uvex group announces majority investment by Warburg Pincus

The UVEX WINTER HOLDING GmbH & Co. KG (uvex group), a leading family-owned provider of personal protective and sports protective equipment, announced today that Warburg Pincus, the pioneer of private equity global growth investing, will acquire a majority interest in the company. The owner families Winter and Grau will retain a significant minority stake and will be actively involved in the future growth of the business.

Founded in 1926 by Philipp M. Winter, who manufactured protective eyewear in his “Optische-Industrie-Anstalt”, uvex group has evolved into a global leader in protective safety and sports equipment. With the “protecting people” philosophy as both a mission and responsibility, uvex group develops, manufactures and distributes products and services for the safety and protection of people at work, in sport and for leisure pursuits.

The company differentiates itself from its peers through its high-quality products and by ensuring its products are characterised by technological innovation, comfort of wear and unmistakable design. By partnering with Warburg Pincus, uvex group will continue to accelerate growth globally, expanding its international presence, refining its premium product offering and growing in new segments. The company will also drive growth through M&A, building on successful transactions to date.

Michael Winter, Managing Partner and CEO of uvex group, commented:
“The brand promise ‘protecting people’ has guided us for 100 years. As a fourth-generation family-owned company, we are committed to shaping the next phase of our corporate development with a strong growth partner. Our goal is to further increase the resilience of the uvex group in the future and remain the first choice for our customers. We are confident that we have found such a partner in Warburg Pincus and look forward to a successful collaboration.”

Tobias Weidner, Managing Director at Warburg Pincus, commented:
“Congratulations to the Winter and Grau families for building and leading uvex group over the last 100 years into the strong business and brand it is today. We are excited to partner with them to continue that journey together. We share the uvex group team’s vision to become the global market leader in protecting people through protective equipment. Together with the family and the management team we are looking forward to bringing uvex group’s premium products to more people around the world.”

The transaction is subject to customary regulatory approvals.

The uvex group unites four companies under one roof: the uvex safety group, the uvex sports group (uvex sports and ALPINA), the Filtral group (Filtral and Primetta) and Protecting People GmbH for the B2C business. The uvex group is represented by 49 branches in 22 countries and produces by conviction with a focus on Germany. 60 percent of the nearly 3,000 employees (as of FY 2020/21) are based in Germany. uvex is a global partner to top international sports as an outfitter to countless top athletes. The guiding principle of protecting people is both a mission and an obligation. To this end, the uvex group develops, produces and sells products and services for the safety and protection of people in the professional, sports and leisure sectors.