Clearwater advises Lentner on its growth path partnership with Hannover Finanz Opportunities
We have advised Josef Lentner GmbH (Lentner), a German company specialising in the manufacturing of fire engines, tankers, and heavy fire rescue vehicles as well as fire equipment carriers worldwide, on its growth path partnership with Hannover Finanz Opportunities (HFO). Since COVID-19, Lentner dealt with a variety of external macroeconomic challenges, leading to poor financial power ahead of full-order books. HFO, as a new partner alongside the existing owner, will enable further growth opportunities and strengthen Lentner’s financial position.
Lentner, based in Hohenlinden near Munich, Germany, was founded in 1985. The company specialises in the manufacturing of both standard and custom firefighting vehicles, fire engines as well as pumps, pressure proportioning systems, and compressed air foam systems. These products are distributed across Germany and are increasingly gaining traction internationally. Lentner’s strong market position is bolstered by its high product quality, expertise in customisation, and deep penetration into the professional fire brigade sector. The company is one of the leading manufacturers within the attractive market of fire engines.
Founded in 1979, Hannover Finanz has over 45 years of experience as an equity partner for SMEs. With its HFO division, and offices in Hanover, Frankfurt, and Vienna, the private equity firm was one of the first private equity capital providers in the DACH region. The firm’s primary investment focus is on growth financing and succession planning for stable, medium-sized companies with annual revenues of more than €20m. Uniquely, Hannover Finanz is among the few investment firms in Germany that acquires both majority and minority shareholdings. Currently, the portfolio includes 34 companies.
A year ago, the owners of Lentner decided to enter into the next phase of our successful growth journey and to underline our strong market position in the fire engine market with a powerful investor keeping our DNA. We greatly appreciate Clearwater’s support during the process of identifying a partner for our growth ambition, strengthening our financial power, and enabling further strategic investments. Clearwater’s extensive expertise and proven success were key to achieving this excellent result.
Lentner is one of Germany’s hidden champions with highly experienced management and a motivated team specialising in fire engines and manufacturing of special vehicles. It was a pleasure working with Lentner on this project. We’re confident in the new strong partnership, enabling the company to secure and extend its strong market position as well as gain access to additional financial resources that can be used to expand its operations, invest in new technologies, and explore new markets, both domestically and internationally.
Given the stable and essential nature of the firefighting industry, this acquisition aligns with HFO’s strategy of investing in solid, medium-sized companies with reliable revenue streams, thereby ensuring a long-term investment. We are fully convinced that we are the right partner for Lentner investing in its future and to secure as well succession planning needs within Lentner.