. – in the heart of the Spanish ceramic district of Castellón de la Plana produces and markets large-size slabs under the Idylium brand and is the exclusive licensee of the Automobili Lamborghini Surfaces brand.
The production plant equipped with SUPERA® technology developed by SITI B&T Group has achieved in a few years a solid competitive positioning, with high quality and design productions, reaching a turnover of about 20 million Euros.
Laminam, through the acquisition of Best Surface, continues its growth in the name of quality and sustainability, entering the ceramic district of Castellón de la Plana and strengthening its presence in the Spanish market.
Laminam thus accelerates the process of expansion and internationalisation, adding to the production sites of Fiorano Modenese, Borgo Val di Taro and Vorsino (Russia), its first factory in Spain, one of the main markets at global level. The acquisition of Best Surface is in addition to investments of over 50 million euros, currently being completed, to double the production capacity of the Laminam Group plants.
The operation also represents further consolidation of the technological partnership between Laminam and the Barbieri & Tarozzi Group.
“Laminam has embarked on an ambitious path of growth and international expansion. The acquisition of Best Surface – states Alberto Selmi, CEO of Laminam – is part of this development context and allows the Group to expand its production footprint through direct access to the strategic ceramic district of Castellón de la Plana. We are delighted to welcome Best Surface and its people, who will undoubtedly make a significant contribution to the future growth of the Laminam Group, in a context of strong market momentum and with the aim of gaining further shares”.
“Best Surface is the showcase for the Barbieri & Tarozzi Group’s technologies for large slabs – states Fabio Tarozzi, CEO of the Group – with the SUPERA® 36,000 ton press and the Titanium® kiln, best in class for energy consumption and emissions. It is the most innovative line on the market in terms of decorative capacity in full thickness (3D vein) and infinite aesthetic possibilities thanks to the integrated solutions of Digital Design and Projecta (full digital printing). Zero km raw materials, low consumption of electricity and methane gas for a line designed with a green vision with high efficiency and low environmental impact”.
“The acquisition of Best Surface – underlines Edoardo Lanzavecchia, managing partner of Alpha Private Equity – is part of the value creation strategy designed by Alpha Private Equity, a pan-European private equity fund that, in June 2019, acquired the majority of Laminam. We are pleased to welcome to Laminam a key player such as Best Surface, whose acquisition represents a significant accelerator of the growth process, in a market context characterised by strong demand and the constant and consolidated increase in the penetration of large format ceramic slabs within the world of surfaces for architecture and interior design. The operation will allow the development of important industrial and commercial synergies and take a further decisive step in the project of Alpha and the management team to position Laminam as the global leader in the sector of high-end ceramic surfaces, with a focus on quality and sustainability of products and industrial processes”.