xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?


C\_2018303EN.01002001.xml


| | | | |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 29.8.2018 | EN | Official Journal of the European Union | C 303/20 |

---

Prior notification of a concentration

(Case M.9035 — Charlesbank/Partners Group/H-Food Holdings)

Candidate case for simplified procedure

(Text with EEA relevance)

(2018/C 303/08)

1.

On 22 August 2018, the Commission received notification of a proposed concentration pursuant to Article 4 of Council Regulation (EC) No 139/2004 [(1)](#ntr1-C_2018303EN.01002001-E0001).

This notification concerns the following undertakings:

| | |
| --- | --- |
| — | Charlesbank Capital Partners, LLC (‘Charlesbank’, U.S.A.), |

| | |
| --- | --- |
| — | Partners Group AG (‘Partners Group’, Switzerland), |

| | |
| --- | --- |
| — | H-Food Holdings, LLC (‘Hearthside’, U.S.A.), controlled by Partners Group. |

Charlesbank and Partners Group acquire within the meaning of Article 3(1)(b) and 3(4) of the Merger Regulation joint control of the whole of Hearthside. The concentration is accomplished by way of purchase of shares.

2.

The business activities of the undertakings concerned are:

—   for Charlesbank: a private equity investment firm focusing on management-led buyouts and growth capital financing and also engaging in opportunistic credit investments. Its portfolio includes companies active in a wide range of sectors such as business services and education, consumer, energy, financial services, healthcare, industrial services and distribution, technology, media or telecommunications;

—   for Partners Group: a global private markets investment management company focusing on private equity, private real estate, private infrastructure and private debt. Hearthside, which is solely controlled by affiliates of Partners Group, is active as a contract food manufacturer for food brands and food companies. Hearthside is also active in the field of contract food packaging and contract food packaging equipment.

3.

On preliminary examination, the Commission finds that the notified transaction could fall within the scope of the Merger Regulation. However, the final decision on this point is reserved.

Pursuant to the Commission Notice on a simplified procedure for treatment of certain concentrations under the Council Regulation (EC) No 139/2004 [(2)](#ntr2-C_2018303EN.01002001-E0002) it should be noted that this case is a candidate for treatment under the procedure set out in the Notice.

4.

The Commission invites interested third parties to submit their possible observations on the proposed operation to the Commission.

Observations must reach the Commission not later than 10 days following the date of this publication. The following reference should always be specified:

M.9035 — Charlesbank/Partners Group/H-Food Holdings

Observations can be sent to the Commission by email, by fax, or by post. Please use the contact details below:

| |
| --- |
| Email: COMP-MERGER-REGISTRY@ec.europa.eu |
| Fax +32 229-64301 |
| Postal address: |
| European Commission |
| Directorate-General for Competition |
| Merger Registry |
| 1049 Bruxelles/Brussel |
| BELGIQUE/BELGIË |

---

[(1)](#ntc1-C_2018303EN.01002001-E0001)  [OJ L 24, 29.1.2004, p. 1](http://publications.europa.eu/resource/oj/JOL_2004_024_R_TOC) (the ‘Merger Regulation’).

[(2)](#ntc2-C_2018303EN.01002001-E0002)  [OJ C 366, 14.12.2013, p. 5](http://publications.europa.eu/resource/oj/JOC_2013_366_R_TOC).

---