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On-StreetSeptember 9th 2008 APCOA. The World Of Parking
Visit APCOA at EXPO REAL 2008
In 2008 the APCOA Group and WISAG Group for the first time will occupy a joint fair stand at the EXPO REAL in Munich (Hall B1, stand B1.224, Oct. 6.-8.).
The impressive fair appearance is the result of a strategic alliance entered into by the two service providers in 2007. Since then APCOA Autoparking GmbH has managed the WISAG garages and thereby expanded the number of its German locations by 32. In return WISAG supplements the APCOA service range with facility management services.
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July 15th 2008 APCOA. The World Of Parking
Parking garages to become brand
With the help of designers and interior specialists APCOA developed a concept for a clearer and friendlier layout of its parking areas. The European market leader in parking area management is working on the development of a recognisable brand. In the next few years step by step as many as possible of the over 4,100 Apcoa garages in 17 countries in Europe are to be redesigned
Success factor for commercial properties
The company expects a positive response to the investment from property owners with whom the company has concluded lease or management agreements. This is because an attractive parking area is a decisive success factor for commercial properties. For example, a shopping centre: retail trading today is characterised by cut-throat competition. In city centres premium areas have an advantage. "This includes an attractive parking area facility, since the first and last impression a visitor to a shopping area arises in the parking garage," according to Apcoa director Friedrich Schock. Customers prefer to spend their money in places where they can also park in a pleasant environment.
Functionality takes priority
An eye-catching cyan-blue guidance system will in future help visitors to APCOA parking garages to orient themselves. The designers paid particular attention to drivers finding their cars on their return as easily as possible. Stylised big city images, which identify the parking areas, support orientation. For example, Athens represents parking area A, Berlin area B, Cordoba area C and so on. The corresponding signs are up to 1.2 x 1.2 m in size so that they cannot be overlooked.
Icons assist orientation
Stylised representations, so-called icons, of world famous sights of particular cities illustrate the parking areas. The Apcoa slogan "The world of parking" was addressed with these pictures. The parking area "Athens" is identified by the Acropolis and the area "Berlin" by the Brandenburg Gate. The icons are always white on a blue background. In addition, different colours characterise the individual parking levels for better orientation.
Development of a European brand
The consistent colour and logical design of parking areas in Europe is to date rather the exception. To this extent the company expects a high degree of attention on the part of motorists from its clear and functional design and consequently the development of the Apcoa brand. "Motorists will not fail to notice over 4,000 garages with a uniform design," Friedrich Schock affirms.
In this way the owners of the garages save on the expensive development of an interior design concept of their own, according to Friedrich Schock: "As a result, the parking garage obtains status it deserves. It is an important source of income and the building’s visiting card." The adoption of the new design is above all planned in garages which have to be modernised in any case.
Acceptance for higher prices
The company's evaluation of initial experience with the new design is very positive. The users accepted the price increases without any problems. For example, in Oslo the company raised prices by 25 % after implementation of the concept in spring. Although there are more reasonable parking spaces in the immediate vicinity, many motorists prefer the redesigned garage.
July 1st 2008 APCOA. The World Of Parking
Chairman Peter Fischer deceased
Surprisingly, long time CEO and current Chairman of the Advisory Board Peter Fischer, passed away on June 27th at the age of 57. For more than 28 years Peter Fischer was on the forefront of APCOA, leading the company to its outstanding success. At first as Managing Director of the local German entity and then as charismatic leader and CEO of the entire group. CEO Friedrich Schock: "APCOA is Peter Fischers lifetime achievement, with his visions he created APCOA to the international enterprise which it is today. We lost an outstanding and charismatic entrepreneur and a good friend who will never be forgotten".
June 30th 2008 APCOA. The World Of Parking
APCOA Switzerland received EPA Award
APCOA Parking Switzerland received in May the prestigious Award from the European Parking Association. The garage "Central Bahn Parking" in Basel got 186 points on a 185 point scale. Additional features offered by the garage which were not listed in the award criteria enabled APCOA Switzerland to exceed the maximum grade of 185 by one point.
Some of those additional features are 24 hours of staff availability, mobile phone and radio reception, daylight in the underground levels, park + ride spaces and trolleys for customers of the nearby train station. APCOA Switzerland is operating garages in the cities of Basel and Biel.
