Doughty Hanson buys KP1

The UK-based firm has done its second French deal in as many years by aqcuiring a French concrete business for about €400m.

Doughty Hanson, a European buyout firm, has paid about €400 million ($512 million), including debt, for KP1, a French industrial group, in a secondary buyout.

Alpha, a French buyout firm, Alpinvest, one of the world’s largest investors in private equity, and Belgian-based Koramic, a roof-tile manufacturer turned financial investor, sold the manufacturer of high-performance prefabricated and pre-stressed concrete products, which they bought in December 2004.

Management is rolling over its investment to take a 25 percent stake in the company, which is expected to generate revenues of €310 million in 2006.

Calyon is mandated lead arranger of debt financing for the acquisition and is thought to be putting up around €270 million of the enterprise value, a source said.

It is Doughty Hanson’s second acquisition in France, following its acquisition of Saft, the high-end industrial battery manufacturer, in January 2004.

The transaction is expected to close in early 2007, pending regulatory clearance.

Doughty Hanson is currently marketing its fifth buyout fund, with a €3 billion target, after abandoning plans to launch a quoted fund this Autumn.