GSS is headed by Timo and Gero Springer, the two managing directors of the Carinthian machine manufacturing company Springer, Friesach. Their shares in Microtec have been acquired by Italian private equity firm Clessidra. At the same time, Microtec founder and president Federico Giudiceandrea announced that he has retained his shares in the company and has reinvested as part of the transaction. Federico Giudiceandrea and his daughter Arianna (CSO at Microtec) as well as CEO Frank Jöst will remain in the company as key executives to “ensure continuity in the company’s next phase of growth”, the company stated.
“We are very pleased about the partnership with Clessidra. We are convinced that it will further accelerate Microtec’s global expansion and the diversification of its business areas,” Federico Giudiceandrea commented on the acquisition.
Timo Springer, managing director of GSS and, together with his family, a shareholder in Microtec since 1997, explains: “It has been an honor to be a part of Microtec’s extraordinary journey of growth over the past decades. Microtec owes its success to the extremely talented and dedicated management team. We are very proud of what we have achieved together, and we are confident that Microtec will start the next chapter of this success story by developing industry-leading solutions for its customers. We look forward to continuing our commercial partnership with Microtec in the best interests of our customers.”
Microtec recently generated sales of around €100 million. The company employs approximately 450 people worldwide, and, in addition to its headquarters in Brixen/IT, it also operates branches in North America, Sweden, Finland, and Germany. As a leading manufacturer of scanner solutions for the timber and food industries, approximately 95% of its products are exported worldwide.
Established in 2003, private equity firm Clessidra is owned by investment holding company Italmobiliare which is listed at the Milan stock exchange. According to the company, 27 investments for a total of over €2 billion have been completed since its establishment. Within just a few years, Clessidra has become one of Italy’s leading investment firms, specializing primarily in companies valued between €100 million and €500 million, according to a press release.
In addition to Clessidra, several other investors are involved in the transaction: Italmobiliare, ISA-Istituto Atesino di Sviluppo, Botzen Invest Euregio Finance, 035 Investimenti, BNP Paribas BNL Equity Investments, and Narval Investimenti.
