PRESS RELEASE
Waterland Private Equity (”Waterland”) enters into a partnership with Helgstrand Dressage A/S (”Helgstrand Dressage”), one of the world’s leading equestrian sports companies with modern sales and training centers in Aalborg, Denmark, and Wellington, US, and more than 70 employees. Waterland becomes a majority shareholder in Helgstrand Dressage and completes its first investment in Denmark after the opening ofWaterland’s office in Copenhagen in August 2017.
Since its foundation in 2008, Helgstrand Dressage has created a successful international business with sales activities in more than 35 countries and annual revenue exceeds EUR 50 million, corresponding to more than 30% growth compared to last year and an average annual growth rate of more than 25% in the most recent five years. The company sources, develops, trains and sells world-class dressage horses and has achieved a number of international accomplishments, including eight medals at the World Championships and six of 18 horses represented in the finals at the most recent Olympic Games in 2016. The fast growth and positivedevelopments are driven by the company’s renowned brand and structured approach to the entire value chain – from identification and sourcing of the most promising horses over training in new and leading facilities by world-class riders to a professional sales organization and a deep and broad offering of dressage horses at the highest quality level. With Waterland as a co-owner, the strong market position is to be expanded with anambition of creating the world’s leading equestrian sports company.
“We have created a company, which has more than doubled revenue the last two years and established a unique reputation in an industry with attractive development and growth opportunities. We want to seize these opportunities and accelerate the progress in cooperation with Waterland who will be able to contribute with competencies, capital and extensive experience within the leisure and luxury segment as well as establishing and professionalizing growth companies with global ambitions,” says Andreas Helgstrand, founder and CEO of Helgstrand Dressage.
“It has been a privilege to cooperate with management and the professional employees at Helgstrand Dressage since the company was established ten years ago. The business has developed from an idea to a mature growth company, which is now ready for the next phase and a value-creating partnership with Waterland. The entire team at Helgstrand Dressage can be proud of the impressive development,” says Niels Heering, chairman of Helgstrand Dressage.
The global market for dressage horses totals several billion euro, and dressage is developing rapidly. Themajority of Helgstrand Dressage’s revenue is generated in Europe today, and the company’s strong globalposition and brand will be leveraged to expand the presence into other attractive markets in the coming years to win market shares and become a global leader.
“Helgstrand Dressage is a fantastic company with exciting growth opportunities, which we are looking forward to pursuing in the coming years in partnership with management and employees. In a short period of time, Helgstrand Dressage has created a well-run, respected and profitable business, which makes out a strong platform for further development and consolidation in a fragmented and highly attractive market. We look forward to contributing with our practical experience and targeted investments in the existing business as well as driving new markets and interesting acquisition opportunities in line with our strategy of acceleratinggrowth organically and through acquisitions,” says Kaspar Kristiansen, Managing Director, Waterland Nordic.
Helgstrand Dressage’s day-to-day management is unchanged. The parties have agreed not to disclose the purchase price.
For further information, please contact:
Helgstrand Dressage – Andreas Helgstrand, founder and CEO Tel. +45 40 10 00 00
Waterland – Kaspar Kristiansen, Managing Director, Nordic Tel. +45 21 18 22 44
About Helgstrand Dressage
Helgstrand Dressage sources, develops and sells the world’s leading dressage horses and has more than 70 employees with revenue exceeding EUR 50 million. In 2008, Andreas Helgstrand together with the Danish team won Olympic Bronze and Helgstrand Dressage has won several World Championships over the years. In 2018 Helgstrand Dressage established activities in Wellington, US, and opened a stallion station in Germany. A showjump stable partnership with Rolf-Göran Bengtsson was launched in 2018 and a jewelry brand, Helgstrand Denmark, was launched in 2017 under Marianne Helgstrand’s design leadership. Helgstrand Dressage has sold more than 350 horses since its inception.
About Waterland
Waterland is an independent private equity investment group that supports entrepreneurs in realizing their growth ambitions. With substantial financial resources being deployed from its seventh fund, standing at EUR 2 billion, and committed industry expertise, Waterland enables its portfolio companies to achieve accelerated growth both organically and through acquisitions. To date, Waterland has made investments in over 400 companies. Waterland ranks as the number 2 global private equity firm in the eighth annual HEC/Dow Jones Private Equity Performance Ranking in December 2017 and as number five in Preqin Consistent Performers in Global Private Equity & Venture Capital Report 2017, which ranks the most consistently performing global buyout funds. Waterland currently manages EUR 6 billion of investor commitments and has offices in Denmark, the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Poland and the UK.