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MiddleCap Advisory has successfully completed another M&A transaction. This time we were behind   the acquisition of Blumental Offices, an office complex in Bratislava’s Old Town, which has wound up in the portfolio of a real estate fund run by the Czech investment company ZFP Investments.

 

The open-end mutual fund ZFP realitní fond, otevřený podílový fond, ZFP Investments, investiční společnost, a.s., managed by ZFP Investments, has purchased 100% stakes in BLUMENTAL OFFICE I, s.r.o., BLUMENTAL OFFICE II, s. r. o., and BLUMENTAL PROPERTY, s. r. o. Together, these companies own the Blumental mixed-use office complex located in Bratislava’s Old Town. The seller was Corwin, a Slovak developer group that operates primarily on the Slovak and Slovenian markets.

“We are honoured that ZFP Investments appointed us as its main adviser for the purchase of Blumental Offices. Both the buyer and the seller were assisted by companies boasting a long-standing formidable reputation and experienced teams of consultants, which went a long way to smoothing the entire transaction,” said Martin Proksa, Head of Private Equity MiddleCap, who led the buyer’s team of advisers in the purchase of the office building.

The MiddleCap team of advisers was led by Martin Proksa in partnership with Petr Panáček and Petr Bukáček. Havel & Partners provided legal services, KPMG handled tax and financial advisory services, and Grinity conducted technical due diligence on behalf of ZFP Investments.

“We are happy that by closing the transaction, our client acquired an administrative building in the heart of Bratislava, which was built according to the highest standards in the field of sustainability and thanks to which Blumental Offices received one of the most important certifications for sustainable buildings, LEED GOLD.” adds Petr Panáček.

“We at ZFP Investments are very pleased to have the opportunity to further expand our portfolio of Class A office buildings. Blumental Offices ticks all the prime real estate boxes and is a perfect fit for our diversified portfolio. The building is ideally located, features high-end technology, offers a pleasant and flexible working environment, is modern, and places a premium on greenery and public space. We have every confidence that such a quality building with reputable tenants will deliver a prosperous future for our clients.” added Peter Lukáč, vice-chair of the board of ZFP Investments, investiční společnost, a.s.

Blumental Offices, an office building situated in Bratislava’s Old Town and a short distance from the Račianske mýto transport hub, was completed in 2018 and offers more than 21,000 m2 of lettable space over twelve floors. Blumental Offices is a premium-category office building that has been awarded LEED Gold certification. The largest companies occupying this new building in the ZFP Investments portfolio include Zurich Insurance Company Ltd., the Slovak Banking Association, TPA AUDIT, s.r.o. and P3 Logistics.

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The completion of yet another large transaction on the domestic market was finalised by Sabina Matzenauerová’s team from the Czech office of international consulting company MiddleCap. Following successful completion of the sale of both Brands Morava, a.s. and Silverton, s.r.o. in March, MiddleCap has successfully helped in completing the sale of yet another large regional player operating in the field of construction, maintenance, and reconstruction of roads – Silnice Morava, s.r.o. The new owner became the joint-stock company IMOS Brno, the general contractor of a wide range of construction projects. 

“So far, we are reaping the success of our work done mainly in 2020. For the sale of Silnice Morava, we worked with our colleagues Petr Panáček and Jan Vrabčák. It was a year-long transaction process which, thanks to the cooperation of both parties, led to its successful completion,” said Sabina Matzenauerová of MiddleCap’s second transaction this year. “The seller was cresco&finance, a regional holding company engaged in asset management, acquisitions, real estate transactions and financing. The buyer turned out to be the major universal construction company IMOS Brno which, thanks to this acquisition, will expand its geographical coverage within the Czech Republic and supplement its existing activities as a general contractor of transport construction in a complete, vertical acquisition format.”

“All our activities are focused on the quality of work, customer needs, the reduction of customer risks, environmental protection and, last but not least, occupational health and safety. That’s why Silnice Morava is the perfect fit for our portfolio,” said Robert Suchánek, CEO of IMOS Brno, commenting on the decision to purchase the company. 

