EQT, a private Equity Fund founded by the Swedish Wallenberg industrialist family, has taken over Leybold Optics GmbH from Unaxis Holding AG effective retroactively to 30 September 2001.
Leybold Optics is among the world's leading makers of mass-production coating systems for optical components in the areas of precision optics and eyeglass lenses, as well as in the telecommunications and automobile industries. For 2001, the profitable company with some 400 employees and subsidiaries in 10 countries expects sales of about Euro 150 million ($133 million).
EQT is a private Equity Fund Group that was founded by Investor AB, the Financial Holding of the Swedish Wallenberg Foundation. Standing for the tradition of the Wallenbergs, the Group is helping its affiliates -- predominantly successful small-to-medium-sized companies -- with money and know-how to achieve more growth and higher income. The management of these companies always holds a share of the equity. The managers are assisted by an advisory council made up of experienced senior business executives from the respective branch.
The advisory council of Leybold Optics is chaired by Peter Grassmann, CEO of the Carl Zeiss Group, Oberkochen, a longstanding Leybold customer. He will be joined by Hagen Hultzsch, longtime Board Member Technology of Deutsche Telekom. Active as advisor in the council as well will be Udo Philipp, partner of the EQT Partners investment consultants in Munich.
The experience of Leybold Optics in many technology fields, paired with the resources of the Wallenberg Foundation, provides an excellent opportunity for dynamic growth. Extensive investments in R&D are scheduled for a significant expansion of the company's market position in the area of thin-film technology.
For more information, go to: www.leyboldoptics.com.
