Equistone to sell majority stake in Acces Industrie to Delmas Investissements & Participations

Equistone Partners Europe (“Equistone”), one of Europe’s most active mid-market private equity investors, is pleased to announce it has signed an agreement for the sale of Acces Industrie (“Acces”), an independent rental specialist of mobile aerial work platforms and handling equipment, to Delmas Investissements & Participations, a French family investment group, based in Bordeaux and active in the energy, handling, lifting and transport sectors.

A solid value creation story achieved through successful collaboration between the Acces Industrie and Equistone management teams

Equistone acquired a majority stake in Acces in 2020, having been convinced by the quality of its management team and specialist workforce, its differentiated position in a thriving market and the company’s strong corporate culture. Since then, Equistone has worked closely with Acces’ leadership to support its strategic focus on end markets that benefit from macro trends such as the global energy transition, e-commerce and infrastructure. 

Under Equistone’s ownership, Acces’ presence has successfully expanded domestically, with the acquisition of Watine Manutention in October 2023 leading to the opening of a number of strategically positioned depots across France

Equistone has also supported Acces with its entry into the Spanish market, via the acquisition of Uping in 2022. A number of new depots are currently in the process of being opened in Spain, while the group has also expanded its offering at each of its existing depots in order to meet changing customer demand in fast-growing sectors. 

Consequently, Acces has grown its headcount from 445 to 650 people, while revenue has grown from €90m in 2020 to €140m in 2023.

Grégoire Châtillon and Jérémy Mathis of Equistone said: “The partnership with Acces Industrie has been a very successful journey driven by an outstanding management team. The company has delivered an impressive performance, growing considerably both organically and through acquisitions, and we are convinced that Acces Industrie is ideally positioned to continue its growth story in France and in Europe.”

Given the synergies with its existing business, Acces has been a long-term target for Delmas Investissements et Participations, Hervé Delmas explains: “We congratulate the management team and Equistone for the superb growth Acces Industrie has achieved in recent years. We are very happy to become, alongside regional investors, the new long-term shareholders of this high-performing  company and, together with the management team, intend to  consolidate its strong regional roots, DNA and brand, while pursuing its broader national and international development.”