Linklaters advises AAG on acquisition of Lausan

Linklaters has advised Alliance Automotive Group on the acquisition of the Lausan Group

Linklaters Spain has advised the Alliance Automotive Group on the acquisition of 100% of the shares in the Lausan Group.

Alliance Automotive Group (AAG) is a leading distributor of passenger and commercial vehicle parts to the independent automotive aftermarket in Europe. It operates in the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Poland and the Netherlands. The company is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Genuine Parts Company, the largest worldwide automotive parts distributor with activities in North America, Europe, and Australasia.

Founded in 1953, Lausan operates a comprehensive network of 31 branches under the Lausan banner, supported by its national and regional distribution centres in Spain. Following the acquisition of the Portuguese company Soulima in 2019, Lausan also operates a network of 6 branches in Portugal under the Soulima banner, supported by two distribution centres respectively based in Lisbon and Porto. Headquartered in Bilbao, location of the national distribution centre, as well as the national shared service centre, Lausan Group achieved €112million net sales in 2021. Lausan is confident that AAG brings the necessary resources to drive Lausan’s next phases of growth for the benefit of its employees, customers, and suppliers.

Franck Baduel, CEO of AAG said “Lausan has a leading market position in the key European market of Spain which is contiguous to our existing operations. It is run by a superb management team which I am sure will develop further growth opportunities in its markets. We are pleased that the Lausan management team is committed to staying on board to lead the company into these next stages of its development.”

Ander Beldarrain, CEO of Lausan said “We are proud of all the achievements of Lausan since its foundation in 1953 that have allowed us to become the leading provider of automotive spare parts distribution services in the Spanish market. We are pleased to become a part of one of the leading aftermarket groups in Europe which will enable us to continue to grow and to invest in marketing, IT and product development to service our customers even better in the years to come.”

The team from Linklates Spain advising on the deal comprised of partner Víctor Manchado (pictured) and Ignacio Moreno from Corporate/M&A, Marta España from Tax and Belén Lavandera from Employment.