- PARAGON PARTNERS acquires the majority share of the optician chain pro optik
- The founders and managing partners of pro optik will continue to be financially involved
- Ebner Stolz provides a comprehensive buy-side advice
Munich, 25th July 2019 - The accounting and consulting firm Ebner Stolz advised PARAGON PARTNERS on the acquisition of majority shares in pro optik group from founders Peter Hoppert and Rainer Hildebrandt with buy-side Financial, Tax and Legal Due Diligence services, Tax structuring support as well as Legal negotiation support and contract design.
The founders and managing partners Peter Hoppert and Rainer Hildebrandt sold the majority of their shares in pro optik group to the Munich-based investment company PARAGON PARTNERS and Hannibal Zemariam.
Founded in 1987 and headquartered in Wendlingen, Baden-Wuerttemberg, pro optik group operates 145 branches making it one of the top 3 German optician chains. The company, with revenues of EUR 125 million in the financial year 2018, sells around 400,000 spectacles per year and has recently extended its offering by hearing acoustics.
In addition to the participation of Hannibal Zemariam, who has been employed since 2003 at pro optik and has been appointed as further managing director in 2018, the two founders will continue to be financially involved. The approval of the transaction by the German cartel authority is expected by the end of August.
“We look forward to support the management and employees of pro optik as the principal owner by investing into the growth and sustainable development of the company”, says Marco Attolini, managing partner of PARAGON PARTNERS.
With a multidisciplinary team, Ebner Stolz advised PARAGON PARTNERS on the acquisition of majority shares in the optician chain pro optik, including its operating subsidiaries with Financial, Tax and Legal Due Diligence services. Furthermore, the advisory service included Tax structuring as well as Legal negotiation support and contract design.
Ebner Stolz team: Claus Buhmann (Project leading Partner Transaction Advisory Services, Lead Financial Due Diligence), Alexander Goertz (Financial Due Diligence), Alexander Euchner (Partner M&A Tax, Tax Due Diligence, Tax structuring), Andreas Forrai and Dr. Tobias Weiss (both Tax Due Diligence), Tobias Schupp (Tax structuring), Dr. Roderich Fischer (Partner M&A Legal, Lead Legal), Dr. Johannes Joepgen and Theresa Reuter (both M&A Legal), Aleksandar Savanovic (Lead Legal Due Diligence), Dr. Sebastian Ritz (Labor law), Dr. Björn Schallock (Commercial, Legal IP), Laurent Meister, LL.M. (Legal IT, Data security), Jochen Rienth (Real Estate), Felix Müller (Corporate) as well as Dr. Sarah Gersch-Souvignet (Health Care) and Dr. Fabienne Boulanger (Duty, Import)
Press Contact
Isabell Zemelka
Ebner Stolz
Kronenstraße 30
70174 Stuttgart
Tel. +49 711 2049-1500
isabell.zemelka@ebnerstolz.de
Corporate Contact
Claus Buhmann
Ebner Stolz
Ridlerstraße 57
80339 Munich
Tel. +49 89 549018-251
claus.buhmann@ebnerstolz.de
Alexander Euchner
Ebner Stolz
Kronenstraße 30
70174 Stuttgart
Tel. +49 711 2049-1575
alexander.euchner@ebnerstolz.de
Dr. Roderich Fischer
Ebner Stolz
Kronenstraße 30
70174 Stuttgart
Tel. +49 711 2049-1841
roderich.fischer@ebnerstolz.de
About Ebner Stolz
Ebner Stolz is one of the largest independent mid-sized MDP firms in Germany and is among the Top Ten in the sector. The firm has decades of in-depth experience in auditing, tax advice, legal advice, and corporate consulting. More than 1,500 employees in all major German cities and business centers offer a broad range of services based on a multi-disciplinary approach. Ebner Stolz predominantly advises medium-sized industrial enterprises as well as trade and service companies of all sizes and industries.
Cross-border auditing and consulting assignments are carried out with partners of Nexia International, one of the world’s top ten networks of independent consulting and auditing firms. With more than 700 Nexia offices worldwide Ebner Stolz is present in more than 120 countries.