DGAP-News: Callista Private Equity GmbH & Co. KG acquires majority stake in Reederei Peter Deilmann and DEUTSCHLAND ++ Managing Director Christopher Nolde takes a stake in the company


DGAP-News: Callista Private Equity GmbH & Co. KG / Key word(s):
Acquisition
Callista Private Equity GmbH & Co. KG acquires majority stake in
Reederei Peter Deilmann and DEUTSCHLAND ++ Managing Director
Christopher Nolde takes a stake in the company

08.01.2014 / 19:08

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-Callista Private Equity acquires majority stake in Reederei Peter Deilmann
and DEUTSCHLAND

-Name recognition, service and long-term profitability form the basis for
further company success

-Managing Director Christopher Nolde takes a stake in the company


Munich, January 8, 2014 - Callista Private Equity GmbH & Co. KG ('Callista
Private Equity') is pleased to announce the acquisition from AURELIUS AG
('AURELIUS') of a majority interest in MS Deutschland Holding, and hence in
MS 'Deutschland' Beteiligungsgesellschaft mbH ('MS Deutschland GmbH'), to
which both Reederei Peter Deilmann and the cruise liner MS DEUTSCHLAND
belong. The DEUTSCHLAND is well known in the German-speaking world as the
'Traumschiff' from a popular TV series of the same name. The parties have
agreed not to reveal the purchase price. The transaction was preceded by a
due diligence process and lengthy discussions between the parties lasting
several weeks.

The acquisition of a majority interest by Callista Private Equity is
intended to continue the restructuring successfully initiated by AURELIUS
in 2010. Following initial success, Callista Private Equity aims to press
ahead with the strategy that has been applied by implementing further
measures on both the operational and strategic sides. Callista Private
Equity is also planning to inject more capital into the company by
reinforcing the equity component with a view to permanently underpinning
the growth course that has been set.

Under the terms of the transaction, Christopher Nolde, Managing Director of
MS Deutschland GmbH, is taking a stake in the company and will continue to
apply its growth-based reorientation strategy.

'There a very few German brands that embody dreams and desires for the
finer things in life like the Traumschiff, and AURELIUS has achieved
considerable success together with the management team since acquiring the
company in 2010. Nevertheless, there is still plenty to do and the
DEUTSCHLAND is a very demanding management task overall,' says Olaf Meier,
CEO of Callista Private Equity. He adds: 'With the many years of experience
we have gained in successful company development, we specialize in
situations like this. Callista Private Equity is keen to promote continuity
and successful performance over the long run, so we're delighted that Mr.
Nolde has agreed to remain CEO of the company. What's more, the DEUTSCHLAND
is an attractive ship with a fantastic underlying brand and an outstanding
team. The latest marketing trends for the luxury cruise ship the
DEUTSCHLAND are very positive. This is reinforced by the fact that various
factors constraining the cruise industry in 2013 are no longer applicable
overall. Against this backdrop, Callista Private Equity believes this is a
good time to invest in the DEUTSCHLAND.'

Callista Private Equity intends to further strengthen the DEUTSCHLAND and
Reederei Peter Deilmann brands and sustainably boost the earnings of the
corporate group.

The orientation and positioning of the DEUTSCHLAND as a 'grand hotel of the
high seas' will be retained under Callista Private Equity in order to
ensure that the passengers continue to enjoy the usual high level of
service or even better.

About Callista Private Equity
Callista Private Equity GmbH & Co.KG ('Callista Private Equity'),
headquartered in Munich, acquires distressed companies, non-core group
assets and business units. The company‟s success is based on the subsequent
restructuring process. Callista Private Equity employs a team of
experienced international experts to reorganize the operations of the
acquired company and concentrate on restructuring resulting in sustainable
profitability.
To find out more, visit www.callista-pe.de
Contact:
Axel Mühlhaus
T: +49 69 9055-0552
E: amuehlhaus@edicto.de

About MS 'Deutschland' Beteiligungsgesellschaft mbH
MS 'Deutschland' Beteiligungsgesellschaft mbH, headquartered in Neustadt in
Holstein (Germany), operates cruises worldwide throughout the year as the
owner of the ocean cruise liner MS DEUTSCHLAND, also known as the
'Traumschiff' from the television series of the same name. With a length of
175m and a width of 23m, the MS DEUTSCHLAND as 'grand hotel of the high
seas' has a total of 294 passenger cabins. The ship received the award of
'Best Ship of 2013' from both the Lufthansa City Center travel agencies and
Diners Club. With Reederei Peter Deilmann GmbH, Touristik-Bureau
International GmbH and Deutsche Kreuzfahrt Management Services GmbH, MS
'Deutschland' Beteiligungsgesellschaft mbH also includes fully-owned
subsidiaries that look after sales, marketing and operation of the cruise
ship.
To find out more, visit www.msdeutschland-gmbh.de
Contact:
Nicholas Wenzel
T: +49 89 599458115
E: nicholas.wenzel@cnc-communications.com

About AURELIUS
AURELIUS has been successfully operating in the international market for
company acquisitions for many years. The focus is on companies and
corporate spin-offs in markets with plenty of potential for development.
Once under the AURELIUS umbrella, the acquisitions are given a long-term
strategic orientation and their potential developed. Building on active
operational support, the subsidiaries benefit from the management
experience and financial strength of the parent company. This is what makes
AURELIUS a 'good home' for companies and their employees.

At present, the AURELIUS Group encompasses 17 subsidiaries around the globe
with facilities in Europe, Asia and the United States. Among others, these
include traditional names like Blaupunkt and Berentzen together with
numerous industrial enterprises. Companies are acquired in accordance with
strict investment criteria, although there is no specific industry focus.
Shares of AURELIUS AG are listed in the m:access segment of the Munich
Stock Exchange and are traded on all German stock exchanges under ISIN
DE000A0JK2A8.
To find out more, visit www.aureliusinvest.de.
Contact:
Anke Banaschewski
Investor Relations & Corporate Communications
T: +49 89 544799 - 0
E: investor@aureliusinvest.de


End of Corporate News

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