April 18th 2008 APCOA. The World Of Parking
First APCOA garage opened in Turkey
The European parking operator, APCOA, opened this month its first facility in Turkey. The company is now present in 17 European countries. The new parking location is in Istanbul near Besiktas stadium and offers more than 300 spaces to a nearby prime location with trendy shops, offices, hotel and exclusive restaurants. Included for this unique location is a Valet service, which allows the customer to just drop off the car with an APCOA employee.
April 1st 2008 APCOA. The World Of Parking
APCOA to enter the Hungarian market
Stuttgart, As of April 8th APCOA will manage the car park of Ferihegy Airport in Budapest with its 2.500 parking spaces. APCOA is the leading European parking operator, based in Stuttgart, Germany. The company won the official tender end of March. The Hungarian operations will be organized by the Austrian subsidiary in Vienna. The APCOA group is now present in 16 countries and planning to expand further into Europe.
February 28th 2008 APCOA. The World Of Parking
A new Organisation for the APCOA Group
APCOA, Europe's largest parking operator, today announces a reorganization to further accelerate its development. Peter Fischer (56), currently CEO, will become the Chairman of the Advisory Board from March 1st, 2008. Under his leadership APCOA has turned into the European leader in parking services, today operating 1.2 million spaces at 4,115 locations in 15 countries with 4,700 employees and sales of approximately €590 million. Peter Fischer's significant experience in the industry will be a key driver for APCOA's future development.
August 13th 2007 APCOA. The World Of Parking
APCOA ACQUIRES CENTRAL PARKING SYSTEM BUSINESSES ACROSS EUROPE
Following several months friendly discussion and negotiation, the European parking company APCOA has acquired all of the CPS businesses across Europe (with the exception of the CPS joint venture in Greece) from Central Parking Corporation, itself the largest parking firm in the USA. The biggest impact of the acquisition will be felt in the UK, where APCOA's operations will be nearly doubled in size. The number of countries in which APCOA operates will rise by two, with the addition of Ireland and Spain. The CPS deal comes only a few months after APCOA itself was acquired by the French-based investment company Eurazeo, and it underlines the commitment made to APCOA by its new owner.
Commenting on the acquisition, APCOA Chief Operating Officer in Europe Friedrich Schock said: "The CPS acquisition makes APCOA Europe's undisputed number one parking company, with operations in two new and booming markets, namely Ireland and Spain, together with an enhanced presence in many of the other countries in which APCOA operates currently.
In the UK, APCOA is now the clear number two with, in particular, a much more prominent position in that country's growing on-street parking enforcement sector.
APCOA's Chief Financial Officer Dr. Daniel Wiest also commented: "Perhaps even more important than the scope of the business we have bought, is the excellent quality across the CPS management team. At that management level, blending the best of APCOA with the best of CPS will certainly help us in our quest to continually improve the quality of services we provide to our clients.
The CPS deal is absolutely in line with our owner Eurazeo's 'Buy and Build' acquisition strategy, which we believe will help accelerate APCOA's growth and success.
All of the CPS operations in Europe will be re-branded APCOA as soon as possible. The outgoing President of CPS in Europe, Jim Bond had this to say: "We are delighted that the business and the good people who have worked so hard and so professionally for us over the years, will be in very good hands at APCOA. We look forward to watching their future success, and wish them well.
Note to editors: following the CPS acquisition, APCOA is now present in 15 European countries, managing some 3650 locations with space for a total of 860,000 cars, and with a workforce of over 4500 parking professionals. Its European headquarters is in Stuttgart. Please see attached fact sheet for more detailed information.
For information from APCOA AG in Stuttgart, please contact Friedrich Schock on +49 711 94791-0
July 26th 2007 APCOA. The World Of Parking
The WISAG Group (Frankfurt) and the APCOA Group (Stuttgart) have agreed on a strategic alliance in order to strengthen their core businesses.
Frankfurt, 26 July 2007: The WISAG Group (Frankfurt) and the APCOA Group (Stuttgart) have agreed on a strategic alliance in order to strengthen their core businesses.
As part of the agreements entered into, APCOA takes over the WISAG Group's parking management activities with effect from 01 January 2007. The merger is subject to approval by the Bundeskartellamt (the German Federal Cartel Office). In return, WISAG will in future add to the APCOA parking service by including facility management services.
