CELEX: 32021M10430
Language: en
Date: 2021-10-06 00:00:00
Title: Commission Decision of 06/10/2021 declaring a concentration to be compatible with the common market (Case No COMP/M.10430 - TOWERBROOK / BRUNEAU GROUP) according to Council Regulation (EC) No 139/2004 (Only the English text is authentic)

EUROPEAN COMMISSION
                                                                Brussels, 06.10.2021
                                                                C(2021) 7358 final
                                                                                 PUBLIC VERSION
                                                                TowerBrook
                                                                1 St. James’ s Market, Carlton Street
                                                                SW1Y 4AH London
                                                                United Kingdom
Subject:        Case M.10430 — TOWERBROOK / BRUNEAU GROUP
                Commission decision pursuant to Article 6(1)(b) of Council Regulation
                                        1
                (EC) No 139/2004 and Article 57 of the Agreement on the European
                                    2
                Economic Area
Dear Sir or Madam,
1.      On 7 September 2021, the European Commission received a notification of a
        proposed concentration pursuant to Article 4 of the Merger Regulation by which
        TowerBrook Capital Partners L.L.P. (‘TowerBrook’, United States of America),
        ultimately under the control of Neal Moszkowski and Ramez Sousou acquires within
        the meaning of Article 3(1)(b) of the Merger Regulation sole control of the whole of
        JM Bruneau SAS (‘Bruneau’, France), currently ultimately controlled by Equistone
        Partners Europe.3 The concentration is accomplished by way of purchase of shares.
2.      The business activities of the undertakings concerned are:
        −     TowerBrook is an investment management firm whose portfolio companies are
              active in the consumer goods/services, financial services, healthcare, industrials,
              technology, media, telecommunication and knowledge sectors;
        −     Bruneau sells office supplies through online sales to professional customers,
              mostly small and medium sized companies. The products sold by Bruneau include
              stationery, printing consumables and paper reams. Bruneau also offers office
              equipment and furniture, as well as catering, packaging, and cleaning products.
              Bruneau operates also under the brands Maxiburo, Muller & Wegener, and
              Viking.
1       OJ L 24, 29.1.2004, p. 1 (the ‘Merger Regulation’). With effect from 1 December 2009, the Treaty on
        the Functioning of the European Union (the ‘TFEU’) has introduced certain changes, such as the
        replacement of ‘Community’ by ‘Union’ and ‘common market’ by ‘internal market’. The terminology
        of the TFEU will be used throughout this decision.
2       OJ L 1, 3.1.1994, p. 3 (the ‘EEA Agreement’).
3       Publication in the Official Journal of the European Union No C 372, 16.9.2021, p. 13.
Commission européenne, DG COMP MERGER REGISTRY, 1049 Bruxelles, BELGIQUE
Europese Commissie, DG COMP MERGER REGISTRY, 1049 Brussel, BELGIË
Tel: +32 229-91111. Fax: +32 229-64301. E-mail: COMP-MERGER-REGISTRY@ec.europa.eu.
 ---pagebreak--- 3. After examination of the notification, the European Commission has concluded that
   the notified operation falls within the scope of the Merger Regulation and of
   paragraph 5(b) of the Commission Notice on a simplified procedure for treatment of
   certain concentrations under Council Regulation (EC) No 139/2004. 4
4. For the reasons set out in the Notice on a simplified procedure, the European
   Commission has decided not to oppose the notified operation and to declare it
   compatible with the internal market and with the EEA Agreement. This decision is
   adopted in application of Article 6(1)(b) of the Merger Regulation and Article 57 of
   the EEA Agreement.
                                                  For the Commission
                                                  (Signed)
                                                  Olivier GUERSENT
                                                  Director-General
4  OJ C 366, 14.12.2013, p. 5.
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