 

“We appreciate the professionalism of all parties involved in the transaction. The deal was struck during a very difficult period when COVID-19 made it virtually impossible to meet in person, resulting in negotiations that were much more time-consuming than necessary. That’s why we’re now all the more grateful to be able to add Silnice Morava to the IMOS Brno portfolio,” adds Robert Suchánek.

 

Silnice Morava has been active on the market for more than 20 years. Its main line of business is the construction, maintenance, and reconstruction of road infrastructure. The company owns a packaging plant for asphalt-concrete mixtures in Neplachovice, the Tisová Kajlovec quarry, and a mining area for aggregate dredging in Deštná. 

“This is now just one of several transactions confirming our expertise and specialisation in companies that operate within the construction sector. For the time being, we’ve managed to uphold our 100% success rate in completing transactions,” says Sabina Matzenauerová, adding: “We currently have several more transactions in progress, and it seems 2021 could very well be a record year in terms of order volume. In the second half of the year, we expect an increase in transaction activity, which will be driven, among other things, by the sale of companies facing structural problems caused by the pandemic.”

The law firm JŠK provided the seller with legal advice. The JŠK transaction team was led by partner Tomáš Doležil in cooperation with attorney-at-law Helena Hailichová and paralegal Jan Koprnický.

 

 

 

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Financing

Our services include acquisition finance advisory for all commercial business types. We advise and help the clients to obtain suitable form of financing, provide support when selecting the best financing provider, support the clients with the negotiations and help them to prepare all necessary documentation.

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VALUATION SERVICES

We supply valuation services for all variety of companies for wide range of industries. The team is formed of individuals with strong valuation background possessing the international and Slovak valuation certificates. Key role of our team is to conduct valuation supporting the client’s decision when selling all or a portion of its operations or looking to merge with or acquire another company. In addition, we support our clients when valuation might be important for the tax purposes.

Matador

MiddleCap prepared indicative analysis for a well-established CEE automotive supplier in connection with contemplated acquisition of a company active in the CEE region.

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M&A SERVICES
SELL-SIDE & BUY-SIDE ADVISORY

We bring financial advisory covering international as well as domestic disputes, focusing mainly on the affairs of loss of profit and damages.

Team of our professionals arrange a complex financial analysis, perform dispute’s due diligence and formulate detailed argumentation report to be presented front of the court or other arbitration proceedings.

Silnice Morava

MiddleCap helped to successfully complete the sale of a regional construction company operating in the field of construction, maintenance and reconstruction of roads, the company Silnice Morava, s.r.o. IMOS Brno became the new owner.

Značky Morava and Silverton

Middlecap prepared one of the first large sales in the construction sector in the Czech Republic in 2021. Cidem Invest, which belongs to the Cidem holding bought Značky Morava and Silverton.

Transdev Česká republika

MiddleCap acted as an exclusive buy-side advisor during the acquisition process of one of the largest bus companies on the Czech market, formed by three companies operating over 400 buses in Moravian regions and a bus management company.

ELRON ELEKTRO

MiddleCap acted as an exclusive financial advisor to the owners of ELRON Elektro, a Slovak electro material retailer, in the disposal of 80% equity interest to a Czech strategic investors.

SLOVAKIA STEEL MILLS

MiddleCap acted as a transaction advisor in the sale of SLOVAKIA STEEL MILLS, a. s. in a bankruptcy process within the framework of an international public tender.

News Advertising

MiddleCap acted as an exclusive transaction advisor to the owners of News Advertising in the disposal of 100% equity interest to a Czech leading outdoor advertising company.

CEMEX Czech Republic

MiddleCap served as an exclusive transaction advisor during the sales process of two subsidiary companies, that were operating three limestone quarries in Slovakia.

