| Nom : | Cadum |
|---|---|
| Date de premier investissement: | September 2007 |
| Pays : | France |
| Montant Investi : | €16m |
| Activité : | Leading company in hygiene and skincare products |
| Type de transaction : | Secondary buy-out |
| Chiffres d'Affaires : | €65m |
| Taille de transaction : | n/a |
| Membres du conseil : | Erick Rinner, Olivier Antomarchi |
The Business
Milestone Capital acquired simultaneously Cadum SA, a leading distributor of hygiene/beauty products and Iba SA, a leading distributor of air care products.
Cadum, the baby soap brand in France, was created in France in 1907, and launched its first bar soap in 1912. Today, the group is a leading player in the French soap and hygiene markets, it owns four brands (Cadum, Cleopatra, Donge) and markets products such as solid soaps, liquid soaps, family hygiene products, adult shower products and hygiene baby products. Cadum’s management team, led by Jean-Marie Total and Gilles Nouailhetas developed a very efficient business model when they joined the company in 2003, outsourcing both the manufacturing and the distribution functions, allowing them to fully focus on marketing, R&D and strategy.
Iba, founded in Paris in 1990, is a leading provider of air care products. The company has grown rapidly in France during the 90’s, established a UK subsidiary in 1998 and then a Spanish subsidiary in 1999. Iba markets fridge, dishwasher and bin deodorisers, ambiance perfumes for the house, anti-humidity and drying products, perfumes for the car and perfume-free for multi-usage in the house. Like Cadum, Iba has a very efficient business model, having outsourced all production since inception.
The Management
The Cadum management team is led by Jean-Marie Total and Gilles Nouailhetas
Jean-Marie Total, Co-founder, is a self-made manager with more than 15 years of experience in developing small and medium size businesses. He started-up a range of natural pesticide products that he successfully sold after 9 years to Sara Lee.
Gilles Nouailhetas, Co-founder, has 14 years of experience in consumer marketing including 3 years at United Biscuits, 4 years at Sara Lee and 3 years at Cap Gemini. He has been responsible for developing the successful marketing strategy of Cadum.
Strategic Development
The combined group employs 55 people and will generate revenues of circa €65 million in 2007. The plan is to integrate the two businesses utilising Cadum management’s marketing expertise and leverage Iba’s distribution in France, the UK and Spain. The new group will represent a larger player for key customers in the shower gel baby hygiene segments, as well as in the developing air care market. Further growth through add-on acquisitions will also be considered and management has already some targets in mind.
