H2 Equity and the Dümmen family has sold Dümmen Orange to BC Partners

December 2015 — H2 Equity and the Dümmen family have sold Dümmen Orange to BC Partners. Financial details have not been disclosed.

Dümmen Orange is a global top-3 player in vegetative breeding and propagation of cut flowers, pot plants and bedding plants. The company employs more than 6,000 people and has a global network of breeding, propagation, rooting, and marketing and sales locations. Dümmen Orange was created in 2013, after a merger between Agribio, owned by H2 Equity Partners, and Dümmen Group, owned by the Dümmen family. The merger created a clear industry leader. In the years after the merger, the organization flourished, driven by increased efficiency in product development, production and sales, a complementary product portfolio, increased distribution power and further professionalization. A nice platform was shaped to accelerate further growth through consolidation and new ownership was sought to support this exciting new phase.

BC Partners is a leading private equity firm with offices in Europe and North America. BC Partners will support Dümmen Orange to further grow and professionalize the company in line with the chosen strategy.

H2 Equity Partners is an independent private equity firm founded in 1991, active in the Benelux, Germany and the UK. The firm has built an exceptional record of acquiring and growing fundamentally attractive businesses that have a combination of operational, financial or strategic improvement opportunities at the time of investment.

Our role in the transaction

Oaklins' team in the Netherlands acted as M&A advisor to the Dümmen family, minority shareholder in Dümmen Orange. A specialist member of the team said: “Fundamental market drivers reshape the flower and plant breeding sector. The sector has consequently seen a number of acquisitions in recent years. Dümmen Orange is one of the parties that has taken a leading role in this consolidation. We expect the market to consolidate further, in line with what happened in the agricultural biotechnology sector since the beginning of the millennium where consolidation waves have resulted in a handful of companies that dominate the industry. Examples of such consolidators in the agricultural biotechnology sector are Monsanto, DuPont Pioneer and Syngenta.” He added: “This is our sixth transaction in the flower and plant breeding sector, which make us the most experienced M&A advisors in the sector. Based on our in-depth knowledge of the market dynamics, the value drivers and the market players, we can have significant added-value to sector players that are at a strategic crossroad. We therefore expect to continue an active role as M&A advisor in the flower and plant breeding sector.”