Sales of BURTON 19/07/2006

NORD Holding Acquires Hidden Champion for Refractory Systems in the Heavy Clay Industry

NORD Holding Unternehmensbeteiligungsgesellschaft, Hanover, together with Márton Varga, the managing director, has acquired BURTON Holding GmbH, headquartered in Melle near Osnabrück. The seller is SG Capital Europe.

The foundation stone for the present-day BURTON Group and a production facility in Hungary was already laid in 1887 by the Hensiek family. The family business manufactured clinkers. After the Second World War the business was converted to the production of refractory products for ceramic kiln construction and related market segments.

Today, with turnover of roughly € 40 mil., BURTON is the global market leader for refractory products in the heavy clay sector and the sole supplier worldwide. BURTON supplies tile kilns with tunnel kiln wall systems, tunnel kiln suspended roof systems, tunnel kiln car systems and cassettes for optimum support of the roofing tiles during the firing process. BURTON also supplies further products to the aluminium industry and the waste incineration industry.

With its acquisition of the BURTON Group NORD Holding, together with the industry-wide renowned management team, is pursuing a growth strategy. Besides cementing its leadership position in this market segment further short term organic growth cannot be ruled out. The company, with currently 221 highly qualified and motivated employees, will continue to be headquartered in Melle-Buer.

Continuity, stability and trust are the chief prerequisites for a solid partnership. Due to its almost 40 years experience in the German equity market, its public sector shareholdings and its long standing management team, NORD Holding fulfils these prerequisites.

Its activities focus on the structure and funding of succession profiles as well as expansion stage financing for middle market companies. More recently spin-offs of medium sized business units from large corporations have played a greater role in NORD Holding’s portfolio of activities. At present the company has holdings in roughly 50 companies in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. The holdings generate annual turnover of between € 20 mil. and € 500 mil.

For further information please contact:
NORD Holding Unternehmensbeteiligungsgesellschaft mbH -
Ulrike Leistner

Telephone: +49 511 270415-12
Telefax: +49 511 270415-5
e-mail: leistnernordholding.de
Postal address:
Villa Venture

Walderseestraße 23
D-30177 Hannover