DGAP-News: Callista Private Equity GmbH & Co. KG acquires

DGAP-News: Callista Private Equity GmbH & Co. KG / Key word(s): Acquisition Callista Private Equity GmbH & Co. KG acquires majority stake in Reederei Peter Deilmann and DEUTSCHLAND ++ Managing Director Christopher Nolde takes a stake in the company 08.01.2014 / 19:08 --------------------------------------------------------------------- -Callista Private Equity acquires majority stake in Reederei Peter Deilmann and DEUTSCHLAND -Name recognition, service and long-term profitability form the basis for further company success -Managing Director Christopher Nolde takes a stake in the company Munich, January 8, 2014 - Callista Private Equity GmbH & Co. KG ('Callista Private Equity') is pleased to announce the acquisition from AURELIUS AG ('AURELIUS') of a majority interest in MS Deutschland Holding, and hence in MS 'Deutschland' Beteiligungsgesellschaft mbH ('MS Deutschland GmbH'), to which both Reederei Peter Deilmann and the cruise liner MS DEUTSCHLAND belong. The DEUTSCHLAND is well known in the German-speaking world as the 'Traumschiff' from a popular TV series of the same name. The parties have agreed not to reveal the purchase price. The transaction was preceded by a due diligence process and lengthy discussions between the parties lasting several weeks. The acquisition of a majority interest by Callista Private Equity is intended to continue the restructuring successfully initiated by AURELIUS in 2010. Following initial success, Callista Private Equity aims to press ahead with the strategy that has been applied by implementing further measures on both the operational and strategic sides. Callista Private Equity is also planning to inject more capital into the company by reinforcing the equity component with a view to permanently underpinning the growth course that has been set. Under the terms of the transaction, Christopher Nolde, Managing Director of MS Deutschland GmbH, is taking a stake in the company and will continue to apply its growth-based reorientation strategy. 'There a very few German brands that embody dreams and desires for the finer things in life like the Traumschiff, and AURELIUS has achieved considerable success together with the management team since acquiring the company in 2010. Nevertheless, there is still plenty to do and the DEUTSCHLAND is a very demanding management task overall,' says Olaf Meier, CEO of Callista Private Equity. He adds: 'With the many years of experience we have gained in successful company development, we specialize in situations like this. Callista Private Equity is keen to promote continuity and successful performance over the long run, so we're delighted that Mr. Nolde has agreed to remain CEO of the company. What's more, the DEUTSCHLAND is an attractive ship with a fantastic underlying brand and an outstanding team. The latest marketing trends for the luxury cruise ship the DEUTSCHLAND are very positive. This is reinforced by the fact that various factors constraining the cruise industry in 2013 are no longer applicable overall. Against this backdrop, Callista Private Equity believes this is a good time to invest in the DEUTSCHLAND.' Callista Private Equity intends to further strengthen the DEUTSCHLAND and Reederei Peter Deilmann brands and sustainably boost the earnings of the corporate group. The orientation and positioning of the DEUTSCHLAND as a 'grand hotel of the high seas' will be retained under Callista Private Equity in order to ensure that the passengers continue to enjoy the usual high level of service or even better. About Callista Private Equity Callista Private Equity GmbH & Co.KG ('Callista Private Equity'), headquartered in Munich, acquires distressed companies, non-core group assets and business units. The companyâ??s success is based on the subsequent restructuring process. Callista Private Equity employs a team of experienced international experts to reorganize the operations of the acquired company and concentrate on restructuring resulting in sustainable profitability. To find out more, visit www.callista-pe.de Contact: Axel Mühlhaus T: +49 69 9055-0552 E: amuehlhaus@edicto.de About MS 'Deutschland' Beteiligungsgesellschaft mbH MS 'Deutschland' Beteiligungsgesellschaft mbH, headquartered in Neustadt in Holstein (Germany), operates cruises worldwide throughout the year as the owner of the ocean cruise liner MS DEUTSCHLAND, also known as the 'Traumschiff' from the television series of the same name. With a length of 175m and a width of 23m, the MS DEUTSCHLAND as 'grand hotel of the high seas' has a total of 294 passenger cabins. The ship received the award of 'Best Ship of 2013' from both the Lufthansa City Center travel agencies and Diners Club. With Reederei Peter Deilmann GmbH, Touristik-Bureau International GmbH and Deutsche Kreuzfahrt Management Services GmbH, MS 'Deutschland' Beteiligungsgesellschaft mbH also includes fully-owned subsidiaries that look after sales, marketing and operation of the cruise ship. To find out more, visit www.msdeutschland-gmbh.de Contact: Nicholas Wenzel T: +49 89 599458115 E: nicholas.wenzel@cnc-communications.com About AURELIUS AURELIUS has been successfully operating in the international market for company acquisitions for many years. The focus is on companies and corporate spin-offs in markets with plenty of potential for development. Once under the AURELIUS umbrella, the acquisitions are given a long-term strategic orientation and their potential developed. Building on active operational support, the subsidiaries benefit from the management experience and financial strength of the parent company. This is what makes AURELIUS a 'good home' for companies and their employees. At present, the AURELIUS Group encompasses 17 subsidiaries around the globe with facilities in Europe, Asia and the United States. Among others, these include traditional names like Blaupunkt and Berentzen together with numerous industrial enterprises. Companies are acquired in accordance with strict investment criteria, although there is no specific industry focus. Shares of AURELIUS AG are listed in the m:access segment of the Munich Stock Exchange and are traded on all German stock exchanges under ISIN DE000A0JK2A8. To find out more, visit www.aureliusinvest.de. Contact: Anke Banaschewski Investor Relations & Corporate Communications T: +49 89 544799 - 0 E: investor@aureliusinvest.de End of Corporate News --------------------------------------------------------------------- 08.01.2014 Dissemination of a Corporate News, transmitted by DGAP - a company of EQS Group AG. The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. DGAP's Distribution Services include Regulatory Announcements, Financial/Corporate News and Press Releases. Media archive at www.dgap-medientreff.de and www.dgap.de --------------------------------------------------------------------- 247328 08.01.2014