Duke Street, London, a European mid-market private equity group, said on June 3 it will acquire COMPO, Münster, Germany, a European producer and distributor of gardening soil, fertilizer, plant protection, and lawn seeds. COMPO is currently owned by Kingenta Ecological Engineering Group Co Ltd., a publicly listed fertilizer producer in China that bought COMPO in 2016.
“We are delighted to be partnering with management to acquire COMPO, the market leader in traditional and sustainable gardening products in continental Europe and a brand that has a clear ESG leadership position,” said Paul Adams, a Duke Street Partner. “We have seen a material increase in gardening and gardeners in recent years, with consumers embracing the broad benefits that the activity brings to their lives.
“We look forward to working with COMPO’s excellent management team as we implement its strategy, supported by significant investment and follow-on capital from us and our investors, that will enable the organization to grow both organically and by acquisition across Europe,” Adams added.
The COMPO team is led by CEO Stephan Engster, who joined the business in 2016.