Berardi Bullonerie S.r.l. (“Berardi” or the “Company”), portfolio company of H.I.G. Capital - a leading global alternative investment firm with $52 billion of equity capital under management - is pleased to announce that it has completed the acquisition of Clas S.r.l. (“Clas” or the “Company”).
Clas, based in Moncalieri (Turin), specializes in the distribution of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) such as: gloves, protective shoes, respiratory equipment, safety workwear, etc. The Company offers personalized and high-value-added services that include customer-focused consultancy, the offer of PPE vending machines installed directly on the customer's production lines and the customization of workwear.
The acquisition represents the first add-on completed by Berardi Bullonerie since H.I.G. acquired a controlling stake in the Company last February and reflects Berardi's strategy of constantly expanding its product range and further increasing the level of service offered to customers.
Giovanni Berardi, CEO of Berardi Bullonerie, commented: “The acquisition of Clas will allow us to expand our offering in the sector of PPE. In this way, we will have the opportunity to offer a more complete range of products to our loyal customers. Furthermore, this acquisition will allow us to strengthen our presence in Piedmont”.
Luca Cornale, CEO of Clas, added: “The complementarity of the products offered by Clas and Berardi will allow greater customer satisfaction. Our common vision is to emphasize the approach to the customer, based not only on the quality of the products offered but, above all, on the reliability of the service by leveraging on the technological solutions and on the level of automation that we already have in common with the Berardi group".
Raffaele Legnani, Managing Director of H.I.G. Capital in Italy, concluded: “The acquisition of Clas represents the first add-on completed by Berardi group and follows the strategic plan, defined with the management, to growth in product categories adjacent to those currently offered by Berardi group”.
Berardi Bullonerie
Based in Castel Guelfo di Bologna (BO), Berardi is a leading company in industrial distribution in Italy, active over 100 years. The Company specializes in the distribution of fastening elements for industrial companies that have particularly complex needs in terms of range, product customization and delivery times. Berardi has a broad geographical presence, with 14 warehouses located throughout the country and commercial offices in Italy, Croatia and Morocco and a catalog with over 130,000 references of which 50,000 are available in stock for quick delivery.
