Aurignac Finance supports the founding family of Sectal in the sale of a majority stake in the company to Gozoki Group.
Sectal’s historical shareholder has reached an agreement with Gozoki, which will acquire a majority stake in the company on this occasion. This transaction will enable the company’s founder to take a step back while remaining a shareholder alongside his children, who will remain operational in the company.
Founded in 1996 in Castres, Sectal is a family-run business specialising in Oriental, Asian and exotic pastries, which it sells under its own brands to supermarkets and hypermarkets. The company has enjoyed steady, controlled growth since it was founded, with sales expected to exceed €4 million in 2021 for a workforce of around thirty. The company has turned in an excellent performance in recent months, and is currently enjoying strong sales momentum.
Specialising in the production of industrial pastries, the company has developed a know-how that is a benchmark in its market. Thanks to its innovative industrial facilities, which are unique in France, Sectal has succeeded in industrialising the production of products that are still largely made by hand, giving it a high production capacity for this type of product. This competitive advantage has enabled the company to establish a benchmark position throughout France with the main supermarket chains.
Gozoki Group is a fast-growing industrial food group. Its development has been based on a selective policy of external growth. By 2021, the Group will have achieved consolidated sales of around €230 million through a broad portfolio of regional brands. By joining Gozoki, Sectal will be able to benefit from a number of administrative, commercial and industrial synergies that should enable it to accelerate its development in the coming years and position itself as a leader in oriental and exotic pastries on the French market, while preserving the family dimension of the company.
This transaction represents a new benchmark in the food industry for Aurignac Finance, which has been active in this sector for nearly 10 years, working alongside family-owned SMEs and ETIs as well as major French groups. “As Sectal operates in a very dynamic niche market with significant potential, it has attracted the interest of a large number of French and European operators. The Gozoki Group’s bid very quickly stood out from the pack,” says Raphaël Brenier. “The deal with Gozoki Group proved to be particularly attractive, firstly because of the obvious synergies and the compatibility of the cultures of the two companies, and secondly because of a deal structure that provides real continuity in the company’s history and will enable the founding family to benefit from the strong value creation expected over the next few years,” explains Elias Seck.