Prior notification of a concentration (Case M.10342 — Leonard Green & Partners/Goldman Sachs Group/AEA Investors/Visual Comfort) Candidate case for simplified procedure (Text with EEA relevance) 2021/C 262/05
Date: 2021-07-05
Institutions: Directorate-General for Competition, European Commission
Subjects: banking, economic concentration, investment, investment company, lighting equipment, merger control, provision of services, securities








C_2021262EN.01001401.xml










5.7.2021   


EN


Official Journal of the European Union


C 262/14






Prior notification of a concentration
(Case M.10342 — Leonard Green & Partners/Goldman Sachs Group/AEA Investors/Visual Comfort)
Candidate case for simplified procedure
(Text with EEA relevance)
(2021/C 262/05)

1.   
On 23 June 2021, the Commission received notification of a proposed concentration pursuant to Article 4 of Council Regulation (EC) No 139/2004 (1).
This notification concerns the following undertakings:






—


Leonard Green & Partners, L.P. (‘LGP’, US),










—


The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. (‘GS’, US),










—


AEA Investors LP (‘AEA’, US), ultimately jointly controlled by John Garcia and Brian Hoesterey,










—


Visual Comfort & Co (‘Visual Comfort’, US), controlled by the AEA.




LGP, GS and AEA acquire within the meaning of Article 3(1)(b) and 3(4) of the Merger Regulation joint control of Visual Comfort.
The concentration is accomplished by way of purchase of shares.


2.   
The business activities of the undertakings concerned are:






—


for LGP: investing in companies providing services, including consumer, business, and healthcare services, as well as retail, distribution, and industrials,










—


for GS: global investment banking, securities and investment management,










—


for AEA: identifying opportunities for private funds, structuring investment transactions through investment vehicles and disposing of such investments to create returns for investors in its private funds,










—


for Visual Comfort: providing decorative and functional lighting products. The company sells various kinds of decorative lights (under the brands Visual Comfort, Tech Lighting, Generation Lighting), decorative fans (under the Monte Carlo brand) and products that are a combination of decorative lights and fans.






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) 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.10342 — Leonard Green & Partners/Goldman Sachs Group/AEA Investors/Visual Comfort
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 22964301
Postal address:





European Commission




Directorate-General for Competition




Merger Registry




1049 Bruxelles/Brussel




BELGIQUE/BELGIË







(1)  OJ L 24, 29.1.2004, p. 1 (the ‘Merger Regulation’).

(2)  OJ C 366, 14.12.2013, p. 5.