Cimbria

Cimbria is a leading manufacturer of equipment for the bulk handling and processing phases of the global grain and seed supply chain.

Cimbria was founded in 1947 in Thisted, Denmark, and provides products including equipment for sorting, cleaning, drying and storing grain and seed, as well as conveyors linking equipment in a handling or processing line.

Our investment

Demand for grain and seed is growing, driven by the increasing nutritional needs of a rising population, the need for more animal feed to support the growing demand for meat as well as the demand for crops for the production of biofuels.

However, as the supply of arable land is limited, the agricultural sector must modernise equipment and facilities to improve productivity and yield gains. This has led to robust levels of public and private investment and financial support for the sector.

Cimbria has a strong market position in a growing sector. It boasts international capabilities, enabling it to benefit from growth opportunities across Eastern Europe and other emerging markets.

Value creation

Under our ownership, Cimbria launched an ambitious expansion strategy, which generated substantial increases in revenue and profits.

The company had previously focused on exporting countries but expanded into high-growth markets of grain-and seed-importing countries, such as Egypt and other Middle Eastern countries.

Cimbria also expanded its sales operations to cover after-sales and strengthened its senior management team with appointments including in its research and development, procurement and after-sales functions. We also helped the business improve manufacturing efficiency, including the opening of a new plant in the Czech Republic.

Outcome

Cimbria expanded its manufacturing facilities across sites in Denmark, Austria, the Czech Republic and Italy and grew its staff to 900 people globally, becoming the clear market leader in the EMEA region. This led to considerable trade interest.

We agreed the sale of Cimbria to trade buyer AGCO Corporation in June 2016 for about €310m and completed the transaction in September 2016.