Gimv invests in the international growth of natural climate control and fire safety specialist Brakel

Gimv announced that it is acquiring a majority interest in the Dutch company Brakel next to the existing management team. Brakel is an important player in the field of glass daylight constructions as well as ventilation and fire safety solutions.

For more than 35 years, Brakel (www.brakel.com) has been a market leader in the Benelux region and the UK in the field of high-end solutions for glass daylight constructions (glass roofs and skylights), ventilation systems (top hung windows and flap ventilators) and fire safety systems (fire detection, smoke and heat extraction installations) in commercial and industrial buildings. These solutions are in response to the increasing demand for a comfortable, sustainable and safe indoor climate, using natural light and outside air. They are also made from high-quality recyclable materials, such as glass and aluminium. Brakel takes care of the production, the installation – whether or not via partners/installers – as well as the maintenance of these systems. Until 2011, Brakel formed part of the Irish company CRH, an international player in building materials, after which it was acquired by the Dutch company Nordian Capital Partners.

Besides its head office in Uden in the Netherlands, Brakel has satellite branches in Belgium and the UK, and an additional production facility in Slovakia. For local projects the Group also uses an extensive partner network active in 35 countries. Some of their well-known projects are the buildings of steel producer Arcelor Mittal in Ghent, the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, the Erasmus Medical Centre in Rotterdam and factories for tyre manufacturer Michelin in France and Spain. Brakel Group employs 315 people and in 2014 the company had a turnover of more than EUR 50 million.

“In the past few years we have invested in a stable enterprise based on three robust pillars: products, projects and service, and maintenance. Brakel has a strong financial profile and a solid platform for future growth, fully based on its own products and systems. We are pleased with Gimv's support that will enable us to further invest in our platform as well as to accelerate our growth ambition. We believe that their involvement will contribute to the development of Brakel and its continued success in the future,” says Ton van Gerwen, CEO of Brakel.

Ivo Vincente, Managing Partner and Head of the Sustainable Cities platform of Gimv, states: “The systems and services of Brakel respond to the growing trend for sustainable buildings and the increasingly strict regulations for climate control and fire safety in various European countries. This investment seamlessly tunes into the Sustainable Cities platform and our focus on HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) as one of our preferred sectors. Together with the experienced management team of Brakel, we are going full steam ahead for further international expansion and the growth of maintenance and servicing.”