Pieralisi Secures €16 Million Investment in Ownership Shift

Ver Capital SGR, an asset management company focused on European corporate credit, has acquired a 70 percent majority stake in Pieralisi MAIP Spa, the parent company of Pieralisi Group, a global manufacturer of olive oil extraction machinery and industrial centrifuges.

The remaining 30 percent is held by the Pieralisi founding family through Frapi Spa, together with Green Arrow Capital, an independent financial manager active in private markets and alternative investments in Italy and Europe.

The transaction was completed on July 30, concluding a process that began in July 2020, when the IDeA CCR II Fund acquired a 51 percent majority stake in the company as part of an industrial relaunch.

The fund is now part of Green Arrow Capital Alternative Funds SGR following Green Arrow Capital’s acquisition of DeA Capital Alternative Funds in May. The Pieralisi family supported the development plan through capital increases and retained a 49 percent stake through Frapi Spa until Ver Capital’s entry.

In a joint press release, Green Arrow Capital and the founding family announced the completion of the Group’s capital-strengthening transaction and Ver Capital’s acquisition of a majority stake.

“Over these years, together with the Pieralisi family and the management team, we have built a virtuous path of turnaround and growth for the [Pieralisi] Group, investing in people and technological development – key factors that have enabled this historic Italian manufacturing company to strengthen its leadership position in its reference international markets,” said Luca Maran, managing director of the IDeA CCR II Fund.

“We are confident that this completed transaction can give further momentum to the Group’s growth, a phase that we have chosen to continue supporting by reinvesting alongside Ver Capital with a minority stake,” he added.

A longstanding player in Italian manufacturing, Pieralisi is listed in the Ministry for Business and Made in Italy’s Special Register of Historic Trademarks of National Interest.

The company was founded in 1888 as a family-run workshop in Monsano, in the province of Ancona in the Marche region. Now headquartered in Jesi, Pieralisi operates nine locations worldwide, with a presence in Italy, Spain, Greece, Germany, the Netherlands, the United States, Brazil and Tunisia.

Last year, the Group recorded revenues of €110 million and consolidated EBITDA of €10 million.

“The Pieralisi family has always supported the company and actively participated in the restructuring and relaunch process in recent years,” said Gabriele Pieralisi of Frapi Spa.

“The recently concluded transaction with Ver Capital is an important step in this relaunch process, which sees us all as key players and gives us strong confidence that together we can achieve the expected results and consolidate the Pieralisi brand as the world leader in its sector,” he added.

According to Italian business newspaper Il Sole 24 Ore, Ver Capital SGR completed the acquisition through the Ver Capital Special Situations fund, supported by the Patrimonio Rilancio program, an initiative of the Italian Ministry of Economy and Finance managed by Cassa Depositi e Prestiti.

As part of the transaction, Ver Capital SGR will inject approximately €16 million in fresh capital in exchange for its 70 percent stake. The investment is intended to strengthen and accelerate Pieralisi’s industrial relaunch and development plan, including expansion into new international markets and high-potential business channels.

“I am proud to represent and lead the development and growth of the Pieralisi Group, continuing the legacy of the previous shareholders,” said Aldino Zeppelli, chief executive of Pieralisi.

“The collaboration with Ver Capital represents a further opportunity to consolidate and strengthen the Pieralisi brand’s global leadership,” he added. “I extend my sincere thanks to all those who, with their professionalism and daily commitment, have contributed and will contribute to the success of our company.”