Fortis Private Equity has acquired all shares in Outside Broadcast together with Timo Koch, the company’s former commercial manager. The company provides TV-facilities and services to broad-casters and production houses.
Koch becomes the new managing director, while co-founder LudoKerkhofs will remain closely involved in Outside Broadcast’s furtherexpansion in the role of executive director.
“The European television market is undergoing a transition from thepresent PAL Standard Definition to the new High Definition standard,”said Koch. “Our new partnership with Fortis Private Equity willstrengthen our shareholdership and give us the financial scope weneed to continue playing our role as an early adapter in ourinvestment-intensive business. To strengthen our market position weneed to prepare for continuous investments and the training ofqualified personnel. I am delighted we have been able to keep ourknow-how under Belgian ownership and will be able to build upon itfurther.”
Brigitte Boone, CEO of Fortis Private Equity, added: “The MBO ofOutside Broadcast perfectly illustrates our investment strategy offocusing on medium-sized enterprises of this kind that have marketleadership and healthy growth ambitions. Outside Broadcast is animportant market player in Belgium in the business of providingfacilities for producing and recording TV programmes and airing liveevents. Thanks to its technological know-how in the High Definitiondomain the company is excellently placed to acquire a significantposition in Europe’s fast-growing market for High Definitionrecording and production. As an active partner we want to use ourinternational network to support the company’s management infulfilling its European growth plans. Since the start of 2005 we havecompleted various buyouts in Belgium, including Packing CreativeSystems and Novy.”