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Strategic Value Partners invests €200 million in Bjelin Group

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HELSINGBORG, Sweden, Jan. 13, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Strategic Value Partners, LLC (together with its affiliates, “SVP”), a global alternative investment firm with approximately $19 billion of assets under management, and Bjelin Group today announced the signing of an agreement whereby funds managed by SVP will make a €200 million preferred equity investment in Bjelin Group to facilitate its long-term growth ambitions.

Bjelin Group AB is fully owned by the Pervan family and its assets comprise a 51% ownership stake in Välinge Group and a 100% ownership stake in Bjelin Industries. 49% of the shares of Välinge Group are owned by KIRKBI Invest A/S and Välinge Group management.

Välinge Group has two business segments. A licensing business for flooring and furniture applications (Välinge Innovation AB) and an industrial business with large scale production of flooring with Woodura® surface technology and furniture in Sweden and Croatia. Bjelin Industries is a veneer, flooring and furniture manufacturing business with production facilities in Croatia.

Bjelin Group AB will acquire all shares in Välinge’s industrial business, which will be merged with Bjelin Industries. The acquisition is expected to be completed during the first quarter of 2025, pending customary closing conditions and governmental approval. Funds managed by SVP will make a €200 million preferred equity investment in Bjelin Group to finance this acquisition and provide capital for additional major investments in Woodura® and veneer production with the aim to create a world leading sustainable wood flooring company. The Pervan family will maintain an ownership stake of 97% in Bjelin Group AB.

Välinge Innovation AB, which is a leading R&D, IP and licensing company, mainly related to flooring and furniture technology, anticipates that it will seek a public listing at the appropriate time as the potential high growth of Woodura® flooring is expected to benefit Välinge’s license revenues.

“Our partnership with SVP is more than a financial investment. Bjelin Industries has a key relationship with SVP’s portfolio company, Pfleiderer, a leading manufacturer of high-quality wood-based products including HDF which is used as a core in our Woodura® flooring, laminates for kitchen, furniture, and construction applications. We are excited about the potential to expand the collaboration between Pfleiderer and Bjelin with a wide range of potential commercial and technical cooperation opportunities. Fredrik Alfredsson, who has a long international experience within the flooring business, will be appointed CEO of Bjelin Group,” said Darko Pervan, Chairman and founder of Bjelin Group.

Brian Himot, Head of Structured Capital at SVP, said: “Over the past 30 years, Darko Pervan has built a leading IP licensing business and set the foundations to create a market leading industrial manufacturing business. We are delighted to be partnering with an entrepreneur of his standing at a key moment for the development of the manufacturing business. SVP has developed expertise in these types of partnership-oriented investments with founders and family offices. We look forward to working closely with the Pervan family to drive value for the business.”

“During the past 7 years we have been involved in large scale Woodura® production, and a major part of our license revenues have been invested to develop and commercialize this sustainable and competitive flooring technology. Välinge and Bjelin have invested about €500 million to build large-scale production and marketing capabilities and to secure the oak material which is used as a surface in floors with Woodura® technology. This has provided a lot of new knowledge and patents. Our work to scale up the technology is now complete, and we are convinced that our industrial group combined with Bjelin Industries will be very successful.  We believe that this will increase our license revenues and will give a very good long-term return on our investment,” said Niclas Håkansson, CEO of Välinge Innovation AB.

Citi and Nordea acted as joint placement agents. SVP was advised by Kirkland and Ellis, Schjødt and Wolf Theiss as legal counsel. Bjelin Group was advised by Mannheimer Swartling as legal counsel.

The Woodura® word mark and logo are registered trademarks owned by Välinge Innovation AB and any use of such marks is under license.

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About SVP

SVP is a global alternative investment firm that focuses on special situations, private equity, opportunistic credit and financing opportunities. The firm uses a combination of sourcing, financial and operational expertise to unlock value in its portfolio companies. Today SVP manages approximately $19 billion in assets under management, and since inception, has invested more than $50 billion of capital, including more than $18 billion in Europe. The firm, established by Victor Khosla in 2001, has over 200 employees, including more than 100 investment professionals, across its main offices in Greenwich (CT) and London, and a presence in Tokyo. Learn more at www.svpglobal.com

Contact:
Greenbrook
James Madsen / Ksenia Galouchko
[email protected]

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CGTN: China’s booming ice and snow industry fuels its economic growth

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BEIJING, Feb. 7, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Harbin, capital of northeast China’s Heilongjiang Province, exemplifies the country’s thriving ice and snow economy.

