Mr. Philippe Joffard and his family sold their 15.2% stake in the capital of the Lafuma Group to the French subsidiary of the Calida Group, whose parent company is a Swiss company listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange SWX of Zurich. The Calida Group's sales revenue totals 200 million Swiss Francs. Calida's main activity is in the segment of lingerie and undergarments marketed under the Calida and Aubade brands.
At the same time, Mr. Philippe Joffard has announced his resignation as General Manager. He will be replaced by Mr. Felix Sulzberger, who is also General Manager of the Calida Group. Mr. Philippe Joffard will remain as Chairman of the Board of Directors coordinating the management transition until the forthcoming General Meeting of Shareholders.
Mr. Philippe Joffard headed the Lafuma Group for 28 years, successfully leading the company in its growth from a small manufacturer of outdoor equipment with sales of 16 million euros in 1984, to the top French Outdoor group with sales totaling 225 million euros in 2012.
Felix Sulzberger has been a member of the Board of Directors for the Lafuma Group since 2004. His knowledge of the Group and his past experience in the sports equipment sector will enable him to successfully ensure continuity in the management of the Group.
The Board of Directors of the Lafuma Group also decided on the principle of a capital increase with the number of existing shares to be increased by 50%, in the framework of a delegation of authority granted by the Combined General Meeting of February 2, 2011. The aim of this capital increase with preemptive subscription rights is three-fold:
- to grant the brands access to the means for their future development,
- to provide the group with sufficient financial resources to pursue its substantial reduction of debt,
- and to implement its long-term strategic plan.
The conditions of this capital increase will be determined and communicated shortly.
The Calida Group along with the other major shareholders will guarantee the subscription of this capital increase under normal market conditions, with the understanding that the stake of the Calida Group in the Lafuma Group capital will not exceed the threshold of 29%.
The Board of Directors for the Lafuma Group is pleased to see the emergence of Calida as a new major shareholder of the group and its participation in both the management of the company and the capital increase.
At this historical new turning point for the group, Mr. Philippe Joffard confirmed his "pride in the work that has been accomplished with the fundamental support of talented teams, transforming Lafuma into a leading group on the outdoor market. It is with emotion and confidence that I support this decisive change that will strengthen the group in all of its development paths. "
( Source Lafuma Group )
For further information please contact: infos-finance@lafuma.fr
NewCap. Sophie Boulila / Emmanuel Huynh – Tel : +33 (0)1 44 71 94 91 – lafuma@newcap.fr
Aucun commentaire:
Enregistrer un commentaire