Europe

AEQUITA has reached a binding agreement with the shareholders of the IFA Group about the complete takeover of the company. IFA is a globally leading specialist in drive shafts headquartered in Haldensleben (Germany).

With a turnover of approx. EUR 600 million, IFA is one of the top 50 companies in the German automotive supplier industry. At its locations in Haldensleben, Ujazd (Poland), Charleston / South Carolina (USA) and Shanghai (China), IFA and its 2,600 employees develop and produce, in particular prop and side shafts for blue-chip automotive OEMs.

The restructuring progress and repositioning efforts during recent years have strengthened the operational performance of the IFA Group on a sustainable basis. This is accompanied by a high level of innovation. Exemplary is the newly developed side shaft technology for the electric drive which strategically positions IFA for future growth and has already secured new major contracts. AEQUITA will actively support this growth path of the successfully repositioned IFA Group. The transaction is set to be fully completed by the end of March.

Dr. Arno Haselhorst, CEO and CRO of the IFA Group, comments: “I am very pleased that we have found in AEQUITA the ideal new owner for the IFA Group. The restructuring successes of recent years have played an essential role in attracting a new strategic investor. The IFA Group is very well positioned in the market and AEQUITA will enable the company to leverage its growth and innovation potential even more effectively in the future”.

Christoph Himmel, Managing Partner of AEQUITA, adds: “The IFA Group is a renowned brand with a long tradition in the German automotive supplier industry. Numerous blue-chip automotive OEMs trust the technological expertise of IFA and the experience of its employees. The restructuring progress made under the leadership of Dr. Arno Haselhorst and its management team has formed the right basis for future growth. We see great potential to further strengthen the globally leading market position of the IFA Group”.

Together with the Meteor Group, a manufacturer of technical elastomer products such as sealing systems for the automotive industry with headquarters in Bockenem, and the Willi Elbe Group, a manufacturer of steering systems and drive shafts with headquarters in Tamm, the AEQUITA Group's automotive division achieves sales of more than one billion euros. AEQUITA is a valued partner for automotive OEMs which was recently underpinned by the acquisition of the Mercedes-Benz Minibus GmbH from Daimler.