Clearwater has advised the founder and majority shareholder, Thierry Delerue on the sale of a majority stake in Leader Group, a leading manufacturer and supplier of high-quality fire and rescue products to the management team and Geneo Capital Entrepreneur, an investment company that supports small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
Founded in 1985, Leader Group is one of the world's leading suppliers of fire and rescue equipment. With a strong national presence, the Group offers innovative equipment for firefighting, rescue and extinguishing training, and for work in explosive environments in the industry.
Thanks to two external acquisitions in Austria and the United States, Leader Group expanded its operations from an initial distributor to manufacturer which has enabled the group to strengthen its international profile. Today, Leader Group has two production plants in France and two sales subsidiaries in Germany and China, in addition to production sites in Austria and the United States.
Founder, Thierry Delerue, re-organised the Group's capital by allowing the managers to take a majority stake. This transfer is supported by Geneo Capital Entrepreneur, which invests €10m as a minority shareholder.
The combination of product innovations, notably around eco-responsibility with, for example, the launch of the world's first fluorine-free fire-fighting emulsifier, and build-ups supported by Geneo should enable the Normandy-based industrial company to double in size.
