Callista Private Equity acquires majority stake in Reederei Peter Deilmann and DEUTSCHLAND

Callista Private Equity GmbH & Co. KG (“Callista Private Equity”) is pleased to announce the acquisition from AURELIUS AG (“AURELIUS”) of a majority interest in MS Deutschland Holding, and hence in MS “Deutschland” Beteiligungsgesellschaft mbH (“MS Deutschland GmbH”), to which both Reederei Peter Deilmann and the cruise liner MS DEUTSCHLAND belong. The DEUTSCHLAND is well known in the German-speaking world as the “Traumschiff” from a popular TV series of the same name. The parties have agreed not to reveal the purchase price. The transaction was preceded by a due diligence process and lengthy discussions between the parties lasting several weeks.

The acquisition of a majority interest by Callista Private Equity is intended to continue the restructuring successfully initiated by AURELIUS in 2010. Following initial success, Callista Private Equity aims to press ahead with the strategy that has been applied by implementing further measures on both the operational and strategic sides. Callista Private Equity is also planning to inject more capital into the company by reinforcing the equity component with a view to permanently underpinning the growth course that has been set.

Under the terms of the transaction, Christopher Nolde, Managing Director of MS Deutschland GmbH, is taking a stake in the company and will continue to apply its growth-based reorientation strategy.

“There a very few German brands that embody dreams and desires for the finer things in life like the Traumschiff, and AURELIUS has achieved considerable success together with the management team since acquiring the company in 2010. Nevertheless, there is still plenty to do and the DEUTSCHLAND is a very demanding management task overall,” says Olaf Meier, CEO of Callista Private Equity. He adds: “With the many years of experience we have gained in successful company development, we specialize in situations like this. Callista Private Equity is keen to promote continuity and successful performance over the long run, so we’re delighted that Mr. Nolde has agreed to remain CEO of the company. What’s more, the DEUTSCHLAND is an attractive ship with a fantastic underlying brand and an outstanding team. The latest marketing trends for the luxury cruise ship the DEUTSCHLAND are very positive. This is reinforced by the fact that various factors constraining the cruise industry in 2013 are no longer applicable overall. Against this backdrop, Callista Private Equity believes this is a good time to invest in the DEUTSCHLAND.”

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