Trillium Partners is pleased to announce that it has advised on the acquisition of Connect Books by Aurelius Equity Opportunities SE & Co. KGaA (Aurelius), a listed pan-European mid-market investor, from Connect Group PLC (Connect Group) the FTSE-listed specialist distribution company (the Transaction).

Connect Books is a multi-channel wholesaler, distributor and retailer of printed and digital books, with operations in the UK, the Netherlands and France. The business is comprised of Bertram Books, Wordery, Dawson Books, Erasmus, Houtschild and Bertram Library Services. Following the deal, Connect Books will be rebranded back to Bertram Group.

Bertram Books is a UK B2B books wholesaler that provides bespoke services, from complete stock management tools to direct fulfilment for internet retailers. Wordery is a B2C online bookshop with more than 13 million titles. Dawson Books provides print and digital content including shelf-ready, metadata and workflow services to universities globally. Erasmus and Houtschild are specialist suppliers and curators of high quality print books and journals servicing academic and corporate libraries globally, with expertise in sourcing hard-to-find content. Bertram Library Services provides printed shelf ready books to public libraries globally.

Inter alia, Trillium Partners: (1) advised on the macro trends in the book sector; (2) advised on the valuation parameters of the Transaction; (3) provided continuous analytical support to the Aurelius investment team; and (4) evaluated exit options.

Tristan Nagler, Managing Director of Aurelius’ London office, commented:
 “Trillium has expert knowledge of the book industry. They delivered high quality advice, insight and support throughout this complex transaction which has been invaluable in helping us complete the acquisition of Connect Books.”

Jonathan Nowell, Senior Adviser at Trillium, commented:
“We are pleased to have advised Aurelius on this acquisition. Connect Books is an established leader in its sector and Aurelius is perfectly placed to support the management team in accelerating growth, driving efficiencies and creating value. We are delighted to have provided advice on this carve-out from a listed public company which highlights the depth of Trillium’s expertise.” 

About Trillium Partners
Trillium Partners is an independent mid-market firm that advises listed companies, private firms and financial sponsors on M&A and Private Capital raising transactions valued at £20 million to £500 million in the B2B Information Services and Events, Consumer Media, Learning and Development, and Marketing Services.

Over the last 30 years, we have advised our clients on a comprehensive array of transactions in the UK, Europe, USA and Asia, with an aggregate value in excess of £10 billion. Underpinned by deep sector knowledge and insight, our expertise extends from private acquisitions and disposals to public offers and raising capital from the private equity, family office, banking and alternative finance communities for working capital, business development, acquisitions and buy-outs.

Trillium transaction team
Jonathan Nowell (Senior Adviser)
Andrew Zelouf (Director)
David Leung (Associate Director)
Nikhil Raghavan (Analyst)

For more information regarding this transaction, please contact Jonathan Nowell or Andrew Zelouf on +44 (0)20 3008 8375