Safim completes the acquisition of a controlling stake in OMNI GmbH, further strengthening its presence in the strategic DACH market

Ambienta SGR SpA, Europe’s largest sustainability focused Private Equity investor, is pleased to announce that its portfolio company Safim S.p.A. (“Safim”) completed the acquisition of OMNI Hydraulik Ritter GmbH (“OMNI”).

OMNI is an independent distributor of valves, brake pumps and other critical components for hydraulic circuits within the off-highway market. Over the last decade, OMNI represented the strategic outpost for Safim within the DACH region, developing a strong relationship with all the German leading manufacturers of agricultural, construction and material handling vehicles, leveraging significant technical expertise.

Safim is a leading manufacturer of critical components that allows for the safe and energy efficient functioning of hydraulic systems on-board off-highway vehicles and trailers. The company is based in Modena (Italy), with subsidiaries in the USA, France and India and serves a premium customer base including all leading OEMs on a global basis in different end-markets including agriculture, construction and material handling.

Backed by Ambienta, over the last 18 months, Safim has strengthened its organization, from senior to second-line management, launched a thorough review of its operations resulting in a significant increase of production capacity (daily delivery moving from €125k/day to €250k/day) and launched new products linked to the revised EU regulation for braking in agriculture. This allowed Safim to record continuous growth, doubling its sales, now exceeding €50 million, and to create a solid and diversified basis to target further growth over the coming years. In this respect, the acquisition of OMNI represents an important milestone to further consolidate and increase Safim’s commercial positioning in the market. Ambienta’s team in Germany have been fundamental in allowing for a number of smooth acquisitions between Italian and German companies, creating a strong synergy between two of Europe’s key manufacturing hubs. Not only OMNI represents the 30th deal of Ambienta so far, but it is also the 5th acquisition in Germany.

Pietro Santoro, CEO of Safim, commented: “The acquisition of OMNI is another piece of Safim’s strategic plan that falls into place. Through this transaction we secured direct access to the key German market, unlocking significant commercial opportunities for the future.”

Jörg Müller, managing director of OMNI added: “OMNI and Safim have been partners for the last decade, leveraging on each other’s strengths to successfully penetrate the DACH market. This transaction represents the natural evolution of our relationship, and I look forward to continuing to lead the company’s commercial efforts in the region”.

Francesco Lodrini, Partner at Ambienta, commented: “Internationalisation and external growth are our blueprint for fostering growth in our portfolio companies. We believe OMNI is a great addition to Safim in a strategic region and we warmly welcome their team in the group.”