CapMan Press Release 20 April 2012 at 10:00 a.m. EET
CapMan invests in Top League
CapMan Russia, a leading Russian private equity fund managed by CapMan, has acquired a minority stake in Top League. Top League is one of the top sporting goods retail chains in Russia with attractive growth prospects. The objective of the transaction is to accelerate Top League’s expansion across Russian regions in the coming years.
Founded in 1995, Top League is currently the largest sporting goods retailer in Southern Russia and among the Top-3 national retail chains in the sector. The group includes multi-brand stores Top League and Manbition, a B2B sports equipment centre, an online store and mono-brand stores for Nike, Quicksilver and Bosco Sport, as well as discount centres. Today, the chain consists of 55 stores located in 16 cities in Southern, North-Caucasus and Central Federal Districts of Russia, including Krasnodar, Sochi, Rostov-on-Don, Volgograd, Stavropol and Voronezh. The company is headquartered in Krasnodar and it has a distribution centre in Domodedovo near Moscow.
“The Russian sports retail market has significant growth potential. Especially the segments where Top League is operating show considerable promise, such as multi-brand stores that carry well-recognized international brands. The company is a strong player with a solid market position and proven business model, and is therefore well-positioned to broaden its presence in the Russian regions”, says Alexander Vlasov, Partner at CapMan in charge of the investment.
Alexey Pshenichny, CEO of Top League, underlines the importance of CapMan’s investment for the company’s development: “This transaction will support Top League’s nationwide expansion. Our aim is to enter the sports retail market in Central and Volga regions as well as Moscow. In line with this objective, we are targeting to reach 150 stores and an annual turnover of more than 200 million by 2016. I am confident that we will accomplish this goal in co-operation with CapMan.”
Following the investment, CapMan Russia fund now owns a significant minority stake in the company, while the remaining shares are held by the management team. CapMan Plc is a significant investor in the CapMan Russia fund.
Further information:
Alexander Vlasov, Partner, CapMan Russia, tel. +7 495 620 48 85
Alexey Pshenichny, CEO, Top League, tel. +7 861 234 55 34
CapMan www.capman.com
CapMan Group is one of the leading private equity firms in the Nordic countries and Russia, with assets under management of 3.1 billion. CapMan has four key investment partnerships – CapMan Buyout, CapMan Russia, CapMan Public Market, and CapMan Real Estate – each of which has its own dedicated investment team and funds. Altogether, CapMan employs 120 people in Helsinki, Stockholm, Oslo, Moscow and Luxembourg. CapMan was established in 1989 and has been listed on the Helsinki Stock Exchange since 2001.
Top League www.topliga.ru
Sporting goods retail chain Top League was founded in 1995 and is now operating 55 stores under brands Top League, Manbition, Nike, Quicksilver, Bosco Sport including several discount centres. The stores are located in 16 cities in Southern, North-Caucasus and Central Federal Districts of Russia, including Krasnodar, Sochi, Rostov-on-Don, Volgograd, Stavropol and Voronezh. The company is headquartered in Krasnodar and it has a distribution centre in Domodedovo.
