Ardian, a global private investment house, has entered into an agreement with Moonlake Capital to sell ADA International, a European manufacturer of hotel cosmetics. The management team will remain shareholders of the company. Financial terms will not be disclosed.
Ardian Expansion Fund 111 acquired the company in 2014. Since then, the business has grown via buy-and build strategy through the acquisitions of Scandinavian Amenities, Pacific Direct and RDI Malaysia, as well as through organic growth. As a result, ADA International has advanced from local market leader in the DACH region to the market leader in Europe. lt has also strengthened its presence in Asia and the Middle East. Under Ardian’s ownership, sales have more than doubled to over EUR 110 million with profitability increasing steadily. The customer base has grown from around 15,000 to over 25,000 hotels, and the workforce has doubled to around 700 employees.
ADA International was founded in 1979 in Kehl, Germany. lts core business is the production and sale of high-quality personal care products such as shampoo, shower gel, soap, body lotion and accessories for the hotel industry. In addition to its own established brands such as Naturals, Pure Herbs and Hydro Basics, ADA International’s product range also includes hotel cosmetics products from leading international brands such as Chopard and Bulgari. The business model is based on products that meet high quality standards and longstanding customer relationships that generate repeat revenues. ADA International’s customer base ranges from independent hotels to international hotel chains in the three, four and five-star segment. In addition to the hotel industry, ADA International also services cruise ships and airlines.
Wilhelm B. Könning, CEO of ADA International, said: "In the post four years, we have significantly expanded our position in Europe. In the German-speaking region, our market share is now more than 50 percent. In the UK, this figure is only slightly lower, and in France we are the second largest. Together with Ardian, we have expanded into other important sales markets such as Asia. We have also broadened our innovative product range accordingly to include fragrances, packaging and organic cosmetics to meet international customer needs. Ardian was an important partner and provided us with tremendous support on this path. We are now looking forward to continuing to pursue our growth strategy with Moonlake Capital."
Marc Abadir, Managing Director at Ardian, said: "Thanks to the innovative and high-quality products and the right feel for market trends and customer wishes, ADA International also has great potential for further international growth. ADA International is ideally positioned to become the leading independent global player."
About ADA International
ADA International develops, produces and sells high-quality hotel cosmetics and innovative dispenser solutions to three, four and five-star hotels, internationally. Based in Kehl, Germany, the company has around 700 employees worldwide and is active in more than 50 countries. ADA International is one of the leading suppliers in this segment with a strong product portfolio of trendy lifestyle concepts, exclusive luxury and designer brands as well as modern dispenser systems.
About Ardian
Ardian is a global private investment house with assets of US$72bn managed or advised in Europe, the Americas and Asia. The company is majority-owned by its employees. The company maintains a global network, with more than 530 employees working from fourteen offices across Europe (Frankfurt, Jersey, London, Luxembourg, Madrid, Milan, Paris and Zurich), the Americas ( New York, San Francisco and Santiago) and Asia (Beijing, Singapore, Tokyo). lt manages funds on behalf of around 750 clients through five pillars of investment expertise: Funds of Funds, Direct Funds, lnfrastructure, Real Estate and Private Debt.
About Moonlake Capital
Moonlake Capital is a newly founded investment firm based in Austria with an associated office in the UK. lt combines decades of entrepreneurship with Private Equity investment and execution experience. lt exclusively invests its own funds.
For more information about Ada international, please click here.
For more information about Ardian, please click here.
For more information about Moonlake Capital, please click here.