“The investment bank Gimar & Co is delighted to have initiated this investment by Charterhouse in the French leader in alternative asset management (Forests and Usufruct of SCPI) through a one-to-one process” comments Stéphane Olmi, Managing Director
Charterhouse Capital Partners invests in France Valley, an alternative asset manager specialising in forestry and property investments
London, 20 April 2023: Charterhouse Capital Partners LLP (“Charterhouse”), one of Europe’s longest established private equity firms in Europe, today announces that it has completed a new investment in France Valley, an alternative asset manager specialising in forestry and real estate assets, with 4 billion in assets under management. Charterhouse is investing alongside France Valley’s founders, Guillaume Toussaint and Arnaud Filhol, as well as the entire management team, in an ambitious and collaborative partnership.
Founded in 2013 and based in France, France Valley offers two main investment solutions -natural assets (forest and vineyard) and real estate usufruct funds – to a diversified investor base consisting of both institutional and retail investors via wealth management advisors, private banks and family offices. France Valley manages over 29,000 hectares of forest in France and Europe, as well as vineyards in Champagne. France Valley’s real estate usufruct funds are structured and allow for the collection of highly diversified rental flows from real estate assets (“SCPI”) extremely diversified for institutional investors, without taking any risk on the value of the underlying real estate assets.
France Valley operates in a fast-growing market with high barriers to entry. The demand for ESG products continues to grow and the company is well placed to take advantage of this structural and sustainable trend.
The partnership with Charterhouse enables France Valley to realise its ambition to become the European leader in Natural and Renewable Assets, notably through geographical expansion, the launch of new diversified products in the growing ESG investment market and possible external growth transactions.
Charterhouse has a strong track record of investing in the financial services sector and a deep understanding of the ESG investment market. Among its investments include ERM, the world’s largest sustainability advisory firm, SLR Consulting, a global leader in ESG consulting, and Siaci Saint Honoré, a global leader in B2B insurance brokerage.
Guillaume Toussaint and Arnaud Filhol, co-founders of France Valley, said:
“The partnership with Charterhouse marks the beginning of an exciting new chapter for France Valley. We are proud of what the team has achieved so far, and we believe that Charterhouse’s expertise and experience in entrepreneurial support will help us to achieve the group’s ambitious growth objectives, strengthening our brand image, increasing our already significant market share in the niche markets in which we operate with the very specific expertise of Charterhouse.”
Stephan Morgan, Partner at Charterhouse, on the new investment:
« Our investment in France Valley is a perfect example of a transaction with Charterhouse’s approach – working with outstanding entrepreneurs to help them accelerate their growth and expand their business. When we began our discussions with France Valley over 15 months ago, we were immediately impressed with Guillaume and Arnaud. We look forward to working closely with them and the entire management team to support the company at this critical time for its growth. »
The transaction remains subject to clearance by the Autorité des Marchés Financiers.
Media contact
Greenbrook
charterhouse@greenbrookadvisory.com
+44 (0)207 952 2000
About Charterhouse Capital Partners LLP
Charterhouse is a leading private equity firm operating in Europe. The firm brings together expertise and capital, partnering with founders and ambitious management teams to drive deep change.
Charterhouse pursues a selective, conviction-based investment approach to invest in high quality European mid-market companies in the Services, Healthcare, Services, Healthcare, Speciality Industries and Consumer Goods. The firm targets transactions with an enterprise value of between €200m and €1.5bn. Charterhouse’s international team works in an integrated and flexible manner, enabling it to combine the skills, knowledge and experience of all its staff to help build successful businesses for the long term.
Charterhouse is currently investing through its eleventh vehicle. The company has made more than 150 acquisitions in its 35 years in the European private equity market.
About France Valley
France Valley is a management company created in 2013 and approved by the Autorité des Marchés Financiers under the number GP-14000035, France Valley offers investment solutions in Natural Assets (i.e. forestry, vineyards and agriculture) and in Real Estate (USUFRUIMMO funds: usufruct funds of SCPIs). With a team of 27 people, France Valley is the leading private investor in French forests and usufructs of SCPIs.
Since 2019, it has decided to broaden its investment scope by expanding into Europe in order to offer investors even more diversification. Thus, the forestry portfolios managed by France Valley include more than 200 forests from Ireland to Finland, including France, Romania and the Baltic States. The forestry funds managed by France Valley meet 9 of the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
In the wine sector, the assets managed by France Valley are currently concentrated in a single region: Champagne. The confinement of this appellation and its international influence make it a very special terroir in which the management company holds 18 plots of land.
France Valley has nearly 4 billion euros (*) of Assets under management.
(*) Assets under management in real estate SCPI in full ownership.