Presentation of the transaction
Boccard Parcs et Jardins SA is a family business founded in 1862. It has been active for four generations in the maintenance and design of green spaces, where it has developed expertise and notoriety to become a leading player in the canton of Geneva and the surrounding area. In 2020, the company employed more than 90 outdoor professionals and carried out several hundred projects per year.
idverde is the European market leader in the creation and maintenance of green and sports areas. The idverde Group has decades of experience in each of the markets in which it operates, in France, the UK, the Netherlands, Denmark, Germany and now also in Switzerland. In 2020, the idverde Group generated a turnover of EUR800m and today has 8,000 employees in Europe.
Thanks to this transaction, Boccard Parcs et Jardins and its teams will benefit from the support of a major player in the green space sector as they continue to develop their activities in Switzerland. This acquisition also enables the idverde Group to enter the Swiss market and continue its European development by relying on a historic and recognised player in its field.
Dimension SA acted as exclusive financial advisor to the shareholder of Boccard Parcs et Jardins SA and conducted a structured and competitive sale process involving both Swiss and international strategic and financial buyers. Our work included the preparation of the sales documentation, the identification of potential buyers and the management of the sales process and negotiations up to the finalisation of the transaction.
Jean-Marc Boccard, President of Boccard Parcs et Jardins SA
When we decided to initiate the process of transferring the company, we commissioned Dimension SA. They allowed us to benefit from their network, which gave us access to a wide range of potential buyers. Dimension SA accompanied us in a very professional manner. Their staff showed availability and responsiveness, enabling us to finalise the transaction within nine months. Dimension SA provided us with real added value and the technical assistance and support that are essential to successfully navigate the many stages of such a transaction.
Arthur Magis, Managing Director of Dimension SA and consultant to Boccard Parcs et Jardins
This transaction is part of a broader consolidation at European level in the green space sector, in which the idverde Group plays a leading role. This strategy of growth through acquisitions is aimed in particular at bringing a greater diversity of expertise and know-how to the market, benefiting from economies of scale while maintaining the geographical proximity required in this business.
In addition, the organisational resources and support functions brought in by such players also enable the industry to be professionalised and structured. Even if this business appears relatively simple from the outside, it still requires excellent organisation in order to be profitable in the long term.
In Switzerland, this industry is still very fragmented, with numerous independent or relatively small players and some companies that are historically well established in their respective cantons, such as Boccard Parcs et Jardins.
We are particularly proud to have successfully accompanied our client to complete an entrepreneurial adventure spanning almost 160 years and four generations.
arthur.magis@dimension.ch
+ 41 79 540 81 36
Dimension SA is a company that has specialised in company sales, takeovers and valuations since 1994. As a recognised player in the field of mergers and acquisitions in Switzerland, Dimension SA is the preferred contact for company managers and entrepreneurs to analyse the value enhancement potential of their companies and to carry out business transfer transactions. Based in Lausanne, Geneva and Zurich, the company has been part of the BCGE Group since 2015.