Artsana Group and Sodalis Group announce to have reached the agreement for the acquisition of Lycia by Sodalis. Lycia is an Italian established brand active in the cosmetics, hygiene and beauty market, well known for its high quality products.

Through the controlled company Sodalco, Sodalis will include Lycia in its brands portfolio creating synergies with the existing brands.

Fabio Granata, Solidalis Group CEO, declared: “This acquisition is highly strategic: Lycia is a premium brand that will allow us to cover the deodorants segment and to strengthen our positioning in the hair removal and make-up removal market”.

Claudio de Conto, Artsana Group CEO, commented: “Our decision has been taken with a view to enhancing the brand Lycia within an Italian Group, given the willingness to undertake a long term operating partnership, retaining the production at our plant”.

The transaction will be completed in late 2016 and the parties will be bounded by a production agreement for the production of Lycia-branded products in the Artsana plant in Gessate.

Artsana Group was assisted by Lazard as financial advisor and by Lombardi Molinari Segni e Associati as legal advisor.

Sodalis Group was assisted by Vitale&Co. as a financial advisor and by lawyer Marco Fazzini from Studio Cartella as legal advisor.

About Artsana Group

Artsana Group, established in 1946 by “Cavaliere del Lavoro” Pietro Catelli, reached in 2015 a total turnover of 1,420 million Euros, divided between two business areas: Baby (80%) and Health & Beauty Care (20%). Founded as a family business, the Group has evolved over time into a multinational dimension and is now present in the world with 5 production plants in Europe, 19 branches, 11 of which are European, and with a network of agents and distributors in over 100 countries. Among the main brands of the Group, headquartered in Grandate (Como): Chicco, Neo Baby and Boppy for the Baby Care area; Pic Solution, Control and Lycia for the Health & Beauty Care area.

Since April 2015, Prenatal Group has become part of MFE Group, a joint venture with Giochi Preziosi Group participated by Artsana as an equal partner. MFE is an international Group operating in the Retail sector; through the brands Prenatal, Toys Center, King Jouet and Bimbo Store and more than 500 stores in Europe, the Group leads the market for children and baby products.

www.artsana.com

About Sodalis Group

Sodalis Group is an Italian group, leader in the Home Care and Beauty and Personal Care markets. Sodalis has been operating in the industry for more than 25 years and has grown over time both organically, thanks to the development of its own brands, and through the acquisition of new brands from foreign multinational corporations. The Group owns a highly attractive brands portfolio – Tesori d’Oriente, Vidal, Denim, Biopoint, Fresh&Clean, Strep, Leocrema, Wash&Go e L’Abre Vert – and it is one of the main European players in the Personal and Home Care markets, with turnover of €400 million, more than 30% coming from the French branch Novamex, and a widespread network of strategic distributors. The Group employs approximately 380 people and operates through two production sites, one in Lodi Vecchio and the other in Poitiers, France.