KTP to grow further with AXA Private Equity Frankfurt am Main and Bous (Saarland), 25 October 2006.

Funds advised by AXA Private Equity have acquired 60% of the company shares of KTP (Kunststoff Palettentechnik), producer of plastic transport packaging solutions and pallets. The family company in Saarland is set to continue its growth with a strong partner. In its main sector, folding large load carriers, the company aspires to a leading position. At the same time KTP seeks to broaden its product range and achieve significant expansion of its business including that with automotive manufacturers in continental Europe. In the medium term KTP seeks to double its turnover. It also intends to create additional jobs.

“In KTP, AXA Private Equity is financing a medium-sized undertaking, which combines the financial solidity of a German family company with great innovative strength”, according to Dr. Marcus Reeg, Director of AXA Private Equity.

The owner-managed company KTP produces reusable transport packaging solutions in plastic. The most important generators of sales are folding large load carriers and pallet systems for optimising logistics processes. Last year, with a workforce of some 60 employees, KTP achieved turnover of 15 million euros.
With the transfer of management of the company from its 66-year-old founder Horst Wintrich to his son Andreas, the company-law formalities for which have now also been completed, KTP will at the same time initiate a further stage in its growth and expansion strategy. “We want to strengthen substantially our sales activities in France, Spain, Italy and Eastern Europe”, said KTP managing director Andreas Wintrich. In addition, KTP wishes to expand its customer base in sectors not previously occupied. Eventually the company aims to achieve further penetration in the automotive sector: “We want to develop customer-specific solutions for requirement-oriented delivery in close collaboration with the automotive manufacturers”, said Wintrich.

Wintrich rated the collaboration with AXA Private Equity as a crucial decision for the further development of the family company: “In AXA Private Equity we have found a strong, competent partner that will support us on our growth path not only with financial resources but also with experience, know-how and its network”, said Wintrich. “This way we combine continuity with new ideas.” In addition, AXA Private Equity has been able to take appropriate account of the company’s structures in the contracts. An aspect of this is that the founder of KTP, Horst Wintrich, will remain closely associated with the company via a seat on the Advisory Board.

Participants in the transaction:

Purchaser side:

• AXA Private Equity: (Dr. Marcus Reeg, Dirk Wittneben, Marc Abadir)
• Financial: Deloitte & Touche (Egon Sachsalber, Matthias Bühler)
• Market: Ekupac (Ekart Kuhn)
• Legal: Berwin (Thomas Pauls, Dr. Christopher Brenner)
• Tax: Berwin (Gerald Thomas)

Seller side:

• Legal: Dr. Gundolf Thiery
• M&A Consultant:  Interfinanz (Georg Bierich)
• Finance: Landesbank Rheinland Pfalz (Matthias Hoffelner, Jochen Pohl)

Press contact for AXA Private Equity in Germany:

A&B Financial Dynamics
Matthias Dezes
Tel. +49 (0)69/920 37-186
m.dezes@abfd.de

Wiesenhüttenstraße 11
60329 Frankfurt am Main