Effective Capital and Cairn Partners advise the shareholders of CBE Group, including Capza, on its sale to Construx — creating a european leader in precast solutions

Effective Capital, in partnership with Cairn Partners, advised the shareholders of CBE Group and ACIMEX, including private equity fund CAPZA, on the sale of the two companies to the German-Belgian industrial group Construx. This strategic cross-border transaction brings together two European champions with complementary expertise to create a new reference leader in the design and manufacturing of molds and precast plants, capable of meeting the needs of the world’s most ambitious infrastructure projects.

“CBE, a company with strong know-how, operates in a strategic niche market: large-scale, high-stakes infrastructure projects. This unique positioning attracted significant interest from major players in Germany, Belgium, Spain, Italy, as well as in the United States, Latin America, and Australia. We orchestrated this international competition while ensuring, in accordance with regulatory requirements, the preservation of CBE’s know-how and intellectual property.”
— Ilan Elbase, Founder and Managing Partner, Effective Capital

A cross-border deal with major strategic stakes

The transaction involved multiple challenges: a multi-continental footprint (France, Belgium, Germany, China, United States), a capital structure stemming from a complex LBO, and operational constraints tied to the cyclical nature of the market.

To address these challenges, Effective Capital leveraged its expertise in transatlantic M&A between the Americas and Europe — reinforced by its presence in the United States and new office in Mexico City — while Cairn Partners brought its recognized expertise in complex situations, including restructuring and special situations. This unique combination of skills enabled the successful execution of this transaction in a particularly demanding environment, and we hope it marks the first step in a lasting partnership between our two teams.

CBE Group & ACIMEX: French know-how with global reach

Founded in 1987 and headquartered in France, CBE Group is the global leader in the design and manufacturing of molds, carousel systems, and turnkey precast plants for tunnel segment production. The company is particularly known for its involvement in the construction of the Channel Tunnel, an emblematic project illustrating its status as a showcase of French industrial expertise and engineering. Its internationally recognized engineering teams have contributed to over 600 projects in 53 countries, supporting major infrastructure works (metro, rail, water management) from design to on-site commissioning. CBE operates production facilities in France and China and holds a 39% share of the global market.

ACIMEX, also based in France, specializes in vacuum lifting and handling solutions for heavy precast concrete and steel elements, used in infrastructure, tunneling, and energy sectors to optimize safety and productivity.