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Mateschitz, Pierer: What’s going on with Rosenbauer?

Stefan Pierer (left) and Mark Mateschitz (right) are apparently working together to make an investment in Rosenbauer a reality.

(Bild: Krone KREATIV/Rosenbauer International, IV OÖ/Pelzl, APA-PictureDesk, Horst Einöder)

Will Stefan Pierer join Rosenbauer or not? Ever since it became known that the fire equipment supplier from Leonding (Upper Austria) was planning a capital increase, the name of the KTM owner has been mentioned time and again. The foundation of a company with Mark Mateschitz and companies of Raiffeisenlandesbank Oberösterreich are now fueling these rumors.

Rosenbauer was forced to act due to an equity ratio that had fallen below the specified levels. In talks with the main lenders and promissory note loan creditors, the world's number one firefighting equipment manufacturer was able to agree on a so-called multilateral refinancing agreement.

This not only stipulates that the company will not pay a dividend to its shareholders for the term of the agreement, but also that a capital increase will take place by issuing at least 3.4 million new shares. This will bring money into the coffers.

Majority of Robau Beteiligungsverwaltung GmbH
Since this initial situation became known, one name has been mentioned time and again: Stefan Pierer. The KTM owner had taken over the German cable giant and automotive supplier Leoni the previous year, and now he is evidently preparing to invest in Rosenbauer. Pierer Industrie AG recently founded PiMa Beteiligungsverwaltung GmbH together with Mark Mateschitz Beteiligungs GmbH. PiMa Beteiligungsverwaltung GmbH in turn holds 66.67 percent of Robau Beteiligungsverwaltung GmbH, in which two companies of Raiffeisenlandesbank Oberösterreich (Raiffeisen Beteiligungsholding GmbH, Invest Unternehmensbeteiligungs AG) together hold the remaining 33.33 percent, as reported by "trend" in the next issue.

Diversionary maneuver?
Interesting: At Rosenbauer's Annual General Meeting, a shareholder recently reported that he had approached Pierer directly about a planned investment and that he had rejected it. Is it all just a diversionary tactic? The fact is that the capital increase at the fire equipment supplier has not yet been completed, but the offer of an Austrian solution has been made.