ox8 Corporate Finance has acted as exclusive M&A advisor to the shareholders of Plantafood Medical GmbH (“Plantafood”) on the sale of a majority stake in the company to IBEX Wachstumspartner GmbH (“IBEX”).
IBEX has acquired a stake in the dietary supplement specialist Plantafood Medical. As a manufacturing partner, the company researches, develops and produces a comprehensive range of supplements on behalf of its customers and is one of the German market leaders for health-orientated combination products.
Founded in 2001 by Mr Manfred Scheffler, Plantafood Medical can look back on an extremely successful development. The company has been growing at an above-average rate for many years and is constantly gaining market share thanks to its quality leadership. Today, more than 120 employees in Germany develop and produce specialised food supplements for a large number of national and international supplement brands from various industries in a wide range of application areas. The company offers its customers a full range of services in research, development, production and sales support for capsules, tablets, powders and other dosage forms and is characterised above all by the highest quality standards, its nutritional focus and flexibility.
Manfred Scheffler, founder of Plantafood: “I am very pleased to have placed Plantafood Medical in good hands. IBEX gave me a good feeling right from the first meeting, was a trustworthy transaction partner throughout the entire process and in Dr Grosselfinger I have also found my ideal successor. All in all, a really great result and exactly what I wanted for my succession and the future of Plantafood Medical. I am particularly pleased that my children, Annalena and Sven Scheffler, will remain part of the company and will actively shape the future of Plantafood Medical together with IBEX. I wish Dr Grosselfinger, my children, the employees and IBEX every success for the future and for the further development of the company.“
Reflecting on the collaboration with ox8 Corporate Finance, Manfred Scheffler shares: “The ox8 team has excellent market know-ledge and contacts at both national and international level. The coordination of the entire process was extremely competent and pleasant, and the ox8 colleagues were always available – even at night or at weekends. Furthermore, the cooperation was also excellent on an interpersonal level. It couldn’t have been much better!”
Jan Dreesen, Managing Director of IBEX, adds: “We are delighted to be a new partner of Plantafood Medical and look forward to further investing in the growth and development of the company. The market for dietary supplements is growing steadily and Plantafood Medical is ideally positioned to further expand its position as a quality leader and to further strengthen its core competences in research and development. With Dr Christian Grosselfinger as Managing Director and the rest of the management team, we also have a strong management team that will continue Mr Scheffler’s entrepreneurial success.”
Mr Scheffler will remain with the company for a transitional period to ensure a smooth continuation of the high service quality for customers and an orderly handover in the course of the succession.
IBEX was advised on the transaction by Taylor Wessing (legal and structuring), AC Christes (tax and financial) and Gracher (financing). Manfred Scheffler was advised by Görgen & Partner (personal advisor), Görg (legal) and ox8 Corporate Finance (transaction advisory).
About Plantafood (www.plantafood.de)
Plantafood Medical is a leading full-service contract manufacturer specializing in herbal food supplements for the human and veterinary sectors. Plantafood’s product range is very broad and extends from innovative nutritional supplements, feed supplements and skin care cosmetics to medical products. The products are supplied to both national and international customers, who can also receive a private label on request.
About IBEX Wachstumspartner (www.ibex-wachstumspartner.de)
IBEX is an owner-operated investment company focusing on succession situations in the German medium-sized business sector with a particular focus on management buy-ins and internal managing director successions.
IBEX invests exclusively the capital of the founding shareholders, supplemented by co-investors from an extensive network of family businesses, entrepreneurs and family offices. With a clear focus on the sustainable development of successful SMEs, IBEX provides both financial support and extensive expertise in the areas of digitalization and growth as well as the acquisition of competitors and internationalization.
With its succession-orientated approach, IBEX is a trusted partner for the continuation of entrepreneurial success in new generations.
About ox8 Corporate Finance (www.ox8-cf.com)
ox8 Corporate Finance is an independent corporate finance boutique founded in 2018 by experienced M&A specialists. Corporate finance advisory services are offered with a focus on M&A as well as Growth Capital in the Software/ SaaS, Digital Commerce, Technology/ IT services and Healthcare sectors. The team has an excellent international network to financial investors and strategic buyers. ox8 Corporate Finance has offices in Frankfurt am Main and Aschaffenburg.
