MBA Capital Lille advises (for the second time) LA COMPAGNIE DES VETERINAIRES, for the acquisition of AVAC

Basé à Villeneuve-d’Ascq, le leader européen des services funéraires animaliers LCV renforce par cette mergers and acquisitions son réseau ESTHIMA dans le sud de la France. Le groupe a réalisé 60 M€ de CA en 2021. C’est la deuxième acquisition accompagnée par MBA Capital Lille, après le rachat de CREMATECK (45) en juin 2021.

Dr. Philippe Thomas, President of the Group, had long wanted to strengthen his position in the PACA region. The agency of the ESTHIMA network, a national network of 18 agencies and crematorias located in Gardanne, was not able to commercially cover the needs of the Var and Alpes-Maritimes regions and to provide animal funeral services in this area.

An acquisition based on shared values between the seller and the buyer

Olivier Casemajor and his brother created the AVAC company in Cuers in 1992 around animal funeral services. As a forerunner in the Var region, they subsequently launched a cremation activity which accelerated their development, making them the independent leader in the PACA region.

Florent Charlet, MBA Capital Lille, who accompanied the LCV group on the acquisition of CREMATECK in 2021, explains:

"Philippe Thomas and Olivier Casemajor had known each other for a long time and shared common values in this profession: respect for the animal, assistance to families and ethics. The merger between ESTHIMA and AVAC was therefore a natural one, given the special relationship between the two leaders."

An international expansion strategy for the LCV Group

Discussions began in June 2021 and were concluded after a few months to carry out the usual due diligence, finalize negotiations and integrate AVAC into the ESTHIMA network, under the guidance of David Buisset, ESTHIMA's French Director.

At the same time, in June 2021, the LCV Group joined the European leader in veterinary clinics, IVC EVIDENSIA, which groups together 1,500 veterinary clinics and 20,000 practitioners who take care of 4 million animals per year in 12 European countries.

With this new support, LCV's international development strategy continues, with the support of the M&A WORLDWIDE network (36 countries - 450 senior advisors) of which MBA Capital is one of the 4 founders (network founded in 2003).

Buyer’s Advisor