APL Acp Capital

RNS Number:5459Z
ACP Capital Limited
04 July 2007


  ACP Capital's senior debt underwriting business funds Euro142 million for IFR's
                             acquisition of Homann


ACP Capital Limited ("ACP Capital" or the "Company": APL.LN), the merchant bank
and asset manager focused on European small and medium sized enterprises 
("SMEs"), today announces the funding of a senior debt bridge of Euro142 million to
finance the acquisition of Homann Chilled Food GmbH by IFR Capital Plc ("IFR":
IFR.LN) alongside a Euro75 million bridge provided by ACP Mezzanine Limited ("ACP
Mezzanine": ACPM.LN) for the same transaction. This transaction illustrates the
integrated finance package ACP Capital and ACP Mezzanine are able to provide.

The creation of a senior debt financing platform is an important step in the
development of ACP Capital's debt underwriting and syndication business. The new
financing platform is expected to generate recurring fees and interest income
for the Company. It is one of three financing platforms operated by ACP Capital,
created to provide European SMEs with an integrated finance package. The other
two financing platforms are strategic equity and mezzanine finance.


Enquiries:

Simon Atkinson, Collins Stewart Europe Limited              +44 (0) 20 7523 8350
(Nominated Advisor to the Company)

Rob Bailhache & Nick Henderson, Financial Dynamics          +44 (0) 20 7269 7200
(Media Relations)


For further information on ACP Capital, please visit www.acpcapital.com.


About ACP Capital


ACP Capital Limited (LSE AIM: APL) is a Jersey-incorporated specialist
integrated finance and asset management company focusing on both the
asset-backed and non asset-backed sectors in the European small and mid-sized
enterprise (SME) market. The company's shares were admitted to trading on AIM in
January 2006, raising approximately #50m before costs, followed by a further
#15m share placing in December 2006. In March 2007, the company completed a
further #150m capital raising in order to finance its intended development
plans, including the development of additional funding lines, managed vehicles
and strategic platforms to originate loans and assets in Germany, the UK, France
and Italy.


As an integrated finance specialist, ACP Capital offers a combination of equity,
mezzanine and senior debt to companies in niche markets, such as the German '
Mittelstand' (privately-owned SMEs), and for asset-backed transactions in
sectors like real estate and infrastructure. The company intends to put in place
levered loan and non-investment grade funding vehicles in order to complement
its current product base with a view to providing financing solutions across the
capital structure.


As an asset manager, ACP Capital manages a series of investment vehicles that
can provide the required funding for its integrated finance capabilities. ACP
Capital intends to launch at least two managed vehicles each year in specific
sectors in its target markets. These managed vehicles are intended to take
advantage of the planned flow of asset opportunities from the expansion of the
company's funding capabilities and strategic platforms. ACP Capital intends to
receive management and performance-related fees from these vehicles in addition
to any share price increase as a strategic equity investor. To date, ACP Capital
has launched two such vehicles, ACP Mezzanine Limited and IFR Capital plc. On 8
March 2007 ACP Capital announced that it had raised a committed leverage
facility of #125 million with Deutsche Bank for ACP Senior High Yield, a
soon-to-be-launched managed vehicle focusing on the acquisition of European
senior debt assets originated primarily through ACP Capital's SME-focused
integrated finance business, and through the primary and secondary markets.


ACP Capital's Board includes the highly regarded retail entrepreneur, Heiner
Kamps, the Director General of the international real estate investment and
development company Jesta Group, Francois Georges, the Managing Director of the
full service real estate private equity firm Presidio Partners LLC, Alan
Braxton, an Italian certified barrister and Director of Investimente e Sviluppo
S.p.a., Daniele Discepolo, Derek Vago, Eric Youngblood, Nikolaj Larsen and two
other Non-Executive Directors.

About IFR Capital


IFR Capital plc (LSE AIM: IFR) is an acquisition platform targeting small and
medium-sized businesses in the continental European food industry across three
sub-sectors: retail (mainly shops/ restaurants), industry (wholesale and
production), and distribution.


Founded in October 2006 by ACP Capital and food retail entrepreneur Heiner
Kamps, IFR was admitted to trading on AIM in November 2006 after raising
approximately Euro135 million pre costs.


IFR is currently considering various opportunities in the European food sector
with a view to acquiring potentially synergistic businesses that would help
propagate the company's further growth. IFR recently acquired 100% of the fully
diluted share capital of Homann Chilled Food GmbH for Euro89 million, representing
a significant step towards the vision of creating a diversified European food
enterprise. Further opportunities include the ongoing expansion of IFR's new
premium bakery brand, Bastians, to major European cities. Further details of
these opportunities will be announced as they become available.


Ultimately, IFR's intended long-term strategy is to create a leading,
vertically-integrated food business with turnover of at least Euro1.5 billion by
2009 and an EBITDA margin of approximately 10%. IFR benefits from the
operational management of Heiner Kamps as well as the broad financing experience
and capabilities of ACP Capital.


About ACP Mezzanine


ACP Mezzanine Limited (LSE AIM: ACPM) is a Jersey-incorporated company that
listed on AIM in July 2006 after raising Euro100 million. Its strategy is to pursue
opportunities as a mezzanine lender, originating, structuring and underwriting
the majority of its investments primarily in the European small and mid-sized
enterprise (SME) market. ACP Mezzanine's investment strategy is implemented and
managed by ACP Capital through an Investment Management Agreement. ACP
Mezzanine's strategy is different from that followed by a number of participants
in the mezzanine financing market, which focus on acquiring assets directly from
third parties through a syndication process, and can underwrite / syndicate such
loans originated directly.


ACP Mezzanine lends primarily across Europe, with origination arising through a
direct integrated finance approach alongside ACP Capital's strategic platforms
and managed vehicles, and, to a lesser extent, purchases of assets in the
secondary market if the expected risk adjusted returns are attractive. It is
expected that the integrated finance approach will account for at least two
thirds of ACP Mezzanine's investments over time.



ACP Mezzanine's Board includes Derek Vago, Christophe Tanghe, Wolfgang
Mellinghof and two other Non-Executive Directors.


                      This information is provided by RNS
            The company news service from the London Stock Exchange
END

MSCEAFXDEDSXEFE

ACP Capital (LSE:APL)
Historical Stock Chart
From Jun 2024 to Jul 2024

ACP Capital (LSE:APL)
Historical Stock Chart
From Jul 2023 to Jul 2024