CERTINA Group has signed an agreement to acquire the Education segment from Sodexo Germany.

Sodexo and the CERTINA Group have signed an agreement to change ownership of the Sodexo Education segment. Sodexo informed its employees about this step on May 27, 2021. After a comprehensive analysis of the Sodexo business portfolio in Germany, the global catering and facility management company has made the decision to concentrate on the Corporate Services, Healthcare and Seniors segments in the future. In Germany, Corporate Services is responsible for a large part of sales. CERTINA intends to acquire Sodexo SCS – the main business unit of the Education segment – including some additional elements that will be transferred before the final purchase takes effect. This includes the associated customer contracts, employees and infrastructure.

“It is part of our culture and strategic corporate planning to continuously develop our portfolio, to create tailor-made solutions and to adapt our offering to the local needs in the markets. The decision to focus on Corporate Services, Healthcare and Seniors has nothing to do with the great work our teams in the Education segment have been doing. Nationwide, Sodexo is still a leading provider of school catering. However, we have seen increasing specialization in the school and kindergarten market. We are firmly convinced that this step will allow us to grow profitably with our segments in the long term and that our Education segment will have the opportunity to develop successfully under the umbrella of CERTINA”, says Andrea Arntz-Kohl, CEO Education at Sodexo Germany.

The transaction is expected to close at the end of June 2021 – subject to the relevant regulatory approvals and the successful conclusion of talks with the social partners. Employment contracts, customer contracts, employees of the segment, contracts with suppliers and business partners as well as the infrastructure are to be transferred to CERTINA. There will be no changes in terms of supply for guests and customers. All contact persons in the management as well as at the regional and site manager level as well as the teams on site will not change.

The CERTINA Group is a family-run industrial holding company based in Munich and Grünwald. The company has more than 25 years of investment experience and operational expertise in a wide variety of industries. CERTINA is a long-term investor who develops companies sustainably. CERTINA also brings this experience and philosophy to this transaction.

“We are pleased to welcome Sodexo SCS GmbH to the CERTINA Group. Sodexo’s education segment is one of the top 3 providers of catering for schools, kindergartens and day-care centers nationwide. We are convinced of the growing importance of healthy, individual nutrition for our little ones and the resulting market potential. In the course of the transaction, we were able to get to know the extremely professional management and the great employees who we welcome to our corporate family. With its industry knowledge, operational experience and track record in the long-term alignment of companies, CERTINA is the right owner to ensure sustainable development and further strengthen growth potential”, says Holger Schmidt, Managing Partner of the Consumer Goods & Services division of the CERTINA Group.