3i sells Interbrandpro

3i, Europe's leading private equity company, Richard Brewster, and other management shareholders have announced the sale of Interbrandpro Holding GmbH to EquiVest GmbH & Co Beteiligungs KG of Munich (managed by CBR Management GmbH) and Kinsky Capital.

Interbrandpro is a promotional print and board manufacturing business with plants in Weisenbach, Germany and Huddersfield, United Kingdom. It is world market leader in paperboard coasters and other tabletop point of sale materials, supplying international beverage companies and other global consumer products businesses under the "Katz" and "Quarmby" brands.

The sale is the successful culmination of a strategy to consolidate the tabletop point of sale market and develop the use of coasters as an ambient advertising medium on an international basis. 3i-backed Richard Brewster and his team to form Interbrandpro in 2000, and subsequently in their acquisitions of Katz from Pfleiderer (also in 2000) and Quarmby and Waterlomat from Jarvis Porter (in 2001). Hansjoerg Ruof, Investment Director with 3i, commented: "The sale successfully realised numerous objectives: it solved the succession issue, offered the management an attractive entrepreneurial opportunity and the employees a long term perspective in an innovative company based in an established industry."

EquiVest and Kinsky Capital are backing the management team consisting of Garry Hobson (formerly Chief Operating Officer who becomes Chief Executive Officer), Dirk Brennenstuhl (Group Sales Director), Mark Ketterle (Group Technical Director), and Andrew Thompson  (Chief Financial Officer). Richard Brewster and Elmar Hohmann (Managing Director), both original management shareholders, step down as Directors, but continue to assist as advisors with strategic matters.

3i and the original management shareholders were advised on the sale by Wyvern Partners, the London based investment bank.  Wyvern Partners commented that interest in the transaction confirmed increasing interest in "ambient media" companies, which are seen as integral elements of wider advertising and promotional campaigns.