Fusioni & Acquisizioni

🏠 LMDV Hospitality Group, led by Leonardo Maria Del Vecchio, acquires 100% of Gruppo Twiga from Flavio Briatore's Majestas Group, merging with Triple Sea Food (Casa Fiori Chiari, Trattoria del Ciumbia, Vesta). Expansion includes Vesta's relocation to Twiga in Forte dei Marmi, transformation of ex-Billionaire into Twiga in Sardinia with two restaurants, Vesta's introduction in Montecarlo and Baia Beniamin, and a new Twiga opening in Milan scheduled for September.

🍝 Sgambaro leads the spelt pasta market with a 24.6% value market share and a 7.1% growth in 2024 over the previous year, outstripping the spelt segment's average growth of +2%. Spelt-related products, including pasta, are expected to see a 20% increase in value in 2024, potentially reaching €36 million, as consumers opt for healthier, sustainable food choices. Pierantonio Sgambaro, President of Sgambaro, highlights the renewed interest in ancient grains like spelt, which has been cultivated for 10,000 years. Sgambaro Pasta Farro uses biologically grown spelt from the clay-rich hills of Siena. Founded in 1947 by Tullio Sgambaro and his sons, the Veneto-based company focuses on high-quality pasta and ancient grains, including Khorasan wheat, supporting sustainable agriculture.

🍪 Plasmon, a leading Italian baby food brand, might be sold by owner Kraft Heinz, which has engaged Houlihan Lokey to find potential buyers. Interest is shown from Newlat Food, active in baby food production and previously linked with Plasmon, and investment fund Aurelius, in Italy since 2021. Newlat acquired Plasmon's Ozzano Taro facility in 2015 and manufactures baby milk for Abbott there. The Latina facility, producing Plasmon biscuits and baby food, could be key in negotiations. The potential sale suggests imminent ownership change, affecting Plasmon's production and commercial strategy.

🏨 IHG acquired Ruby Hotels, including an initial hotel in Florence and an upcoming one in Rome, for €110.5 million. Ruby, founded in 2013, operates 20 hotels with 3,483 rooms across Europe and plans 10 more hotels, adding 2,235 rooms. Including cities like London, Vienna, Geneva, and Zurich, future openings are scheduled in Edinburgh, Marseille, Rome, and Stockholm within three years. The integration of Ruby hotels into IHG's system is set to start in 2025, increasing IHG's global system size by 0.3%, with an expected €10 million integration operational cost. Ruby has a 26% five-year CAGR and aims to grow to over 120 hotels in 10 years with IHG, potentially reaching 250 in 20 years.

🏨 BWH Hotels Italia & Malta closed 2024 with a turnover of €377 million, an average annual occupancy rate of 74%, and an Adr increase of +3.8%. Key destination Adr increases included Rome (+7.8%), Padova (+7.1%), and Firenze (+5.6%). The RevPar rose by an average of 2.7% from 2023, with regional highs in Veneto (+11%) and Lazio (+8%). Compared to 2019, Adr and RevPar have grown by 34% and 38.5%, respectively. CEO Sara Digiesi highlighted over 100 destinations covered and customer satisfaction growth. The Revenue Generating Index (RGI) from STR stood at 114, surpassing market averages. For the winter period, room occupancy and Adr grew by 4%, and spring-summer bookings are up by 10% with a 3% higher Adr. BWH is undertaking 42 renovation projects and has made 61 PMS technology upgrades. In expansion efforts, 12 new locations were launched in 2024, with 6 affiliations forthcoming, adding a total of 769 rooms to the network.

📌 IHG acquires Ruby brand for an initial purchase price of €110.5 million. Currently, Ruby manages 20 hotels (3,483 rooms) across major European cities and has 10 more in the pipeline (2,235 rooms). IHG's goal is to expand Ruby to over 120 hotels in the next decade, and more than 250 in 20 years. Ruby Group maintains operational independence while IHG aims to develop a third-party franchising business. The strategic framework ensures close collaboration while preserving Ruby's identity and innovative approach. Ruby's efficient operational model, including automation and self-service to maintain low labor costs without compromising personalized service, is protected under the agreement. Ruby hotels are located in Germany (9), the UK (3), Austria (3), Switzerland (2), Italy (1), Ireland (1), and the Netherlands (1); with future openings in Edinburgh, Marseille, Rome, and Stockholm within three years. Elie Maalouf, CEO of IHG, and Michael Struck, CEO of The Ruby Group, express confidence in the brand's growth and efficiency for investors and real estate partners.

🎢 Cordelia Cruises, an Indian cruise company, plans to expand its fleet by filing an Initial Public Offering (IPO) through its parent company, Waterways Leisure Tourism. The IPO aims to raise approximately 8 billion rupees. Currently operating a single ship, Cordelia is eyeing the secondhand market, looking for ships that can accommodate around 2,000 passengers, as they have received numerous offers from existing cruise lines updating their fleets with larger vessels.

🏦 Ernesto Preatoni, associated with the tour operating sector, listed Preatoni Group on the Paris Stock Exchange, specifically on the Euronext Access+ market segment for startups and SMEs with high growth potential. This debut was reported by La Repubblica. Initially planned for October 2022, the listing was delayed due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Preatoni has also contributed to the tourism industry through Domina, developing Sharm el Sheikh, Egypt, and ventured into Myanmar about a decade ago.

🚙 Flix Group, celebrating their 12-year anniversary since the first FlixBus left from Munich, is expanding in Latin America by launching bus services in Peru. André Schwämmlein, CEO and co-founder, sees Latin America as a huge opportunity due to limited railway infrastructure and an airport network connecting only major cities; the market is worth approximately €18 billion. Since arriving in Latin America in 2021, Flix has seen significant growth, expanding its network from 27 to over 100 cities in Brazil within three years, and connecting 14 destinations in Chile, serving around 70% of the population. Augusto Abarca will lead the team in Peru, working with local SMEs.

✈️ dnata's subsidiary Airport Handling launched operations at Italy's largest airport, Rome Fiumicino, with a seven-year license, serving 22 airline clients and handling approximately 70,000 flights annually with over 2,100 local professionals. The company invested over 20 million euros in infrastructure and equipment, primarily electric, to ensure high environmental efficiency. Rome Fiumicino is now dnata's second-largest gateway, spanning over 90 airports in 16 countries. Clive Sauvé-Hopkins, CEO of dnata Airport Operations, emphasized the expansion as a significant step in dnata's continuous growth journey.