Business transfers

Mar 2022

The founding family of Maison MAIER reorganises its capital and welcomes BNP Paribas Développement and Carvest to write a new page in its history. Garibaldi Participations renews its confidence in the House.

Customers and counterparties

The Lyon-based luxury watch and jewellery group is reorganising its capital. This second financial operation sees the entry of BNP Paribas Développement, as leader, and Carvest. Garibaldi Participations, which took a stake in the company in 2016, confirms its support for MAIER by participating in this new transaction. The trio of investors has taken a minority shareholding position. The group has achieved a turnover of nearly 45 million euros in 2021, an increase of 33% compared to the year 2020. The transaction is supported by debt arranged by Banque Populaire Auvergne Rhône-Alpes, the historic bank, to which Caisse d’Epargne Rhône-Alpes and Crédit Agricole Centre-Est also subscribe.

The entry of BNP Paribas Développement and Carvest, and the renewed support of Garibaldi Participations, are intended to accompany the group’s growth and to continue the family transmission. Jean-Louis MAIER’s children, all of whom are operational within the company, are contributing all of their shares to the transaction. Following a competitive process organised by PAX Corporate Finance, BNP Paribas Développement was able to convince the MAIER family and its partner Garibaldi Participations to let it take the lead in this new operation. The trio of investors is investing a ticket of over ten million euros in equity.

Jean-Louis MAIER said: "We are very pleased to welcome new partners to our round table. With this development and transfer operation, new horizons have opened up. Today, thanks to our recent and not so recent partners, we will be able to go further, faster, always faithful to our motto "doing is less risky than not doing".
Gilles PONCET says: "We salute the growth path taken by Jean Louis MAIER and his children. Over the years, MAIER has built up trusting partnerships with the most prestigious brands to become the key regional player in the luxury watch and jewellery sector. We are delighted to accompany MAIER in its project of family transmission and in this new stage of development with projects of opening boutiques and new collaborations. We would like to thank Jean-Louis MAIER and his children for their trust in us.
Laurent GELPI says: "We are very proud to have accompanied Jean Louis Maier since 2016. We have shared his strategic vision of the market, his unique know-how for the creation of boutiques and his willingness to pass on the family business. We are convinced that there is still a next step to take and are very happy to invest in this new operation."
Raphaël PERRET confirms that: "As a subsidiary of Crédit Agricole Centre-Est, a local bank, we are also very happy and proud to support Maison MAIER, alongside BNP Paribas, we are also very happy and proud to support Maison MAIER, alongside BNP Paribas Développement and Garibaldi Développement and Garibaldi Participations, to support its development, within the framework of a family transmission initiated several years ago. Jean-Louis MAIER and his children have succeeded in developing a Lyon-based group that has become the regional market leader, with a remarkable reputation and visibility. Thanks to their confidence, we are joining a great entrepreneurial and family adventure, with promising prospects for the coming years.

Associate members