PARIS — Sonepar has announced the sale of Vallen Asia — in the form of a management buyout — to the Vallen Asia leadership team, consistent with the group’s strategic decision to focus on its core business and ensure management continuity to the organization.
In 2023, Vallen Asia had revenues of around €90 million and employed 244 associates across Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia and China. Vallen Asia joined the Sonepar Group as part of the Hagemeyer acquisition in 2008. Since that time, Vallen Asia has continued to develop as the market leader in integrated supply across Asia.
The transaction closed on Dec. 13, at which time Vallen Asia was deconsolidated from the Sonepar Group. However, in order to support the Vallen Asia team, Sonepar will remain as a committed minority shareholder for the next five years.
“This strategic decision allows Sonepar to sharpen its focus on its core strengths and invest more deeply in areas where we see the greatest potential for growth. We are confident that this move will not only benefit our organization, but also provide Vallen Asia and its associates with the opportunity to thrive under new ownership, ” said Jean-Cyrille Verspieren, APAC president, Sonepar.
Andrew Bennett, country manager, Sonepar Singapore, who will be leaving the group after 16 years leading Vallen Asia, added, “It has been a unique and enormously enriching journey, both personally and collectively, to ‘grow up’ as part of the Sonepar family. Although our paths diverge at this point, the Sonepar DNA will be forever imprinted in Vallen Asia, an invaluable takeaway. The Vallen team is excited and fully committed as we enter the next stage of our evolution.”
