Winning Group a.s. and EP Industries a.s. established a joint venture via the company Winning Automotive a.s. Both partners jointly control the company, each of them holding 50% of voting rights whereas Winning Group nominated the company’s CEO and further supports the day to day business.
Winning Automotive a.s. recently acquired through its subsidiaries Winning BLW Management GmbH and Winning BLW GmbH the assets of SONA BLW Germany, a leading automotive supplier specialized in complex precision forgings mainly for passenger cars, truck and industrial applications. Winning BLW has 3 production facilities in Germany (Duisburg, München, Remscheid), with annual sales of more than 200 million EUR and 1,000 employees. The acquisition of assets of SONA BLW Germany was provided by a syndicate of lenders consisting of J&T Banka, a.s. and J&T Mezzanine, a.s.
“We are very pleased that were able to come to an agreement with EP Industries” said Sebastian P. Wagner, CEO and Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors Winning Group a.s., “The partnership with EPI is a significant step forward for the Winning Group on its growth path in the automotive sector. We see significant potential for further growth through M&A activity, and therefore it was a logical step for us, to enter into agreement with a strong partner. We are confident that together we will be capable to create a European market leader within the upcoming years.”
Jiri Novacek, CEO and Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors of EP Industries stated: “We are thrilled to make partnership with Winning Group a.s. on the joint venture and use this opportunity to grow into a new sector and new territory. We also look forward to help the target company to better utilize its potential.”
About Winning Group
Winning Group a.s., Brno (CZ) is an industrial investment group focused on “old economy” markets with the target to create leading companies in industry and construction. The group was founded in 2016 by Sebastian P. Wagner, who is today its sole shareholder. The group is divided into four business areas: Construction, Development, Industrial/Automotive and Specialty products. Over the past four years WINNING has been able to grow successfully through six start-up companies and three company acquisitions.
About EP Industries
EP Industries, a.s., together with its subsidiaries, forms one of the leading industrial groups in the Czech Republic, with consolidated assets of approx. EUR 870 million, EBITDA of EUR 117 million, employing more than 7 300 employees. Portfolio of activities consists of seven main business lines – power grid engineering, power plant engineering, power plant supplies, power plant boilers engineering & manufacturing, transport infrastructure, automotive, waste management. EPI operates in the CEE region, mainly in the Czech Republic, but also in Slovakia and Ukraine.