Prior notification of a concentration (Case M.12033 – HIG CAPITAL / RENTOKIL INITIAL HOLDINGS) – Candidate case for simplified procedure
Date: 2025-07-10
Institutions: Directorate-General for Competition, European Commission
Subjects: France, cleaning industry, economic concentration, hiring, investment company, merger control, provision of services, public hygiene








C_202503833EN.000101.fmx.xml












Official Journal of the European Union


EN
C series













C/2025/3833


10.7.2025






Prior notification of a concentration
(Case M.12033 – HIG CAPITAL / RENTOKIL INITIAL HOLDINGS)
Candidate case for simplified procedure
(Text with EEA relevance)
(C/2025/3833)


1.   
On 2 July 2025, 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:






—


H.I.G. Europe Middle Market LBO Fund II, SCSp (‘HIG EU II’, Luxembourg), controlled by H.I.G. Capital, LLC (‘HIG Capital’, USA),










—


Rentokil Initial Holdings (France) S.A. (‘Rentokil’, France).




HIG EU II will acquire within the meaning of Article 3(1)(b) of the Merger Regulation control of the whole of Rentokil.
The concentration is accomplished by way of purchase of shares.


2.   
The business activities of the undertakings concerned are the following:






—


HIG EU II is an investment fund managed by HIG Capital, which invests and provides debt and equity capital to small and mid-sized companies mainly in Europe. HIG Capital is a leading global private equity and alternative assets investment firm with offices in the USA, Europe, Asia and South America,










—


Rentokil is engaged in rental, dry cleaning and maintenance services of professional textile (including workwear, wipers and flat linen), cleanroom services, as well as rental and sale of hygiene equipment installed in washrooms. It is mainly active in France and to a negligible extent in other EU Member States.






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 treatment for certain concentrations under Council Regulation (EC) No 139/2004 on the control of concentrations between undertakings (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 concentration 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.12033 – HIG CAPITAL / RENTOKIL INITIAL HOLDINGS
Observations can be sent to the Commission by email or by post. Please use the contact details below:
Email: COMP-MERGER-REGISTRY@ec.europa.eu

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 160, 5.5.2023, p. 1.


ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/C/2025/3833/oj
ISSN 1977-091X (electronic edition)