Linklaters has advised IK Investment Partners on the sale of the Minimax Viking Group, a leading global player in the active fire protection market, to the Danish investment company Kirkbi A/S and the specialist asset manager Intermediate Capital Group plc. The parties have agreed not to disclose the purchase price. The transaction is still subject to the approval of the competition authorities.

IK acquired Minimax together with the company’s management in June 2006. Since then, Minimax has transformed from a regional into a global market leader with an integrated offering ranging from fire fighting products to system integration and services: during this period, the number of employees has increased from 3,200 to more than 7,000 and Minimax generated a turnover of about 1.2 billion euros in 2013. The company’s success is due to a combination of organic growth and significant acquisitions, such as the acquisitions of Consolidated Fire Protection and Viking Corporation.

Since the acquisition of Viking Corporation in 2009, the Minimax Viking Group, based in Bad Oldesloe, has been owned by funds advised by IK Investment Partners, the company’s management and the Viking family. Both the management and the Viking family will remain shareholders after the sale by IK. The new majority owners, Kirkbi and ICG, intend to maintain Minimax Viking as a stand-alone business.

IK Investment Partners is a Pan-European private equity firm based in Hamburg, focusing on investments in the Nordic countries, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, France and the Benelux countries. Since 1989, the IK Funds have invested in over 83 European companies; the current portfolio comprises 21 companies.

A Linklaters team led by Dr Rainer Traugott and Dr Wolfgang Krauel (both Corporate, Munich) advised on the transaction. Other team members included Marc Trinkaus (Banking, Frankfurt), Dr Thomas Elser (Tax, Munich), Dr Carsten Grave (Competition/Antitrust, Düsseldorf), Holger Ebersberger, Dr Florian Harder, Hanno Witt (all Corporate, Munich), Martin Mager (Tax, Munich), Dr Niclas von Woedtke and Martina Farkas (both Corporate, Munich).