Transactions

For over 60 years, Ritter Leichtmetallguss GmbH based in Weinstadt-Strümpfelbach has manufactured high-pressure diecast aluminium parts, primarily for the automobile industry but also for the medical technology sector and machine tools industry. As a result of fragile supply chains due to the war in Ukraine and a significant rise in electricity and gas prices, the financial performance of the company came under pressure despite persistently high orders.

The task of Wintergerst Societät für Unternehmer-Beratung was, firstly, to develop a program in cooperation with the management to improve the company’s earnings and, secondly, to draw up capital expenditure plans and an integrated business plan in order to substantiate the potential and prospects of Ritter. In addition, a search began for a suitable investor within the framework of an internationally-aligned M&A process.

Weber Holding GmbH, an established and reliable automotive supplier based in Baden-Württemberg, was able to prevail over a number of other bidders. The decisive factors in its successful tender included the expansion of its existing product portfolio, the ideal complement to its customer base of automobile manufacturers, the bundling of complementary technological skills and competencies as well as an increase in the utilization of capacity, all of which result in an attractive strategic perspective for Ritter going forward.

Weber Holding GmbH is an automobile supplier based in Markdorf in the region of Lake Constance in Baden-Württemberg. The company manufactures engine blocks, cylinder heads and transmission casings and employs roughly 750 employees spread over eight locations in Germany and Hungary. The main focus of its production operations lies in Germany due to the exacting technological standards of its business and the associated need for skilled staff with the requisite expertise and motivation.

“I am pleased that, with Wintergerst at our side, we had an experienced and professional team of M&A consultants to support us. The diverse range of competencies possessed by Wintergerst enabled us to develop an attractive business plan and present the future potential of Ritter to potential investors. This culminated in finding Weber, a strategic regional investor that offers us a long-term perspective – also due to its forward-looking “Emission Zero 2040” strategy,” explains Elena Iwaschkin, managing director of Ritter Leichtmetallguss GmbH.

“Our long-term M&A experience and industry expertise enabled us to find a suitable investor in the form of Weber Holding GmbH, an established company based in Baden-Württemberg,” claims Volker Wintergerst, founder and managing director of Wintergerst Societät für Unternehmer-Beratung. The integrated coordination with Ms. Iwaschkin and her team to develop a forward-looking business plan and the professionality of Weber were key factors in being able to realize this transaction in an extremely challenging market environment,” adds Christian Scharfenberger, who managed the project for Wintergerst.