Month: April 2011

Intera Partners Oy (“Intera”) today announces the closing of Intera Fund II Ky at €200 million. Investors in the Fund include leading Nordic and European institutional investors. Intera will continue to invest primarily in Finnish companies that possess substantial growth potential in their domestic market or potential to expand abroad.

Intera aims to invest primarily in Finnish companies that possess growth potential either in their domestic market or abroad. The most common limitations for growth faced by Finnish mid-sized companies are lack of capital needed for expansion as well as limited experience in executing acquisitions and managing international growth. Intera aims to add value in its portfolio companies by removing these limitations through leveraging its expertise in finance and M&A, as well as its industrial and international experience.

Intera’s typical investment targets are profitable companies with turnover of €10-100 million that have not yet reached their full capacity. Intera’s strategy is built on a strong partnership with entrepreneurs and the management teams of its portfolio companies. Intera is generally a majority owner in its portfolio companies and prior owners have often retained a significant minority interest after selling their company to Intera.

From its first fund, Intera Fund I established in 2007, Intera has successfully invested in seven companies, among others Consti, Orthex and Trafotek.

For more information contact: Managing Director Tuomas Lang, tel. +358 40 545 1240, tuomas.lang_a_interapartners.fi,www.interapartners.fi

Intera Partners Oy is a Finnish private equity firm focusing on majority investments in Finnish and Scandinavian companies. We aim to maximise the value of the companies we invest in through growth and improved profitability. Intera is an active owner who works in close co-operation with the management of its portfolio companies to develop them further.

Normek, owned by Intera Fund I, grows by acquiring Naaraharju Oy, a producer of steel structures, and Botnia Fasad Oy, a producer of glass facades. The acquisitions increase Normek’s budgeted turnover for 2011 to over €100 million.

”With the acquisitions of Naaraharju and Botnia Fasad we attempt to enhance our position especially in the Finnish and Swedish markets for steel structures and glass facade production”, Managing Director of Normek, Klaus Saarikallio says. ”By improving sales and marketing and with synergy benefits, we attempt to gain an increased amount of orders for our production facilities. For our clients the acquisitions bring increased capacity also for the largest and most demanding projects”, Saarikallio continues.

At the moment two thirds of Normek’s order stock comes from Sweden, where the company in June 2010 acquired Brisab Industri AB, a producer of steel structures. ”We will continue to produce the most demanding structures and the largest projects in Finland even for the Swedish markets. It is our objective to gain foothold in the Swedish glass facade market together with Botnia Fasad”, Klaus Saarikallio says.
Both Normek and Naaraharju have a strong position as supplier of steel structures to industrial projects. A clear area of growth is the mining industry. In Northern Sweden, Normek has already in the past years delivered three substantial steel structure deliveries for the mining industry, each worth over €10 million.

Additional information:
Jokke Paananen, Intera Partners, partner, tel. +358 50 3003737

Naaraharju Oy is founded in 1970 and is today a leading supplier of steel structures in Finland. The company’s production facility is located in Naarajärvi, Pieksamäki. At the moment the company employs approximately 80 people and its budgeted turnover for the year 2011 is €19 million.

Botnia Fasad Oy is one of Finland’s leading suppliers of glass facade solutions. The company’s modern production facility is located in Isokyrö. Botnia Fasad employs 30 people and its budgeted turnover for year 2011 is €8 million.
Normek Group concentrates on production of steel structures, glass facades and steel bridges. Normek is one of the market leaders in the Nordic Countries. Normek’s headquarters are located in Vantaa, and after the acquisitions the Group has six production facilities in Finland and two in Sweden.