Clearwater International advises Reconomy Group on the acquisition of Reverse Logistics GmbH

Clearwater International has advised the UK’s leading provider of outsourced resource management and environmental services, Reconomy Group, on the acquisition of Munich-based Reverse Logistics GmbH (RLG) from funds advised by Monitor Clipper Partners and other minority shareholders. Reconomy Group is backed by private equity firm EMK.

RLG is a leading tech-enabled provider of end-to-end solutions for returns management and environmental compliance, helping its blue-chip customer base to deal with increasing environmental, regulatory, and logistical demands. The core of RLG’s service offering is an IT platform allowing the integration and management of all relevant stakeholders (incl. end-customers, brands, authorities, logistics provider etc.) in a returns or end-of-life process. RLG is present in over 80 countries worldwide with a forecasted 2020 turnover of more than €150m.

Reconomy Group is the UK’s market-leading provider of outsourced environmental services including recycling, waste and resource management. The Group serves a broadly diversified customer base ranging from SMEs to large blue-chip companies, helping them to manage their waste in a responsible, sustainable and cost-effective way. Reconomy Group principally operates across five key sectors: commercial construction, housebuilding, infrastructure, business and industry, and compliance. The Company is owned by London-based private equity group EMK Capital since 2017.

The combination of Reconomy Group with RLG takes pro-forma 2020 revenues above €500m (£450m). The acquisition not only creates a leading global presence in core disciplines, it also adds an entirely new capability, allowing the Group to specialise in reverse logistics. This proposition development is a key part of Reconomy’s long-term strategic plan to become the global leader in tech-enabled services to drive the circular economy.