Proventis Partners advised CrossLink on the sale of the company to the Murtfeldt Group as part of an asset deal

Proventis Partners advised CrossLink on the sale of the company to the Murtfeldt Group as part of an asset deal.

The main business areas of CrossLink GmbH, Cadolzburg near Nuremberg, are in the field of medical technology, almost all branches of mechanical engineering and the automotive industry. In many areas they coincide with the range of products offered by Murtfeldt’s subsidiary carbovation GmbH, Friedrichshafen, but in terms of technology CrossLink offers a consistent expansion of the manufacturing processes already in use. Thus, high-quality components up to a length of five metres and a diameter of around two and a half metres can now be manufactured on an additional 3000 square metres in the area of prepreg autoclave technology. The RTM and press technology also enable larger series quantities and component qualities with Class A surface quality; components with a size of up to three and a half x two and a half metres can be reworked in-house using milling technology.

In recent years, the Murtfeldt Group has positioned itself in this area in a future-oriented and holistic manner with a focus on growth and further opportunities in hybrid lightweight construction. So far, this market segment has been covered by the Murtfeldt subsidiary carbovation GmbH, Friedrichshafen.

“The acquisition of CrossLink GmbH from Cadolzburg is a perfect addition to our range of products and services,” explains Detlev Höhner, Managing Director of the Murtfeldt Group. “CrossLink is a proven player in the fibre-reinforced lightweight construction sector. Our customers will benefit even more from the broader spectrum of manufacturing technologies in the future,” Höhner continues.

Depending on the number of pieces and component complexity, customers will in future be able to choose from an even larger portfolio of manufacturing processes, which will also expand the consulting and design services. “With CrossLink, we have taken over 50 employees who will advise our customers together with the carbovation colleagues in Friedrichshafen in order to find the right solutions for tasks in the field of fibre-reinforced components,” emphasises Höhner.

The role of Proventis Partners

Proventis Partners advised CrossLink throughout the entire M&A process. Following the successful sale of CrossLink’s thermal insulation business in 2020, this was the second transaction that Proventis Partners advised CrossLink on.  The services provided included the preparation of marketing materials, the approach of potential investors including management presentations as well as the support in the due diligence and negotiation of the transaction. The Proventis Partners transaction team: Dr. Axel Deich (Associate Partner, Munich) and Andreas König (Senior Associate, Munich).

About the Murtfeldt Group

Murtfeldt has a track record of more than 60 years in the field of engineering plastics. The Dortmund-based company became known for its innovative solutions as a supplier to the mechanical engineering industry. Today, these solutions are produced on request using a wide range of common manufacturing processes. With increasing importance as a supplier of standard products as well as individual prefabricated parts, Murtfeldt has consistently strengthened its skills in the field of machining in recent years – with Murtfeldt Kunststoffe and Murdotec Kunststoffe in Dortmund, Mata in the Netherlands and Murt-feldt Plasty in the Czech Republic. In order to expand its position as a holistic provider of solutions for international mechanical engineering, the Murtfeldt Group also added 3D printing technology to its portfolio with Murtfeldt Additive Solutions in Tübingen and the development and production of lightweight components with carbovation in Friedrichshafen. The current addition of the Cadolzburg-based company crosslink in autumn 2021 optimally completes the further expansion of the latter division under the claim “High tech. Low weight”. Further information at www.murtfeldt.de

About CrossLink

CrossLink is a leading manufacturer of composite components with a focus on the medical technology, mechanical engineering, automotive and anti-ballistic sectors and produces milled parts and milled workpieces made of steel, aluminium, titanium, fibre-reinforced plastics and thermoplastics. The range of services extends from prototypes to small and medium series. Further information at www.crosslink-gmbh.com

About Proventis Partners

Proventis Partners is a partner-managed M&A advisory firm whose clients include a majority of medium-sized family-owned companies, group subsidiaries as well as private equity funds. With more than 30 M&A advisors, Proventis Partners is one of the largest independent M&A advisors in the German-speaking region and looks back on 20 years of M&A experience and more than 300 completed transactions. The M&A consultants with offices in Dusseldorf, Hamburg, Munich and Zurich are active in the sectors Industrials & Chemicals, Business Services, Consumer & Retail, TMT, Healthcare and Energy & Sustainability. The exclusive membership in Mergers Alliance – an international partnership of leading M&A specialists – enables Proventis Partners to support clients in 30 countries in the most important markets worldwide. The members of Mergers Alliance, with over 200 M&A professionals, provide Proventis Partners and thus its clients with unique access to local markets in Europe, North America, Latin America, Asia and Africa.