IGI SGR and Chequers Capital, the French private equity firm, have acquired control of the Rollon Group, previously held by Ardian and Consilium SR.

Based in Vimercate (Italy), Rollon is a leading Italian manufacturer of medium-precision linear bearings and actuators.  80% of its revenues are generated abroad through its branches in Germany, France and the United States.  Among the company’s strong points are its high standards of customer service and pre-sales assistance as well as the manufacture of custom-made products.  In 2013 turnover reached € 55 million.

The new shareholders intend to support Rollon in further growth and expansion into new markets, in particular in the Far East.

The operation involved a management buyout led by the current Managing Director of the Group, Eraldo Bianchessi who commented that “Rollon is a great Italian company with a broad international reach and is the world leader in linear motion.  The management team has invested in a substantial minority stake together with IGI and Chequers to meet the challenges of the market and our customers.”

Matteo Cirla, Managing Director of IGI, said “We’ve known Eraldo Bianchessi for some time having already had the pleasure to invest with him and we also knew the firm as we made a bid for it previously.  We are very happy to have closed this investment with Chequers, consolidating our vocation as a local partner alongside a major player in international buyouts.