The Kiloutou group has just acquired the Butsch & Meier group, which specialises in the rental of access equipment in south-west Germany. This operation allows KILOUTOU to pursue its international development plan by strengthening its presence as a specialist on the German market.
The Butsch & Meier group is a key regional player in the rental of access equipment in Baden-Württemberg, Germany’s third largest state in terms of population and economy. The group has a network of thirteen branches and depots around the cities of Baden-Baden, Freiburg and Karlsruhe, with a staff of 65. Butsch & Meier is a specialist with a reputation for expertise and has a fleet of 470 aerial work platforms, and telescopic forklift trucks of up to 57 m in length, which it makes available to a clientele consisting of professionals in industry and construction.
Following on from the acquisition of Starlift in 2016, this new acquisition enables Kiloutou to continue to develop its access equipment rental business in Germany. Kiloutou will draw on the experience and know-how of the Butsch & Meier teams to accelerate the development of the business and create a network of complementary branches with Starlift.
“This acquisition is fully in line with Kiloutou’s international development strategy, which aims to consolidate our positions in high-potential markets. It allows us to strengthen our presence in the dynamic territories of south-west Germany and illustrates our ability to unite high-quality regional players with a strong local presence around our development project. Kiloutou’s long-term objective is to continue its development on the German market through internal growth, branch openings and acquisitions. I warmly welcome the 65 Butsch & Meier teammates to the Kiloutou Group.
Olivier Colleau, Chief Executive Officer Kiloutou Group
“We are delighted with the acquisition of our group by the Kiloutou Group. It will allow our two companies to undertake a new phase of their development in Germany by combining their strengths and teams in order to offer our clients the benefits of our highly complementary branch networks and range of equipment, while continuing to provide the excellent level of service for which our two companies are renowned. We personally believe in KILOUTOU’s development project on the German market and are delighted that all our teammates can participate fully in it”.
Dieter Butsch and Michaela Meier-Butsch, founders and shareholders of the Butsch & Meier Group
Completion of the transaction, which is still subject to obtaining the usual authorisations imposed by competition law, is scheduled for mid-May 2018.
This transaction is in line with the active development dynamics of the KILOUTOU Group, with steady organic growth and continued external growth. Internationally, it extends the development strategy initiated in Poland, Spain, Italy and Germany over the last 5 years.