Regulatory News:
Groupe Berkem, a leading player in bio-based chemicals (ISIN code: FR00140069V2 Ticker: ALKEM) (Paris:ALKEM), today announced the successful completion of a financing with a pool of six French banks, as well as the issuance of Recovery Bonds in France.
Anthony Labrugnas, Chief Financial Officer of Groupe Berkem, stated: "The success of the Group's senior financing demonstrates the attractiveness of the Company and the confidence of our banking partners. With its new financial resources, the Group now has expanded resources to carry out future external growth operations."
The financing operation consists of the setting up, for the benefit of Berkem Developpement, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Groupe Berkem, of a Refinancing Loan for a total amount of €12 million (including two tranches of respectively €7.8 million to be amortized and €4.2 million in fine), a €6.5 million investment credit facility (including two tranches of €4.2 million and €2.3 million respectively), a €5 million revolving credit facility and a €40 million external growth credit facility, of which €20 million are confirmed.
TP ICAP Midcap was the exclusive financial advisor to Berkem Développement and coordinator of the transaction. Caisse Régionale de Crédit Agricole Mutuel d'Aquitaine and Helia Conseil were mandated co-arrangers. The banking pool is composed of 6 lenders: Caisse Régionale de Crédit Agricole Mutuel d'Aquitaine, Caisse d'Épargne et de Prévoyance Aquitaine Poitou Charentes, Banque Palatine, Banque Populaire Aquitaine Centre Atlantique, Crédit Lyonnais and Banque Postale.
Fieldfisher advised Berkem Développement on senior debt and bond issues, and Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner advised the senior banking pool.
€6.5 million of Recovery Bonds subscribed by the Obligations Relance France fund (an investment fund managed by Eurazeo Investment Manager) and by the Obligations Relance France Eurazeo Investment Manager fund.
Kramer Levin acted as advisor to Eurazeo Investment Manager.
ABOUT THE FRENCH RECOVERY BOND FUND
The French Recovery Bond fund, endowed with €1.7 billion, subscribed by 19 insurers members of the Fédération Française de l'Assurance (FFA) and by Caisse des Dépôts, finances SMEs affected by the health crisis, which invest in their development and transformation. Part of the Recovery Plan of the Ministry of the Economy, Finance and Recovery, the French Recovery Bond fund was created by the insurers and Caisse des Dépôts, in cooperation with the French Treasury. It benefits from a partial guarantee from the State.
The Recovery Bonds have a term of eight years; they are redeemable at maturity; they offer SMEs-ETIs unsecured subordinated financing which can be obtained from the asset management companies delegated to manage the fund.
ABOUT GROUPE BERKEM
Founded in 1993 by Olivier Fahy, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Groupe Berkem is a leading force in the bio-based chemicals market. Its mission is to advance the environmental transition of companies producing the chemicals used in everyday lives (cosmetics, food and beverages, construction, public hygiene, etc.). By harnessing its expertise in both plant extraction and innovative formulations, Groupe Berkem has developed bio-based boosters-unique high-quality bio-based solutions augmenting the performance of synthetic molecules. Groupe Berkem achieved a revenue of €46 million and an EBITDA margin close to 20% in 2021. The Group has almost 170 employees working at its head office (Blanquefort, Gironde) and three production facilities in Gardonne (Dordogne), La Teste-de-Buch (Gironde), and Chartres (Eure-et-Loir).
Groupe Berkem has been listed on Euronext Growth Paris since December 2021 (ISIN: FR00140069V2 ALKEM)
www.groupeberkem.com
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220726005821/en/
Contacts:
Groupe Berkem
Olivier Fahy, Chief Executive Officer
Anthony Labrugnas, Chief Financial Officer
Tel.: +33 (0)5 64 31 06 60
investisseurs@berkem.com
NewCap
Investor Relations
Mathilde Bohin Nicolas Fossiez
Tel.: +33 (0)1 44 71 94 94
Berkem@newcap.eu
NewCap
Media Relations
Nicolas Merigeau
Tel.: +33 (0)1 44 71 94 94
Berkem@newcap.eu
