The number of mergers and acquisitions in the German supplier industry grew by almost 60% in 2004, according to research by M&A International, reports Automobilwoche.
There were 58 M&A transactions in the German supplier industry in 2004, compared with 37 in 2003. This is in stark contrast to other industries, which saw relatively little M&A activity.
In around two-thirds of the transactions a German company was making the acquisition.
Notably, 16 of the transaction involved private equity companies. This is a trend that is set to continue in 2005, which has already seen FTE Automotive sold by German-British investment company HgCapital for €370m to French private equity company PAI Partners, remarks the newspaper.
Also of note is in the increase in acquisitions by US firms, which, according to a representative of M&A International are interested in increasing their influence on the European market and gaining access to the European OEMs. Eleven US companies made acquisitions in Germany in 2004, compared with five in 2003. Automobilwoche carries a full list of all 58 transactions.