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Restructuring

Our services include crisis management, out of court restructuring services and formal restructuring. We deliver solutions to our clients by maintaining close cooperation with reputable restructuring trustees, lawyers, and other relevant professionals in order to extract maximum value for all stakeholders involved.

Doprastav, a.s. | Ongoing

MiddleCap executed interim management and formal restructuring of the largest Slovak construction company.

Cartlon Property, s.r.o.

Advising management of a company running a 4* hotel and office building with a parking house in the historical center of Bratislava.

Falkensteiner

MiddleCap provided debt restructuring services to a 4-star hotel in Slovakia.

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Real estate advisory

Our services include sale and purchase advice of real estate, we usually act as the main transaction advisor, who supervises that the advisors have all the relevant information from the counterparty. We oversee the delivery of their submissions on time, so that the findings are reflected in the purchase contract. We negotiate a finding with the counterparty and the price, conditions of the purchase contract, the timing of the transaction, we assist clients in negotiating and discussing with the financing bank.

ZFP Investments

MiddleCap, as main advisor, provided complex acquisition assistance in buying of Wołoska 24. 23,500 sqm of an A-class office building located in Warsaw within Mokotow district was developed by Ghelamco in the year 2016. Its new owner is the Czech investment fund, ZFP Investments, which belongs to the oldest Slovak asset management company IAD Investments.

IAD Investments

As a leading transaction advisor, MiddleCap provided comprehensive advice to the oldest real estate fund in Slovakia during the purchase of the D48 office building in Warsaw from Penta Real Estate.

IAD Investments

MiddleCap, as lead advisor, provided services including deal management, negotiation and assistance in acquisition financing of an office building Twin City A in Bratislava with total leasable area of 15,000 sqm from leading Slovak developer HB Reavis.

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ONLY SEVEN DAYS LEFT FOR YOUR GRANT APPLICATION SUBMISSION FOR THE SUM OF 30,000€ MADE POSSIBLE BY THE NO FINISH LINE CHARITY RUN.
BRATISLAVA, 23rd October 2020.
A number of companies working in the education and chidlrens’ sports sectors have applied for the grant. No Finish Line 2020 will take place online from November 5th. During the course of four days, runners and walkers will have the choice of selecting one of the numerous grant applicants as the recipient of their kilometers covered by running or walking.
The current situation, which does not allow for a big organized run, compelled the organizers to come up with a solution and not give up on their good intentions to simultaneously run and help children who really need it. Since the use of apps in smartphones or watches to record sports feats has become the norm, the organizational team of Children&Future Bratislava and MiddleCap decided to partner with the Slovak iWATT app in this year’s edition of the race. Participating in this year’s No Finish Line is therefore accessible to everyone around the world, all you need is your telephone and the iWATT app which you can download and register in for free.
“This year has brought a lot of changes for everyone and we have all realized that we cannot take things for granted, not even participating in an organized run. Sport is all about overcoming obstacles and defeating new challenges. From an organizational standpoint, we have accepted this challenge and the result is No Finish Line Bratislava in an online environment,” says Miroslav Výboh, chairman of the main partner of the run, MiddleCap Group.
“The atmosphere that we were able to create last year, during the first year of the run cannot transpire to an online environment but I believe that it will, nevertheless, find its audience and that we will be able to run up as many kilometers as last year,” adds Katarína Petrášová, manager of the non-profit organization Children&Future Bratislava, who has organized the No Finish Line race for its second year in a row now.
The online version of the race gives way to new incentives which the organizational team can implement in this year’s run. One of these incentives is to take part in the grant challenge. Companies, non-profit organizations and civic associations can submit their applications for the grant via email: grant@childrenandfuture.sk. The organizers will pick three finalists whom the runners can choose to support.
“The 2020 year of the run highlights two elements which strive to mobilize runners and organizations which are interested in this financial aid. We have already accepted submissions for a number of projects and I believe that this week we will receive even more submissions from which we will be able to select three finalists. These three finalists will then be in the hands of the runners, who will decide whom they allot their covered kilometers to and who receives the 30,000€,” adds Miroslav Výboh, chairman of MiddleCap Group, commenting upon this year’s changes.