During the eight-day 2025 Spring Festival holiday from January 28 to February 4, the city has seen booming snow tourism. As an ice-themed park known for its dazzling ice sculptures, Harbin Ice-Snow World attracted over 610,000 visits. In particular, more than 100,000 visits were made on February 1, setting a new record for single-day attendance.

The increasing popularity of the park is partly attributed to the city’s upcoming role as the host of the 9th Asian Winter Games, which will be held from February 7 to 14, marking China’s second major winter sports event following the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics.

Chinese President Xi Jinping will attend the opening ceremony of the 9th Asian Winter Games and host a welcome banquet for foreign leaders in attendance.

Ice and snow economy enters ‘fast lane’

Xi has paid close attention to the development of China’s ice and snow sports and industries, urging efforts to consider ice and snow economy as a new growth point to promote the development of the whole industrial chain involving winter sports and culture, snow-and-ice equipment and tourism.

In recent years, as winter sports and tourism surged in popularity across China, the ice and snow economy has witnessed significant growth.

According to the General Administration of Sport of China, the number of people participating in various ice and snow sports such as skating, skiing, curling and ice hockey nationwide reached 57.35 million in the 2023-2024 snow season. Over 385 million winter leisure visits nationwide were recorded, marking a 38 percent increase from the previous year.

During the last snow season, Harbin alone welcomed over 87 million visitors, marking a 300 percent year-on-year increase and generating 124.8 billion yuan (about $17.4 billion) in tourism revenue – a staggering 500 percent growth.

Meanwhile, the ice and snow consumption is becoming an important growth point to expand domestic demand, transforming the “cold” resources into “hot” engine for economic development.

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According to online shopping and tourism platforms, orders for ice and snow equipment surged, while searches and bookings for ice and snow tours saw rapid growth during the “Double 11” shopping festival last year.

On China’s leading e-commerce platform, Tmall, sales of categories such as down jackets, thermal wear and skiing equipment surged by over 200 percent year on year during the “Double 11” shopping festival.

Broad prospects

To harness its abundant ice and snow resources for economic development, China is intensifying efforts to expand its winter economy, encompassing sports, culture, equipment, and tourism.

According to the guidelines issued by the General Office of the State Council, the country aims to promote its ice and snow economy as a new growth point, with the goal of reaching an economic scale of 1.2 trillion yuan (about $169 billion) by 2027, and 1.5 trillion yuan by 2030.

To achieve these goals, various cities and regions are integrating winter sports and tourism into their development plans.

The Heilongjiang Province is promoting the establishment of a China-Shanghai Cooperation Organization winter sports demonstration zone, expediting the development of ice-and-snow equipment and digital industry parks.

In Beijing, the city has launched an action plan, proposing 24 specific measures in areas such as expanding the ice and snow sports and consumption, and advancing the construction of ice and snow venue facilities.

The vigorous growth of the ice and snow economy has also drawn global attention. A slew of measures, including optimizing the visa-free policy and opening new international flight routes, have attracted a number of foreign tourists to start their “China Travel” and enjoy the winter season in the country.

China’s thriving ice and snow economy has also injected new momentum into the global tourism market, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said on Thursday, extending a warm invitation to friends from around the world to participate in ice and snow events, fostering friendship and cooperation.

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SM Investments Recognized for Landmark Capital Market Deal

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PASAY CITY, Philippines, Feb. 7, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — SM Investments Corporation (SM Investments), the parent company of the SM Group, has been awarded the “Philippine Capital Market Deal of the Year” by International Financing Review Asia (IFR Asia) for its successful issuance of a USD500 million five-year bond in 2024. This recognition underscores SM Investments’ leadership in the capital markets and the strong confidence of global investors in the company’s financial strength.

IFR Asia cited SM Investments’ return to the US dollar bond market after a decade-long absence as a significant development for the Philippine corporate sector. The transaction, which was the largest five-year deal by a Philippine corporate in 2024, reopened the market amid volatile conditions and achieved competitive pricing at 35 basis points.

“This landmark transaction represents a major milestone for both SM Investments and the Philippine capital markets. The strong demand from investors reflects confidence in Philippine corporate issuers and underscores SM’s reputation as a stable and well-managed investment option,” said Erwin G. Pato, Executive Vice President for Treasury, Finance, and Planning at SM Investments Corporation.

