Mid Europa Partners fund has acquired Mlinar, Croatia’s leading bakery in a transaction that should close in the second quarter of 2019. Mlinar claims to operate the largest bakery network in SEE, with over 36 million customers per year, 220 Croatian and Slovenian stores and franchise stores in 10 countries. “We plan to help the company expand internationally, and we look forward to our partnership with Mr Škojo as he continues to support Mlinar’s growth,” said Andrej Babache, a partner at Mid Europa, a private equity fund that focuses on the CEE region. Mid Europa was advised for this transaction by UniCredit (M&A), Dechert and Savoric & Partners (legal), KPMG (financial and tax) and by BCG. “Our investment in Mlinar builds on our strong track record in investing in leading CEE retail and consumer businesses,” said Robert Knorr, a partner in the fund. “On the retail side, we believe Mlinar can benefit from our experience in accelerated store expansion execution deployed in Zabka and Profi. On the product side, the focus will be on brand equity enhancement and innovation.”
