Beyond Capital Partners Fund III, a fund advised by Beyond Capital Partners GmbH (“BCP”), acquired a majority shareholding in Holger Grelck Forstbaumschulen GmbH (“HGF”), based in Halstenbek near Hamburg. The closing took place in September 2023.

HGF is one of the leading German forest nurseries for the cultivation of premium forest seedlings and grows many millions of seedlings annually on more than 100 hectares, on which a wide range of tree species, including sweet chestnut, oak, spruce, service tree and Douglas fir, are nursed. The forest tree nursery has been supplying municipalities, states as well as other nurseries and private forest owners since 1938 and has grown continuously in recent years.

Forest tree nurseries are an important subgroup of tree nurseries and operate around 12% of Germany’s total tree nursery area. Overall, forest nurseries play a central role in the fight against climate change, as they are an integral part of the reforestation of German forests. At the same time, they enable companies to become more sustainable and achieve climate targets. Demand for seedlings for forestry plants has risen accordingly. The German forest relieves the atmosphere of 62 million tons of CO2 every year.

Holger Grelck, Managing Director of Holger Grelck Forstbaumschulen: “Our nursery is family-owned in the fourth generation. Our location in Halstenbek is the largest forest tree nursery region in Germany and is considered the “cradle of the forest” due to the fertile soil and optimal microclimatic conditions. Together with our strong partner Beyond Capital Partners, we will continue to grow, steadily expand our area and act as a central player in forest reforestation.”

Christoph D. Kauter, Founder and Managing Partner of Beyond Capital Partners: “The topics of reforestation and decarbonization are a sustainable macro trend that we will accompany with our investment in Holger Grelck Forstbaumschulen. According to recent studies, the German forest is currently in need of 1.6 billion trees for reforestation due to forest damage alone. Professional forest nurseries such as HGF continuously help to meet this need and to be a lasting partner for their B2B customers. Together with Holger Grelck, we see a good opportunity in the coming years to further accelerate the impressive growth of HGF and to continue its expansion through selective acquisitions. HGF’s many years of experience, combined with an extensive and high-quality product range and innovative machines, have convinced us in this respect.”

About Holger Grelck Forstbaumschulen:
Holger Grelck Forstbaumschulen is one of the leading forest nurseries for seedling production in Germany and has over 100 ha of cultivable land in the Halstenbek area near Hamburg.

About Beyond Capital Partners:
Beyond Capital Partners is an investment company advising its funds on the acquisition of majority shareholdings in profitable Mittelstand companies in the DACH region with a focus on asset-light business models in the areas of B2B services, IT services, software, healthcare & well-being, lifestyle and entertainment. This operation benefits from support from the European Union under the InvestEU Fund.

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