goetzpartners advised the majority shareholder on the sale of its stake in Thonet GmbH

Fortlane Partners advised the majority shareholder on the sale of its stake in Thonet GmbH ("Thonet"), a leading German premium furniture manufacturer, to Benner Beteiligungsgesellschaft mbH & Co. KG ("Benner Beteiligungsgesellschaft").

As an acclaimed manufacturer of bentwood chairs and the most famous Bauhaus furniture brand with a design heritage of more than 200 years, Thonet had a significant impact on design history, which is impressively underlined by its presence in leading museums, magazines and exhibitions around the world. The combination of Thonet's iconic and timeless classics with new innovative products forms the base of Thonet's diversified and versatile product portfolio and establishes the company as one of the last family owned and globally recognized heritage furniture brands.

After a successful growth path, the institutional majority shareholder of Thonet has sold its stake to Benner Beteiligungsgesellschaft, a Wiesbaden-based family office with a long-term investment focus. Since 2013, numerous sustainable strategic measures have been implemented, such that the company is positioned to benefit from the positive market momentum and continue its profitable growth development. Together with the new shareholder, the management is confident to enter the next growth phase and further benefit from Thonet's unique brand recognition and iconic product portfolio.

Fortlane Partners acted as sole and exclusive M&A sell-side advisor to the seller in this transaction. This transaction further underlines our competence as advisor of choice in the manufacturing sector, especially in the furniture and design space and demonstrates our ability to achieve outperforming results.

About Thonet
Thonet is a leading German high-end furniture manufacturer and designer with a 200 year old heritage. Starting with the coffee house chair No. 14 – most likely “the world’s most successful chair ever”, Thonet has built a unique portfolio of bentwood and tubular steel furniture, with a worldwide reputation for timeless design and high-end manufacturing quality. Famous bentwood furniture and tubular steel classics from the Bauhaus era, among others designed by Marcel Breuer, Mart Stam und Mies van der Rohe, are complimented by designs from renowned contemporary architects and designers.

Transaction team:

Jan-Hendrik Röver
Managing Director

Robert Wagon
Associate Director

Lukas Niedermeier
Associate