Great potential in silo manufacturer with social profile

6. April 2022

Den Sociale Kapitalfond Invest adds BM Silo to its portfolio. The company is one of the leading SMEs in Denmark when it comes to social responsibility.

Den Sociale Kapitalfond Invest is a new minority shareholder in the company BM Silo, which offers silos and transport equipment for storage and transport of dry materials to customers all over the world. From the factory in Tvis, the company has developed a modular system for silos in galvanized and stainless steel, which enables a combination of tailor-made solutions and efficient production for customers in the food sector and the plastics industry, among others. BM Silo thus helps to ensure longer shelf life and better utilisation of natural resources such as grain and coffee.

Smooth generational change

The investment, with the purchase of 44% of the shares, is part of a smooth generational change, where Lisbeth Barnbæk Nielsen, who took over as CEO of the company in October 2021, also joins as a new co-owner, while Dorte Zacho Martinsen, who has previously been CEO and most recently chairman of the board, will step down from the circle of owners. Claus Martinsen, who is development director in the company, will continue as majority owner. At the same time, businessman Mogens Rüdiger will take over as the new chairman of the board. Managing Partner of Den Sociale Kapitalfond Invest, Lars Jannick Johansen, sees BM Silo as one of the leading companies among SMEs in Denmark when it comes to social responsibility. “At the same time, BM Silo’s products make a positive difference in the world, for example by contributing to increased resource utilisation and less raw material waste, not least in the food area. This, combined with efficient production, means that despite turbulence in the market, we currently see a good potential going forward for BM Silo as a Danish impact company in a global market,” says Lars Jannick Johansen.

Important anchoring in the local area

With the sale, Development Director Claus Martinsen wants to future-proof BM Silo both commercially and in relation to the values that the company has been run by for many years: “It is important to me that BM Silo can continue its development as a good and strong company, anchored here in the local area but with an increasing number of international customers. In the autumn, we got Lisbeth Barnbæk Nielsen in as the new CEO, which I am incredibly happy about. In addition, we have been in dialogue with the team from Den Sociale Kapitalfond Invest for some time and got to know them well as competent, orderly and with a good understanding of our business. For me, it is therefore a very good team that will now help take BM Silo on the next part of the journey,” says Claus Martinsen. The new CEO is also looking forward to the collaboration: “Over the past year, I have come to know Den Sociale Kapitalfond Invest as an ambitious partner with strong, good values. The values will help to ensure the social and sustainable work that we already work with at BM Silo. At the same time, we will have a professional partner in the work of further developing BM Silo. Personally, I see it as an incredibly exciting opportunity to become a co-owner of the new setup and continue to lead the company,” says CEO Lisbeth Barnbæk Nielsen.

Banner for social responsibility

BM Silo was established in 1965 and has been owned by the Martinsen family for over 50 years and is known for its great social responsibility, including and upgrading the skills of young people from the margins of the labour market. The company has won the CSR People Prize in 2021 and has repeatedly been highlighted for its work with social responsibility and positive impact on, among other things, the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. It is a job that Dorte Zacho Martinsen has been in charge of – first as CEO for 11 years and then as chairman of the board and co-owner: “I became CEO during the financial crisis, and together with the employees, we turned the company into a continued well-run export company with a focus on optimization, automation, digitalization and training of employees with a special focus on helping vulnerable young people enter the labor market. A turn-around that has meant that we have kept production 100% in Denmark and focused on the SDGs as a natural lever for new export markets. In the process, BM Silo ApS has been advised by DAHL Advokatpartnerselskab and PwC, while Den Sociale Kapitalfond Invest has collaborated with Accura and EY. The parties agree not to disclose the transaction price.

 

About BM Silo ApS

BM Silo offers silos and transport equipment for storing and transporting dry materials to customers all over the world. The company has developed a modular system for silos in galvanized and stainless steel, which enables a combination of tailor-made solutions and efficient production for customers in the food sector and the plastics industry, among others. BM Silo thus helps to ensure longer shelf life and better utilisation of natural resources such as grain and coffee. From the factory in Tvis, silos and accessories are produced according to a just-in-time principle and shipped to customers all over the world in a compact kit with easy assembly based on language-neutral manuals and low freight costs. BM Silo was established in 1965 and has been owned by the Martinsen family for over 50 years and is known for its great social responsibility, including and upgrading the skills of young people from the margins of the labour market. The company has won the CSR People Prize in 2021 and has repeatedly been highlighted for its work with social responsibility and positive impact on, among other things, the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. BM Silo has a gross profit of around DKK 22 million annually and has approximately 36 employees (FTE).

Read more about the investment in BM Silo here

Documents

Contact

Lars Jannick Johansen
Founder and Managing Partner
+45 2961 6892
Mads Aaen
Partner
+45 2062 9682

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