DGAP-News: Heliad: Hans-Jürgen Michel, managing co-partner of the Heliad portfolio company unicorn, dies unexpectedly

Heliad Equity Partners GmbH & Co. KGaA / Miscellaneous

15.07.2009 

Release of a Corporate News, transmitted by DGAP - a company of EquityStory AG.
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Heliad was informed yesterday of the sudden and unexpected death of
Hans-Jürgen Michel, managing co-partner of unicorn Geld- und
Wertdienstleistungen GmbH, in which Heliad holds a 25% interest.

Ralf Flore, CEO of Heliad stated: 'We are deeply saddened by the sudden
death of the unicorn partner, Mr. Michel, and would like to express our
deepest sympathy to his family and the company. Mr. Michel was an
outstanding entrepreneur, and his charisma, commitment and expertise earned
him great esteem in the industry. In less than three years, he and the two
other managing partners, Niels Faergemann and Franz-Josef Deckers,
developed unicorn into Germany's second largest company in the area of cash
and valuables transportation. Heliad has lost a highly valued business
partner with the death of Mr. Michel.'

In a statement by unicorn, Franz-Josef Deckers stressed that the financial
stability, daily operations and future development of the company are not
endangered by the death of Mr. Michel.

++ About Hans-Jürgen Michel

Hans-Jürgen Michel began his entrepreneurial career in 1977 with the
company GTG Geldtransporte GmbH in Kassel. His great commitment enabled him
to develop his company into a market leader in the German cash and
valuables transportation market. After many years of successful operation,
he sold the company in 2000 and became supervisory board chairman of the
newly formed holding company, a subsidiary of an international group.
Following the fraud and embezzlement crisis that shook the German cash and
valuables market in 2006, Michel decided to return to the cash and
valuables logistics market as an entrepreneur. Together with Niels
Faergemann and Franz-Josef Deckers, he founded the company unicorn Geld-
und Wertdienstleistungen GmbH in 2006, which now has sales in excess of EUR
50 million and around 1,300 employees.

++ About Heliad

Heliad is a publicly listed investment company which invests in high-growth
companies in German-speaking countries. Heliad relies in this respect on
established, owner-managed business models with sales of between EUR 10
million and EUR 100 million and a focus on service providers ('asset-light'
focus). With this investment focus and its buy-and-build strategy, Heliad
is positioned in the attractive niche between venture capital and
traditional buyouts. With around 4,000 employees, the 13 companies
currently in Heliad's portfolio generate combined sales of more than EUR
650 million. Further information about the company can be found at
www.heliad.com.

Contact:
Heliad Equity Partners GmbH & Co. KGaA
Thomas Kunder
Chief Financial Officer
Phone: +49 69 71 91 59 65 39
E-Mail: investor-relations@heliad.com


DGAP 15.07.2009 
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Language:     English
Issuer:       Heliad Equity Partners GmbH & Co. KGaA
              Grüneburgweg 18
              60322 Frankfurt am Main
              Deutschland
Phone:        +49 69 71 91 59 65 0
Fax:          +49 69 71 91 59 65 11
E-mail:       info@heliad.com
Internet:     www.heliad.com
ISIN:         DE000A0L1NN5
WKN:          A0L1NN
Listed:       Regulierter Markt in Frankfurt (Prime Standard); Freiverkehr
              in Berlin, München, Stuttgart
 
End of News                                     DGAP News-Service
 
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