IFR Asia noted that SM Investments’ bond issuance attracted significant investor interest, given the relative scarcity of corporate issuances from the Philippines in recent years. The transaction also marked SM Investments’ first bond issuance since its USD350 million 10-year note in June 2014.

The deal was arranged by leading global financial institutions, with HSBC, JP Morgan, Standard Chartered, and UBS acting as joint lead managers and joint bookrunners. BDO Capital and Chinabank Capital also participated as joint lead managers.

International Financing Review Asia is a respected source of news and analysis on capital markets and investment banking, reinforcing the credibility of this recognition.

SM Investments’ achievement highlights its commitment to financial excellence and its role in strengthening investor confidence in the Philippine market.

About SM Investments Corporation

SM Investments Corporation is one of the leading Philippine companies that is invested in market-leading businesses in retail, banking, and property. It also invests in ventures that capture high growth opportunities in the emerging Philippine economy.

SM’s retail operations are the country’s largest and most diversified, consisting of grocery stores, department stores and specialty retail stores. SM’s property arm, SM Prime Holdings, Inc., is the largest integrated property developer in the Philippines with interests in malls, residences, offices, hotels, and convention centers as well as tourism-related property developments. SM’s interests in banking are in BDO Unibank, Inc., the country’s largest bank, and China Banking Corporation, the fourth largest private domestic bank.

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For more information, please visit www.sminvestments.com

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BRI UMKM EXPO(RT) 2025 Officially Concludes, Attracting Over 63,000 Visitors and Securing USD 90.6 Million in Export Contracts

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JAKARTA, Indonesia, Feb. 7, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — PT Bank Rakyat Indonesia (Persero) Tbk. (IDX: BBRI) successfully concluded BRI UMKM EXPO(RT) 2025, reinforcing its commitment to empowering MSMEs and expanding their global market reach. Held from January 30 to February 2, 2025, at ICE BSD City, the event attracted over 63,000 visitors, generated IDR 38.9 billion in transactions, and secured USD 90.6 million in export contracts through business matching. The closing ceremony was led by BRI President Director Sunarso.

A Platform for Global MSME Expansion

With the theme “Broadening MSME’s Global Outreach”, the event showcased 1,000 top Indonesian MSMEs ready for the international market. The closing ceremony was attended by BRI Vice President Director Catur Budi Harto. BRI President Director Sunarso highlighted the expo’s success in raising awareness of local MSME products, exceeding its initial target of 50,000 visitors.

By February 1, 2025, transactions hit IDR 38.9 billion, exceeding expectations. Sunarso reaffirmed BRI’s commitment to MSMEs, with business matching continuing through 2025 in partnership with the Ministry of Trade, holding twice-monthly sessions to boost exports.

This year’s BRI UMKM EXPO(RT) 2025 saw the participation of 506 registered buyers from 34 countries, significantly exceeding the initial target of 94 buyers from 33 countries.

So far, 166 MSMEs have engaged in 270 business meetings, one of the standout success stories is PT Siger Jaya Abadi, which secured a USD 13.05 million export deal with Bluestar Food Corporation, USA.

BRI UMKM Awards: Honoring Top MSMEs

BRI recognized outstanding businesses in three categories:

1. Top Deals on Business Matching

For MSMEs achieving the highest potential transactions in business matching sessions:

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  • Bintang Kita Kemuliaan (Food & Beverage)
  • Albasi Karang Layung (Home Décor & Craft)
  • Gula Aren Temon (Food & Beverage)

2. Newcomers on Business Matching

For first-time exporters who successfully secured international buyers:

  • Rumah Atsiri Indonesia (Healthcare & Wellness)
  • Minyak Sacha Inchi (Food & Beverage)
  • Organic Center (Food & Beverage)

3. Best Expo

For MSMEs demonstrating outstanding export readiness and digital adoption:

  • Sila Agri Inovasi (Food & Beverage)
  • Pelita Lumpang Mas (Food & Beverage)
  • Restu Mande (Food & Beverage)

These awards highlight BRI’s commitment to empowering MSMEs globally while advancing financial literacy and inclusion.

For more details on BRI UMKM EXPO(RT) 2025, visit briumkmexport.com.

For more information about BANK BRI, visit www.bri.co.id.

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