Ulka Pumps business bought by UK Private Equity

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Private equity is getting its claws into the coffee world! See below for details of Barclays PE buying ULKA having already acquired CEME. Interesting!

"Barclays Private Equity has acquired ULKA Costruzioni Elettromeccaniche
for an undisclosed sum, a company press release stated. <br>Barclays Private Equity, the pan-European mid-market private equity
house, has acquired ULKA Costruzioni Elettromeccaniche SpA, a leading
manufacturer of solenoid pumps for coffee machines, from entrepreneur
Giampiero Rossi for an undisclosed sum.
<br>In September 2005, Barclays Private Equity acquired CEME, a leading
producer of fluid control components for small household appliances.
Barclays Private Equity, with the management team, plans to integrate CEME
and ULKA to build a worldwide supplier of fluid control components (e.g.
solenoid pumps, solenoid valves, thermostats, pressure switches) for small
household appliances (in particular, coffee machines, steam ironing, steam
cleaning, heating and air conditioning) and industrial applications. The
Group will be run by Marco Boraso, Managing Director CEME. <br>ULKA was founded in 1975 in Retorbido, Italy. In 2005, the company
generated total revenues of EUR 46m. Aggregated pro-forma revenues of CEME
and ULKA amounted to approximately EUR 100m in 2005. The transaction was
undertaken by Barclays Private Equity's Milan office led by Emanuele
Cairo, Managing Director and supported by Marco Pennisi, Investment
Director. Debt was provided by Banca Intesa."