Livingstone advises on the sale of FVW Mediengruppe to dfv
Livingstone’s Media & Technology sector team has advised the shareholders of Hamburg-based Verlag Dieter Niedecken GmbH (trading as FVW Mediengruppe) on the sale to Verlagsgruppe Deutscher Fachverlag (dfv).
Frankfurt-based specialist media group dfv acquired Hamburg-based FVW Mediengruppe, the leading travel industry media group in Germany.
FVW Mediengruppe, founded by Dieter Niedecken in 1972, produces specialist information for the tourism sector including magazines, websites, newsletters and e-learning offerings. It has produced its flagship publication fvw, Germany’s leading trade magazine for tourism and business travel, for over 40 years. Other high-profile titles include TravelTalk and BizTravel. The group‘s extensive portfolio of events and exhibitions and of information and knowledge-based services is complemented by a market leading cross-media job market for tourism and business travel, as well as the e-learning platform fvw Akademie. FVW Mediengruppe generated sales of €14.2m in 2012 and employs 110 people.
dfv is one of the largest independent specialist media companies in Germany and Europe. Its subsidiaries produce approx. 90 specialist periodicals many of which are clear market leaders in their respective industries. The portfolio of dfv is complemented by over 90 digital products, including social media platforms, apps and newsletters, as well as approximately 500 specialist book titles. More than 120 commercial events, such as seminars, conventions and trade fairs round off the company’s publishing program. dfv has 890 employees in Germany and abroad and achieved sales of €127.1m in 2012.
The FVW publications shall be sustained as independent media brands “With this acquisition, dfv extends its reach within B2B media into an attractive new segment which is an excellent addition to our existing media portfolio“, said Klaus Kottmeier, Chairman of dfv’s Supervisory Board.
Ines Niedecken, Managing Director and majority shareholder of FVW Mediengruppe said: “dfv is exactly the right home for FVW Mediengruppe. It is certainly not easy to hand over a family business built up by generations with heart and soul. However, it is easier for FVW to live up to the multiple challenges in today’s specialist publishing market as part of a larger group rather than remain as an independent business. Both the company and our employees will benefit from the new set-up.”
Jochen Hense, Managing Partner at Livingstone Düsseldorf and advisor to the sellers, concluded: “dfv proved to be the best partner for FVW Mediengruppe and meets all of Niedecken family’s requirements.”
Ines Niedecken: “Livingstone have advised and supported us throughout the entire sale process. We are delighted with the outcome.”
The FVW Mediengruppe transaction was the 12th successful transaction advised by Livingstone’s Media & Technology sector team since 2012. Other deals include: Ocean Media Group – Ion Equity, TVC Group Ltd. – The Economist Group and Inframation Ltd. – Pearson plc.