DeA Capital Alternative Funds SGR and Trasteel Trading Holding SA announce a new partnership for the development, growth and consolidation of Util Industries S.p.A.’s production activities. The partnership involves the funds Idea CCR1 and Flexible Capital, both managed by DeA Capital Alternative Funds SGR, and Trasteel through the subscription of a capital increase totaling €15 million. The transaction was carried out with the involvement of Roberto Signoriello, former general manager of ITT Friction Technologies Fine Blanking Division and Feintool Italia, who was appointed CEO of Util.
Util, established in 1959, ranks among the leading European fine blanking firms and is one of the largest producers of steel plates for automotive brake systems. The group employs more than 400 people across two plants in Villanova d’Asti, Italy, and Guangzhou, China, and in 2023 reached €79 million in revenues, over €8 million in EBITDA, and €28 million of equity, including the capital increase. The company has been controlled by DeA Capital Alternative Funds SGR since 2019, which coordinated its restructuring and revamping. The fresh funds will be invested in support of the objective of the new business plan.
“I am proud and enthusiastic for this assignment and to share and promote with the shareholders Util Group’s new development and growth strategy, which includes a solid medium- and long-term industrial plan,” said Util CEO Roberto Signoriello. Vincenzo Manganelli and Federico Giribaldi, managing directors of DeA Capital Alternative Funds SGR, added: “The collaboration with Trasteel will allow Util to develop important synergies and know-how from both a commercial and a procurement point of view, strengthening the prospects envisaged in the industrial plan.”
Gianfranco Imperato, CEO of Trasteel, concluded: “We are happy to accompany DeA Capital Alternative Funds SGR and Roberto Signoriello along this important path. Our investment in Util represents our first one in steel blanking processes, continuing the strategy of verticalization of our group that began in 2020.”
DeA Capital and Trasteel were assisted in the transaction by law firms Chiomenti and Gemma, Provaggi, De Andrè.
DeA Capital Alternative Funds SGR
DeA Capital Alternative Funds SGR S.p.A., established in December 2006, is a wholly-owned subsidiary of DeA Capital S.p.A., a company of De Agostini Group. DeA Capital Alternative Funds SGR is Italy’s leading independent asset manager in alternative assets, with more than €6 billion in AUM, invested in global funds of funds, direct sector funds investing in mid caps, Debtor-in-Possession (DIP) Financing funds, as well as NPL funds.
Trasteel Trading Holding SA
Trasteel is a Swiss group active in steel trading and processing. Founded in 2009 in Lugano, today Trasteel is comprised of 1,000 employees serving customers in more than 60 countries. The group has an annual turnover of around $1.5 billion and 12 industrial plants in Italy, Serbia, Poland, Romania, Turkey and China.
For more information:
DeA Capital S.p.A.
Communication and Press Office
Marco Scopigno T. +39 02 62499533 M. +39 348 0173826
marco.scopigno@deacapital.com
Trasteel Trading Holding SA
Communication and Press Office
Teresa Cosulich +41 797113953 teresa.cosulich@trasteel.com