Mutares with successful year-end spurt and 10th transaction in 2019: Acquisition of the German napkin business from Metsä Tissue

• Transaction signed to acquire an established paper napkin business in Germany
• Top 2 player in the German market with ca. EUR 45 million annual sales
• Acquisition drives forward the diversification of keeeper group into a manufacturer of household products
• 10th transaction in 2019 underlines Mutares’ growth plans: Group sales of annualized EUR 2 billion by the end of 2022

Munich, December 23, 2019 – keeeper tableware GmbH, a portfolio company of Mutares SE & Co. KGaA (ISIN: DE000A2NB650), has signed an agreement to acquire the German napkin business of the Finnish Metsä Tissue Corporation, one of the leading tissue paper product manufacturers globally. The transaction is expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2020.

The transaction with Metsä Tissue Corporation includes the real estate, machinery, equipment and warehouses at the Stotzheim mill in Germany as well as the Fasana and Mondial brands. The business will be integrated into the keeeper Group (portfolio segment Goods & Services) as a strategic add-on. Based on Mutares Group’s buy-and-build approach, this acquisition is intended to complement and strategically further develop keeeper’s product portfolio as well as to mutually exploit sales synergies.

The production at the Stotzheim site dates back to 1928. In Germany, the business is one of the top 2 manufacturers of coloured and printed napkins and the market leader in the private label segment. The established customer portfolio is characterized by long-lasting relationships and is broadly diversified. In financial year 2018, the business generated sales of around EUR 45 million and employed ca. 200 people.

“The enormous number of 10 acquisitions in 2019 has already brought us close to the 2022 target of EUR 2 billion in group revenues – a fantastic achievement of our teams in Munich, Paris, Milan, London, Helsinki as well as in our active holdings. The current acquisition from Metsä Tissue represents a complementary add-on to keeeper Group and underlines the growth strategy of Mutares Group”, comments Johannes Laumann, CIO of Mutares, on the 10th acquisition in the current financial year.

Company profile of the keeeper Group

keeeper Group has been part of Mutares Group since June 2019 and is one of the largest European suppliers of innovative and high-quality plastic household products. With its clearly positioned product series, the Group serves renowned customers in the DIY, food retailing, wholesale and furniture retail sectors in around 35 countries worldwide. In financial year 2018, the Group realized sales of ca. EUR 65 million and employs at its two sites in Germany and Poland more than 500 people.