Blackstone, which acquired Service King Collision Repair Centers in July, announced the acquisition of Alliance Automotive Group, the leading wholesale distributor of automotive parts in France and the UK, from Weinberg Capital Partners.
On its website, Alliance Automotive Group says it addresses all categories of spare parts including technical parts, consumables,
oil, tires, refinish, body parts, and equipment and tooling. It operates under the brands GROUPAUTO France, GROUPAUTO UK, Partners, Gef’Auto and Précisium. It is an integrated company with its own buying organization and a wholesale distribution network comprised of its own subsidiaries and independent distributor members. The group has 1,500 outlets and 3,500 employees.
“We are delighted to team up with the management team led by Jean-Jacques Lafont and Alistair Brown to acquire Alliance Automotive Group," said Lionel Assant, head of European Private Equity at Blackstone. "The company has market-leading positions and an outstanding management team. We look forward to working with them as the company confirms its position as a leading operator in the European market both through organic and acquisition led growth.”
Added Philippe Klocanas at Weinberg Capital Partners, “We are proud to have contributed to Alliance Automotive Group’s growth, partnering with the management team to support its build-up strategy. During Weinberg Capital Partners’ ownership, turnover has doubled as the Group has become the number-one operator in France and a leading player in the UK. We very much look forward to the next phase of development with Blackstone, a leading global investor. Their worldwide presence will back the management team to pursue its growth strategy.”
“Thanks to the continuous support of Weinberg Capital Partners and their long-established track record in B2B distribution, we have been able to accelerate significantly the pace of growth of Alliance Automotive Group that we set up in 1989," said Jean-Jacques Lafont, chairman and one of the founders of Alliance Automotive Group. "Alliance Automotive Group has now become one of the leading European players thanks to an ambitious external growth strategy. We warmly welcome Blackstone as a shareholder to pursue our international expansion.”
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