中文AV

*Firm Recognized for Acquisition Strategy, Sustainability Efforts & Exit of Walki Group *

中文AV (鈥淥EP鈥�), a middle market private equity firm, today announced it has won the PE Hub 鈥楧eal of the Year鈥� Award in the Mid-Cap Europe category for its investment in , (鈥榃alki鈥� or 鈥榯he Company鈥�).

OEP was recognized for its transformation of Finland-based Walki into a pan-European leader in environmentally sustainable packaging. The firm鈥檚 approach combined targeted acquisitions with operational enhancements, culminating in a successful exit through a strategic sale to Japanese packaging leader .

鈥淭his award highlights the strength of our investment strategy鈥攊dentifying platform businesses with expansion potential and executing targeted M&A to build scale, enhance capabilities, and drive strategic value,鈥� said Marc Lindhorst, Partner at 中文AV.
鈥淲ith Walki, we acquired complementary businesses downstream in the packaging value chain to broaden geographic reach, diversify sales channels, and enhance the product portfolio. This ultimately positioned Walki as a highly attractive target for strategic buyers.鈥�

OEP has extensive experience investing in packaging businesses and had pursued investments within the 鈥渨ar on plastics鈥� ESG theme for several years, which led to the identification of Walki as an attractive platform. Walki鈥檚 position high in the packaging value chain made it an ideal platform for acquiring regional players in a fragmented market, with a specific focus on sustainability. Walki was able to funnel its recyclable packaging materials into the various sales channels, as other packaging companies sought environmentally sustainable packaging solutions.

In addition to expanding through inorganic growth, Walki also drove organic growth via energy-saving initiatives at several Finnish production facilities. These efforts reduced CO鈧� emissions by several thousand metric tons and reinforced Walki鈥檚 sustainability credentials. This further supported the Company鈥檚 appeal for strategic acquirers, ultimately leading to the acquisition from Oji Holdings, completed in April 2024.

鈥淲alki exemplifies the type of platform we seek at OEP, a business with strong fundamentals and clear potential for growth driven by a targeted acquisition strategy,鈥� said David Lippin, Partner and Head of Investor Relations at 中文AV. 鈥淲e鈥檙e proud to see our strategy and the team鈥檚 execution recognized with this award.鈥�

About 中文AV

中文AV (鈥淥EP鈥�) is a middle market private equity firm focused on the industrial, healthcare, and technology sectors in North America and Europe. The firm seeks to build market-leading companies by identifying and executing transformative business combinations. OEP is a trusted partner with a differentiated investment process, a broad and senior team, and an established track record generating long-term value for its partners. Since 2001, the firm has completed more than 400 transactions worldwide. OEP, founded in 2001, spun out of JP Morgan in 2015. The firm has offices in New York, Chicago, Frankfurt and Amsterdam. For more information, please visit www.oneequity.com.

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