H.I.G. Capital (“H.I.G.”) has announced that one of its affiliates has acquired a majority stake in Berardi Bullonerie S.r.l. (“Berardi” or the “Company”), a leading operator in the Italian market for the distribution of fasteners and the supply of integrated logistics services.
The investment will accelerate the development and growth strategy of the Berardi Bullonerie Group, a leading operator in the market for the distribution of fasteners and the supply of integrated logistics services.
Berardi benefits from a broad geographical presence, with 14 warehouses located throughout the country and commercial offices in Italy, Croatia and Morocco. In the last decade, the Company has successfully embarked on an ambitious path to expand its product range in adjacent segments, in the C-Parts sector, and has been a pioneer in Italy in the introduction of advanced integrated logistics solutions through its own kanban platform, becoming the reference point in the market in terms of quality, service levels and breadth of offering.
Giovanni Berardi, CEO and current shareholder of Berardi who will re-invest, along with other family members, alongside H.I.G., said: "The entry of an international alternative investment fund such as H.I.G. in Berardi represents a recognition of the work carried out over the years and of the great growth potential of our Company, which has a leading position in the sector and a growing share of high value-added services. With the support of H.I.G., Berardi will be able to develop faster, thanks to a combination of organic growth and targeted acquisitions".
Raffaele Legnani, Managing Director, head of the H.I.G.’s office in Italy, said: "Berardi has a position of undisputed leadership in Italy, proven by a growth rate in the last ten years well above the market and by an impressive track-record as a partner of choice for top-notch industrial companies, thanks to its value-added service offering and a best-in-class management team. We are excited to support the management in the next phase of the Company’s development and we believe that we can provide an important boost to the growth, primarily by supporting an aggressive acquisition strategy, taking advantage of the high fragmentation of the market".
