Direct Investments

NORD Holding and the founding partners sell DVS Digital Video Systems AG, Hanover, to the Munich based electronics group Rohde & Schwarz

15.12.2010

NORD Holding Unternehmensbeteiligungsgesellschaft mbH, Hanover, and the three founding partners sold their total stake in DVS AG, Hanover to the Munich based electronics group Rohde & Schwarz on 14.12.2010. NORD Holding held a 40% stake in the company. The remaining shares were held equally between the company founders.

Founded in 1985 DVS is a leading manufacturer of high-quality hardware and software for the professional digital film and video post production industry. For many years the post production for virtually every Hollywood blockbuster has been performed using the products and systems of the Hanover high-tech company. Currently the company has a workforce of 100 employees in Hanover and Hollywood. Its annual turnover is roughly € 20 mil.

More than 10 years ago NORD Holding provided DVS with expansion capital and since then has strategically and operationally supported the company. "Over the past 10 years DVS AG has established itself as a globally recognized specialist for video hardware, winning several prestigious awards; over the past few years the company has evidenced double digit growth and its future potential is considerable. With Rohde & Schwarz DVS AG now has a partner who is able to support their next growth stage", commented Robert Pauli from NORD Holding, who for many years has also held the position of Chairman on the Supervisory Board of DVS AG.

For more than 75 years Rohde & Schwarz has been a byword for quality and innovation in the fields of test and measurement equipment, broadcasting, monitoring and navigation systems.

Currently roughly 7.400 employees generate turnover of 1.3 billion Euros (reporting year July 2009 to June 2010). A service and support network comprising more than 70 locations and offices ensures close contact to their customers worldwide. Export share is approx. 80 %.

For Dr. Hans-Ulrich Weidenbruch, chairman and co-founder, the sale of DVS AG to Rohde & Schwarz means the continuation of his life's work: "We are very pleased that our innovative company culture and our technological potential will continue to thrive as an integral part of Rohde & Schwarz". Dr. Weidenbruch together with his board colleague and co-founder Dr. Spoer, will continue to drive forward growth within Rohde & Schwarz as board members of DVS AG. "We are convinced that by selling DVS AG to Rohde & Schwarz we are placing the company in capable hands, able to support continued growth at the Hanover location. It is particularly noteworthy that despite an unusually long holding period for the private equity market of more than 10 years we have been able to make a very successful transaction for our investors", said Matthias Kues, CEO of NORD Holding.

About NORD Holding

With its 50-year history and over € 2.0 billion assets under management, NORD Holding is one of the leading private equity asset managers in Germany with a focus on direct and fund investments.

The fund investments division targets the small- and mid-cap segment of the European private equity market through primaries, secondaries and co-investments.

NORD Holding has a strong focus on emerging buyout managers, hands-on investment strategies and regularly acts as an anchor investor. The division manages € 1.3 billion and ranks among the top decile fund investment groups in Europe.

The direct investments division of NORD Holding focuses on structuring and financing company succession models, acquiring parts of larger groups/subsidiaries as well as on expansion financing of medium-sized companies. In contrast to most other financial investors, who only manage closed-end funds, NORD Holding acts as a so-called "evergreen fund", thereby investing from its own balance sheet with no maturity restrictions. Currently, the fund has interests in more than 15 companies in the DACH region.

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NORD Holding
Unternehmensbeteiligungsgesellschaft mbH
Walderseestraße 23
30177 Hannover

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