Leygatech, the French leader in recyclable plastic packaging films with high barrier properties, enters a new phase in its development
Paris and Saint-Romain-Lachalm (43), March 20, 2023 – Leygatech, the French leader in recyclable plastic packaging films with high barrier properties, is opening up its capital to Unigrains, an investment company specializing in the agri-food industry, and Carvest, the Crédit Agricole Group’s regional investment structure, as minority shareholders. This operation aims to accelerate the Group’s development through various organic and external growth projects.
Leygatech, which has been majority-owned by its management since 2002, develops recyclable and innovative products whose functional properties enable the protection and conservation of fragile, oxidizable and/or perishable contents. Its two industrial sites in the Haute Loire region, certified ISO 9001, 14001 and FSSC 22000, produce more than 37,000 tons of flexible films per year to serve customers in the food, pharmaceutical and other industries.
The Group employs 200 people and has a turnover of more than 100 M€.
Through the conservation and protection properties of its mono-material films, mainly based on polyethylene, Leygatech provides a unique added value in the flexible plastic value chain, without any possible substitution. As an innovative player and pioneer of the circular economy in its sector (89% of its production is recyclable), Leygatech offers its customers the recyclability of their packaging while guaranteeing the safety of their products.
With the support of Unigrains and Carvest, Leygatech is entering a new phase in its history, marked by the acceleration of the market’s evolution towards single-material recyclable films, by giving itself the means to study external growth opportunities in France and internationally to penetrate new markets and/or acquire new know-how.
Thierry BONNEFOY, CEO of Leygatech, comments: “We are delighted that Unigrains and Carvest have joined our capital. We are counting on our partners to help us deploy an external growth strategy and strengthen our equity capital. Unigrains’ expertise in the agri-food sector is of particular interest to us and offers obvious synergies with our own know-how. In addition, we have long shared strong local values with Crédit Agricole, the company’s historical banker, which are reflected in this transaction. Finally, the experience of UNIGRAINS and CARVEST should enable us to accelerate our international development.”
Romain PINPERNET, Director of Investments at Unigrains, comments: “Unigrains has a long history of involvement in the food packaging sector and is well aware of the challenges. We are delighted to be able to support Leygatech’s future development and to promote its products to players in the sector, who are always looking for innovative solutions that can meet the dual technical and societal challenge of changing packaging. Thanks to the quality of its teams, its know-how and its capacity for innovation, Leygatech is a driving force in the responsible transition of its industry and has all the assets to be one of the consolidating players.”
Quentin Coste, Business Manager at Carvest, comments: “At Carvest, as a subsidiary of Crédit Agricole Loire Haute-Loire, a local bank, we are also very happy and proud to support Leygatech and its management in their next phase of development. Leygatech perfectly characterizes the philosophy of our interventions, which aims to allow our participations to combine ambitious development projects, strong territorial anchoring, increased national and European visibility and the maintenance of decision-making centers in the region. We were also sensitive to the transformations initiated by Thierry Bonnefoy and his teams on the recyclability of products and the development of a circular economy around plastic film, a central topic of Crédit Agricole’s medium-term project and a real challenge for the agri-food sector. The Crédit Agricole Group, and in particular the Regional Bank of the Crédit Agricole Loire Haute Loire, is moreover the historical banker of this beautiful ETI of the territory and accompanies this operation“.
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Unigrains, an investment company specializing in the agri-food and agro-industry sectors, has been supporting companies for 60 years by providing their managers with customized equity and quasi-equity financial solutions, as well as its recognized sector expertise. Unigrains currently manages €1 billion and is a partner to nearly 80 companies, intervening at various stages of their development, notably during capital reorganization, strategic investments and external growth operations.
For more information: www.unigrains.fr
Crédit Agricole Régions Investissement (Carvest) is a joint subsidiary of 11 Crédit Agricole Group Regional Banks, including Crédit Agricole Loire Haute-Loire, and assists regional companies with growth capital and buyout operations.
A responsible and committed minority investor, Crédit Agricole Régions Investissement is a long-term partner that currently manages €300 million in nearly 150 regional holdings. Carvest relies on a team of experienced professionals based in the regions (Lyon, Orléans, Dijon, Strasbourg and Reims).
Our interventions are part of medium-term support projects aiming to enhance the value of a common asset alongside the managers, giving priority to the sustainability of companies and jobs in the regions, rather than to financial cycles that may be constrained by exogenous factors.
Press contact:
Unigrains : Ari Levine / alevine@unigrains.fr / +33 (0)6 69 20 79 19