Intera Fund II invests in Silmäasema, Finland’s leading provider of eye care services and second largest optician chain. Intera Partners is now the majority shareholder in Silmäasema Fennica Group. In connection with the transaction, members of the current management of Silmäasema Fennica will become important minority holders. Eye doctors with key positions in the chain will continue as minority holders. The ownership base will be extended to other key persons within the company in the near future.
Intera’s involvement facilitates Silmäasema’s future growth, and accelerates development of its business operations. Intera’s ChairmanTuomas Lang says: “Silmäasema provides comprehensive services to its customers and has invested strongly in eye care services. We at Intera see great opportunities in Silmäasema’s operational concept of one-stop-shop in optician, eye doctor, and eye surgery services.”
Silmäasema aims to extend not only in terms of the range of products and services it provides, but also geographically. “We offer all products and services relating to vision and eye care under one roof. For retailers, opticians, chain merchants, and opticians, we offer a unique opportunity to work as part of a rapidly developing specialist company in the field. Intera Partners’ expertise and experience in the development and extending of business operations benefit our clients and cooperation partners”, says Silmäasema Managing Director Pasi Kohmo.
Completion of the transaction is subject to approval by the competition authorities. Closing of the deal is expected to take place by the end of August.
For more information, please contact:
Tuomas Lang, Chairman, Partner, Intera Partners, tel. +358 40 545 1240, tuomas.lang@interapartners.fi
Pasi Kohmo, Managing Director, Silmäasema Fennica, tel. +358 50 331 7015, pasi.kohmo@silmaasema.fi
Silmäasema chain provides all manner of services and products relating to eye care and vision: it provides optical products, optician services, eye disease specialist services, eye surgery services, and eye laboratory services all in the same place. In addition to 73 optical retail outlets and 48 operator-run outlets, the company offers eye care services at ten Silmäsairaala eye hospitals in Finland. All stores in the chain offer eye doctor and optician services. Each outlet also employs an optician with special training in occupational vision. For more information: www.silmaasema.fi