Independent private investment company Ardian has acquired d&b audiotechnik from Odewald & Compagnie and COBEPA.
As part of the deal, the loudspeaker manufacturer’s existing management team led by CEO Amnon Harman will take a stake in the company. The details of the transaction have not been revealed and remain subject to approval by the relevant antitrust authorities.
Ardian, founded in 1996 and majority-owned by its employees, has assets of $55 billion.
d&b, founded in 1981 and based in Backnang, Germany, develops sound systems for mobile and permanently installed applications. Since the manufacturer’s acquisition by Odewald & Compagnie and COBEPA in 2011, sales have more than doubled from €44 million to €94 million in the financial year 2015. The number of employees has also risen from 200 in 2011 to around 350.
Amnon Harman, CEO of d&b (pictured), commented: “Everything at d&b is about creating the best sound possible. We are therefore in an excellent position to benefit from the increasing expectations of professional audio technology at events, concerts and large shows worldwide. Together with our new shareholder Ardian, we particularly want to further develop in the Asia-Pacific, South American and North American markets and further expand our leading position in our European home market.
“On the product side, we will continue to expand the business with permanently installed systems and the development of new, innovative audio solutions. We would like to thank our former shareholders Odewald & Compagnie and COBEPA for their support over the past years – they set the strategic course for our success today and specifically invested in helping us reach our growth potential.”
Fabian Wagener, director at Ardian, added: “Over the past three decades, d&b has become a premium brand in the professional audio technology sector and has shown outstanding organic growth. We are convinced of the company’s innovative strength, its results-oriented management team, its dedicated employees and the resulting growth perspectives. Together with management, we will refine the existing product portfolio and provide important impulses for the further international growth of the company.”
Torsten Krumm, co-head of Odewald & Compagnie, added: “d&b’s outstanding entrepreneurial performance in recent years, especially in terms of its internationalisation and product development, has made the company the global number one for professional audio systems. We are delighted with the positive development of the company and are proud to have made a contribution to the success of d&b today. With Ardian, d&b gains an entrepreneurial new partner to further realise its global growth potential.”
