EQT Mid Market Europe partners with the co-founders of BBS Automation GmbH ("BBS Automation"), a leading provider of flexible and high-quality automation solutions for complex manufacturing and testing processes with operations across Europe, Asia and North America.
 
The intention is to support the continued growth of BBS Automation, both organically and through add-on acquisitions, to better serve customers along increasingly international and connected operations.
 
BBS Automation's co-founders, Josef Wildgruber and Uwe Behr, will continue to lead the executive team and remain invested in the company.
 
The consummation of the transaction is subject to customary regulatory approval. The parties have agreed not to disclose financial details of the transaction.
 
BBS Automation is a leading provider of flexible and high-quality automation solutions for complex manufacturing and testing processes. BBS Automation develops, produces and installs high-quality automation systems for a wide variety of industries and requirements. With more than 600 employees at production sites in Germany, China, Malaysia and the United States, BBS Automation works together with industry leaders worldwide.
 
EQT Mid Market intends to leverage its long-term experience in the Industrial Technology space to assist BBS Automation's growth ambitions both organically and through add-on acquisitions in new end markets. Furthermore, EQT's global network, in particular the presence in China and the Americas, will support BBS Automation in further expanding its geographical foot-print to reach blue chip customers on a global scale.
 
Transaction Advisors
The Willkie team included the partners Dr. Axel Wahl (Corporate, lead), Mario Schmidt (Corporate), Jan Wilms (Finance), Dr. Bettina Bokeloh (Tax), Dr. Christian Rolf (Employment, all Frankfurt), Susanne Zuehlke (Antitrust & Competition, Brussels), Counsels Dr. Andreas Vath (Corporate, Frankfurt), Russell Smith (Global Trade & Investment, Washington) and Associates Johannes Eckhardt, Lukas Nein, Karsten Silbernagel, Matthias Strecker (all Corporate), Martin Waskowski, Tim Bulian (both Employment), Dr. Laura Pfirrmann, Christopher Clerihew (both Finance, all Frankfurt), Philipp Heuser (Antitrust & Competition, Brussels), Noman Goheer (Global Trade & Investment, Washington) and Timothy Sullivan (Corporate), Sherrone Torres (Employment, both New York).
Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP is an international law firm, comprising more than 650 attorneys with offices in New York, Washington, Houston, Paris, London, Milan, Rome, Frankfurt and Brussels. The headquarters are in New York, 787 Seventh Avenue, Tel.: 001 212 728 8000.
 
Further Law Firms
The KNPZ Rechtsanwälte team included the partner Dr. Kai-Uwe Plath and the associates Dr. Jan-Michael Grages and Anokh Singh (all IP/IT, all Hamburg).
 
The Zhong Lun Law Firm team included the partners Yun Zhou, Ting Gao and the associate Xie Xin (all Corporate, all Shanghai, China).
 
The Chooi & Company team included the partner Karen Cheah Yee Lynn and the associates Jessie Cheong Yi Lian and Jenitha William (all Corporate, all Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia).

Frankfurt am Main, April 6, 2018