Communiqués de presse - 29 May 2024
Huguenin, a key player in the distribution of meat products for high-end restaurants, welcomes FrenchFood Capital as a majority shareholder. Jean-Claude Huguenin, shareholder and CEO, appointed the investment bank Largillière Finance to organize the transmission of the family group.
Founded in 1997 by the current CEO, the Huguenin Group is a specialist in the trading, primary and secondary processing of exceptional quality meat products for a clientele of high-end restaurateurs. Based in Rungis (94), the group is renowned for its excellent sourcing and tailor-made service. With sales of €28 million, including almost 10% from exports, and a workforce of 42, it works for 300 customers every day, including such big names as Groupe Ducasse, Plaza Athénée, Lenôtre, Big Mama and Jean-François Piège.
Huguenin operates in a niche sector and caters to an extremely demanding clientele, sensitive to the provenance, traceability, certifications and, more generally, the quality of the products it buys. In an out-of-home catering market with annual growth of 14% post-Covid, the Group is forecasting sales growth of over 40% between 2020 and 2022.
Jean-Claude Huguenin, who has been at the helm for almost 30 years, wanted to organize the transfer of his company's capital and management. The investment bank Largillière Finance quickly identified the FrenchFood Capital fund, specialized in the agri-food sector, as one of the best candidates for the takeover.
FrenchFood Capital takes control of the company through a majority LBO. Jean-Claude Huguenin will support the management handover, building on the strong, well-structured team already in place. A new manager is expected to join the group at a later stage and take a stake in the capital. Other key managers may also be interested in acquiring a stake.
Nathanaël Blanc, Director at Largillière Finance, comments: “For more than 27 years, the Huguenin Group has set itself apart from all its competitors, through an irreproachable level of service, accompanied by an ever-increasing demand for quality. A long-standing supplier to some of the finest Michelin-starred restaurants in Paris, the Group's reputation for excellence and its ability to conquer new markets were key factors in convincing French Food Capital to take part in this acquisition. We are delighted to have been part of this very successful operation, in a particularly discreet and closed world”.
Stakeholders in the operation:
| Seller: Huguenin Gestion | Jean-Claude Huguenin |
| Buyer: FrenchFood Capital | Laurent Plantier, Johann le Cardinal, Maxime Margier-Aubert, Gauthier Lachaise |
| Seller M&A Advisor: Largillière Finance | Paul Bougnoux, Nathanaël Blanc, Shamir Razavhoussen, Maxime Fournely |
| Seller Legal Advisor: Advant Altana | Fabien Pouchot, Alexandra Ferrier, Maria Bacca-Perez |
| Buyer Legal Advisor: Fairway | Sandrine Benaroya, Louise Abbou, Marie Clanet |
| Financial VDD: Concorde Groupe Vendôme | Jérôme Casteuble, Mehdi El Houari, Antoine Bernard |
With offices in Paris, Lyon, Nantes, Brussels and Geneva, Largillière Finance is an independent investment bank dedicated to assisting managers and shareholders of small and medium-sized companies with their capital transactions: company sales and acquisitions, financing (capital and/or debt), financial engineering (valuation, etc.) and financial strategy.
