28 April 2022 – Polaris has entered into an agreement to divest its majority shareholding in Designers Company to Design Holding, a global high-quality design group jointly controlled by Investindustrial and The Carlyle Group, that brings together industry-leading brands such as FLOS, B&B Italia, Louis Poulsen, Arclinea, FENDI Casa, Maxalto, Azucena and the US e-commerce platform YDesign Group.
Designers Company has developed strongly in partnership with Polaris since the initial acquisition of MENU in 2018 and the subsequent foundation of a design group, which is today comprised of e.g. MENU, The Audo, by Lassen and Brdr. Petersen. During the period, significant progress has been made with a tripling of revenue and earnings.
“Designers Company has created a fantastic business and generated strong results under our ownership, and we are pleased to pass the baton to Design Holding, which is a leading global player within high-end design. Following the strong developments in recent years, Designers Company is ready to reach its full potential on the global scene, and it is a great acknowledgment of management and employees that the company will become part of Design Holding’s global portfolio of high-end design brands,” says Allan Bach Pedersen, Partner at Polaris.
The progress has been driven by a strong management team and significant investments in the group’s brands, product development, marketing, digitalization and sales as well as the formation of an efficient global supply chain. The positive development has been further accelerated by successful acquisitions and integration of strong brands and companies such as by Lassen and Brdr. Petersen as well as the acquisition of global rights to Ib Kofod-Larsen’s designs.
“Polaris has been an active and very competent co-owner and partner, contributing with their full support and valuable sparring about the development of the company. Even during difficult market conditions impacted by the pandemic, we have been able to create a strong platform for Designers Company, and we look forward to developing that position as a global high-end design brand together with Design Holding,” says Danny Feltmann, CEO of Designers Company.
Designers Company is strongly positioned ahead of the ownership change with revenue in the last Fiscal Year ending in September 2021 approaching DKK 400 million (50 €m) and solid growth prospects. Recent years’ results have been generated while the group has completed acquisitions and significantly strengthened its foundation – i.a. in the US, which is now the group’s largest market – meaning that Designers Company today covers a broad spectrum of Danish design icons within furniture and interior design.
“Designers Company has a strong portfolio of iconic designs and products, appealing strongly to the customers we address globally. The company is a perfect fit with its attractive Nordic design expression, which is a strong complementary element in the Design Holding family, and we look forward to accelerating the company’s global ambitions in the coming years,” says Daniel Lalonde, CEO of Design Holding.
The parties have agreed not to disclose the sales price.
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