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MiddleCap, the real estate focused European investment company, has partnered with bGrid at the Southworks building, a 70,000 sq ft office scheme on Rushworth Street in London.
bGrid is a Dutch proptech company that develops state-of-the-art smart building solutions for the commercial real estate sector.
Southworks is bGrid’s first UK project, and MiddleCap’s debut development in the UK.
The bGrid solution connects a series of sensors to the Internet of Things, and will act as a single digital backbone to Southworks. With the platform functioning as the building’s “brain“, the sensors will be plugged into the HVAC system and lighting controls, and will also measure other environmental variables such as density, occupancy and noise levels.
Through the building’s dedicated app, occupiers will be able to directly control heating and lighting to their own preferences and book meeting rooms, creating the optimum working environment.
The app will also allow for more efficient communication between building managers and occupiers, with messages and notifications being able to be shared in both directions.
In a post-Covid world, bGrid will help to manage longer-term social distancing by monitoring the flow of people throughout the building. It will also help drive efficiency in building operations on both a day-to-day basis, and as the building evolves year-on-year. The platform is also future-proofed, being flexible enough to incorporate changes to the internal layout or technological upgrades.
The company is already present in key international markets including Germany, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Italy, Switzerland, and the US. Its technology is now used in over 30 buildings, including several exemplar schemes such as Edge Olympic – the successor from OVG of The Edge Amsterdam – often considered the world’s smartest building.
Tomáš Jurdák, Head of Real Estate at MiddleCap, said:
“A healthy workplace has never been more important. Our partnership with bGrid will use the most advanced AI smart building technology to support companies and their employees as they embrace a safe return to the office. The office of the future is a smart one. MiddleCap is incredibly proud to be leading the way in bringing the latest smart tech innovation to London.”
MiddleCap purchased Southworks in 2018. Designed by SPPARC Architects and set across seven floors, the architecture is inspired by a warehouse aesthetic achieved through several high-quality design and specification details, including a double height entrance formed from handcrafted Italian glazed bricks. Internally, steel framed windows and exposed services will complete the contemporary and raw finish. A robust, loose-fit fit-out will offer flexibility to future tenants, while a series of roof terraces will provide additional amenity space to all occupiers.
Karl van Ginderdeuren, CCO at bGrid, said:
“We are thrilled to enter the UK market with MiddleCap on its first development in London. Southworks is an exemplary commercial building and will pave the way for a new era of AI enabled smart office buildings that support occupier wellbeing.”

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MiddleCap Group, an international investment holding, expands its portfolio of eyewear stores. 9 retail stores of Galaxy Optical Services Slovakia s.r.o. will be added to the chain of FOKUS očná optika eyewear stores. 
The eyewear stores located at the Tesco chain in Slovakia will be added to the network of FOKUS očná optika eyewear stores purchased by MiddleCap in August 2019. FOKUS currently operates the largest regional network of eyewear stores in the Slovak Republic and the Czech Republic with a total of 165 stores.
“To us, the Future Vision stores open the door to a wider range of customers demanding excellent service and high-quality products. All these stores in the Slovak Republic will be added to the existing large network of FOKUS očná optika eyewear stores,” says Ján Jacina, CEO of the FOKUS chain of eyewear stores.
Besides the 9 new stores across different Slovak towns, FOKUS will also acquire over 40 qualified employees. Each eyewear store contains an eye centre allowing our customers to have their eyesight checked with the production of dioptric devices in one place.
Martin Proksa, Head of Private Equity MiddleCap Group commented on the transaction: “The acquisition of Future Vision opticians and their inclusion in the portfolio of FOKUS očná optika eyewear stores follows the strategy of the FOKUS brand to strengthen its position as an eyewear store leader in the Slovak and Czech markets.”