SZA Schilling, Zutt & Anschütz advises Hoffmann on the parallel acquisition of three partner companies

SZA Schilling, Zutt & Anschütz advised Hoffmann SE, a company of the listed Swiss SFS Group, on the parallel acquisition of the three partner companies Gödde GmbH, Oltrogge Werkzeuge GmbH and Hch. Perschmann GmbH. The team led by partner Jan Friedrichson took on the entire legal management and coordination of the three independent transactions.

Founded in 1919 and headquartered in Munich, the Hoffmann Group is an international company specializing in the trade and manufacture of tools, work equipment, and personal protective equipment, as well as related consulting and services. The Hoffmann Group currently has a total of more than 60 branches and partners worldwide. It has 440 locations in Europe. The group of companies generated sales of over 1.4 billion euros in 2024 and employs over 4,000 people worldwide. The completion of the transaction is subject to merger control approvals and is expected by the end of March 2026.

The three partner companies Gödde GmbH, based in Cologne, Oltrogge Werkzeuge GmbH, based in Bielefeld, and Hch. Perschmann GmbH, based in Braunschweig, are each active in the field of trading in tools, operating equipment, personal protective equipment, and services related to these product areas. The established locations and management teams of the companies are to be retained. The three partners will generate third-party sales of around 270 million euros in 2025 and employ a total of around 450 people. The partner network also includes Perschmann sp. z o.o. in Poland and Gödde SRL in Belgium.

Hoffmann intends to use the strategic acquisitions of the three partner companies to expand its direct market access in Europe and leverage potential synergies. The integration of Gödde, Oltrogge, and Perschmann into Hoffmann SE is to be carried out gradually over the next few years. The simultaneous acquisition of the companies in three independent transactions for strategic reasons was particularly challenging for Hoffmann's in-house teams and the legal advice and negotiation provided by SZA Schilling, Zutt & Anschütz.

SZA Schilling, Zutt & Anschütz:

Jan Friedrichson (Lead, M&A/Corporate, Mannheim/Munich), Dr. Stephanie Birmanns (Antitrust/Competition, Brussels), Dr. Marcus Schnabelrauch (Tax, Mannheim), Dr. Christian Weber (Corporate/M&A, Mannheim), Dr. Steffen Henn (IP/Data Protection, Mannheim), Alexander Stolz (IP/Data Protection, Mannheim), Dr. Jonathan Drescher (Commercial/IP, Mannheim), Dr. Till Kotterer-Rädecke (Corporate/Finance, Mannheim), Katja Neutzner (Tax, Munich), Lukas Kleinert (Commercial/IP, Munich), Hannah Bräunche (IP/Commercial, Mannheim), Julian Weidlich (Corporate/M&A, Mannheim), Stefan Schöneberger (Tax, Mannheim).

SZA Schilling, Zutt & Anschütz Rechtsanwaltsgesellschaft mbH

SZA Schilling, Zutt & Anschütz has been one of the most respected German business law firms for 125 years. With its lawyers and offices in Frankfurt, Mannheim, Munich, and Brussels, the firm advises national and international clients on all complex legal issues arising in business.