AURELIUS acquires Belgian building materials merchants YouBuild & MPRO from GRAFTON

- Leading building materials merchant group in Belgium in fragmented market

- Transaction highlights the successful start of AURELIUS Benelux office

- AURELIUS reconfirmed as leading investor for corporate spin-offs and complex carve-outs

Munich/Amsterdam, August 30, 2019 - AURELIUS Equity Opportunities SE & Co. KGaA (ISIN DE000A0JK2A8) ("AURELIUS") has entered into a conditional agreement to acquire the Belgium-based heavyside building materials merchant activities from Grafton Group Plc ("Grafton"). Headquartered in Brussels, the combination of MPRO and YouBuild is one of the largest building materials merchant groups in Belgium. Today, the combined businesses achieve revenues of close to EUR 100m across its network of 16 stores employing c. 240 full-time employees. The transaction is expected to complete later this year and is conditional on carving-out the freehold property from the trading entities and on receiving approval from the Belgian Competition Authority.

Both MPRO and YouBuild are strong brands, each with a solid reputation as generalist suppliers of a broad range of high-quality heavy construction products with a high service level, resulting in strong customer appreciation and loyalty. The portfolio of stores is strategically located in the attractive regions of West Flanders, Brussels and Hainaut, and forms a robust platform for further build-up via a continued focus on increased customer proximity and service.

Following the acquisition, AURELIUS will support the management team with the execution of the separation from Grafton, after which the focus moves to the further integration of MPRO's and YouBuild's operations & footprint, as well as the exploration of growth opportunities in the fragmented market.

"Winning the competitive process for MPRO and YouBuild so soon after opening the Amsterdam office is a fantastic, prompt payoff to AURELIUS' decision to step up its local presence in the Benelux market" said Gilles van Kooten, Country Manager AURELIUS Benelux.

"The transaction once again proves that our industry-leading experience in carve-out situations is highly appreciated by corporate sellers. We expect MPRO and YouBuild to significantly benefit from the attention they will receive under the AURELIUS umbrella" added Dirk Markus, Group CEO of AURELIUS.

ABOUT AURELIUS

AURELIUS Group is a pan-European investment group with offices in Munich, London, Stockholm, Madrid and Amsterdam. Since it was founded in 2006, AURELIUS has grown from a local turnaround investor to an international multi-asset manager.
AURELIUS Equity Opportunities SE & Co. KGaA (ISIN: DE000A0JK2A8, ticker symbol: AR4) represents the listed entity within the AURELIUS Group that focuses on investing in special and turnaround situations and mid-market transaction opportunities in a broad range of industries. AURELIUS Equity Opportunities currently has 23 portfolio companies located across Europe which employ around 13,000 people and generate annual revenues of approx. than EUR 3.5 billion. The shares of AURELIUS Equity Opportunities are traded on all German stock exchanges. The company's market capitalization is approximately EUR 1.1 billion (as of August 2019).
The AURELIUS Group also operates in the areas of growth capital, real estate opportunities and debt. AURELIUS Growth Capital invests in successor solutions and spin-offs from larger mid-sized companies and corporate groups. AURELIUS Real Estate Opportunities focuses on real estate investments, particularly in projects with operational improvement potential, the value of which can be increased in the long-term by means of active management. AURELIUS Finance Company is an alternative direct lender, focused on providing debt solutions to small and mid-market firms across Europe. With its group charity AURELIUS Refugee Initiative e.V., AURELIUS provides comprehensive support for refugees on their way towards a better life.
To find out more, visit .

CONTACT
AURELIUS Group
Anke Banaschewski
Investor Relations & Corporate Communications
Phone: +49 (89) 544799 - 0
Fax: +49 (89) 544799 - 55
E-mail: