AlixPartners UK and Germany team up for automotive deal

The thermal management division of Arlington Industries Group has split from its parent and acquired companies in the UK and Germany, in a deal backed by private equity group Cartesian Capital.

The launch of the newly formed Thermal Management Solutions Group aims to take advantage of global growth opportunities in the electrified vehicles segment. Thermal Management Solutions Group provides players in the automotive landscape with powertrain thermal management systems and solutions.

Bolted-on to Arlington’s former thermal management division are three global thermostat brands: Dauphinoise Thomson, Magal and Wahler. “Thermal Management Solutions is a commercially robust entity much stronger than the sum of its individual components,” said Mark Franckel, the CEO of the company.

Headquartered in the UK, Thermal Management Solutions Group employs more than 800 people across six locations: the UK, Germany, the US, France, Brazil and China.

“We have the people, expertise, skillset and global footprint to provide thermal management solutions to enable our automotive customers to transform their engine offerings and meet the demand for lighter, more fuel-efficient and environmentally-friendly vehicles,” explained Paddy Lange, a Vice President at Thermal Management Solutions Group.

The complex deal was supported by consultants from AlixPartners, who advised the management team of Arlington Industries Group and Cartesian Capital on their financing and trio of acquisitions. AlixPartners’s cross-border deal team was spearheaded by Graeme Smith, Azeem Ahmed, Ian Darke (based in the UK) and Heiko Logisch (based in Germany).

According to a recent analysis by Strategy&, the Covid-19 is accelerating Europe’s transition to electrical driving as new consumer demands emerge. This will according to Arthur D. Little unfold in more than 40 million electric vehicles on the road by 2030. Pre-requisite is that the continent’s EV charging network can keep pace with the growth in the number of vehicles.

In other deals in the automotive space, OC&C Strategy Consultants earlier this year provided strategic support and commercial due diligence to Auto1’s public offering in Germany.