The broad customer base of these two companies – both of which are market leaders – will become even more attractive, and they will complement each other ideally. Both sides anticipate additional business by providing attractive services on the property market.
WISAG Service Holding is one of the leading German service companies with more than 8,500 customers and a turnover of 682 million euros in 2006, including proportionate HiServ turnover. In 2006, the company employed around 22,600 staff in 120 branches in Germany. Its core business is based on technical and infrastructure property services, designed to meet customer demands by providing an innovative professional and economic service. The company's individual divisions are amongst the leading providers in their sectors, offering facility management, building maintenance and technical services, industrial services, commercial cleaning, security services, airport services, catering, garden maintenance and landscaping services, as well as consultancy services.
The APCOA Group is the leading provider of parking management services with a total capacity of 750,000 managed parking spaces in 13 European countries. Its workforce of 2,700 achieved a turnover of 490 million euros in 2006. The acquisition of WISAG Parkraum Service GmbH (WPS) by APCOA, the market leader in Germany, has increased the number of its German locations by 32 to a total of 350. The capacity of managed parking spaces in Germany has increased by 19,000 to a total of 243,000. The attractive city centre and other retail locations in Hamburg, Berlin, Cologne, Frankfurt, Munich are the main attractions of the WPS portfolio. The takeover of WPS – one of the 10 largest private parking management companies in Germany – strengthens APCOA's market penetration in important regions of Germany, covers areas on the APCOA map that were blank until now, and ensures long-term contracts with important property companies. APCOA will integrate the new properties into its existing organisational structure and will take over the experienced management team.
February 19th 2007 APCOA. The World Of Parking
Eurazeo agrees to acquire APCOA, the leading pan-European parking operator, from Investcorp for €885 million
Eurazeo today announced that it has reached an agreement with Investcorp, the global alternative asset manager, to acquire APCOA, the leading pan-European manager of parking services, for an enterprise value of €885 million. The closing of the transaction, subject to the relevant competition authority approval, should take place during the second quarter of 2007.
APCOA has operations in 13 countries, primarily Germany, Great Britain and Scandinavia. The group manages more than 3,300 car parks providing some 725,000 car parking spaces, and employs a 2,900 staff. It manages town centre car parks as well as shopping centre, airport and hospital parking.
In 2006 APCOA had sales of €489 million, up 7% on 2005.
Patrick Sayer, chairman of the Eurazeo Executive Board, said: "We are delighted to have reached an agreement to acquire APCOA, which demonstrates our ability to carry out large transactions outside France. This investment confirms our interest in the German market, where APCOA is the leading operator."
Xavier Marin, member of the Eurazeo Executive Board added: "APCOA enjoys excellent operational performance. It benefits from major advantages which have allowed it to become the leading pan-European parking operator based on the commitment of its people, expertise, brand recognition and quality locations. We will be working with the management to pursue this growth strategy and to further the group's development in areas of Europe where it is not yet present."
Thilo Sautter, head of the German private equity practice at Investcorp: "We are delighted with the sale of APCOA to Eurazeo, after having led the successful transformation of APCOA to the leading European car park operator. Eurazeo is an excellent shareholder for APCOA and will provide APCOA with the necessary resources to continue the international expansion and support the growth strategy initiated under Investcorp's stewardship."
Peter Fischer, CEO of APCOA, said: "Over the past three years we have, together with Investcorp, developed and implemented a successful strategy to become the leading European car park operator. This is just the start. With the support, long term orientation and strong financial backing of Eurazeo we look forward to continuing the successful strategy implemented since 2004 and to realizing the full potential of international growth opportunities for APCOA. Our portfolio is well suited for selective bolton acquisitions and our network will benefit from expansion into new markets."
About Eurazeo
With more than €6 billion in diversified assets and a market capitalisation of €5.8 billion, Eurazeo is one of the leading listed European investment companies. Eurazeo is a majority or key shareholder in companies such as Europcar, Rexel, B&B Hôtels and ANF. Eurazeo also holds significant stakes in Danone, Véolia and Air Liquide. Eurazeo is quoted on Eurolist by Euronext Paris (code ISIN: FR0000121121, code Bloomberg: RF FP, code Reuters: EURA.PA).
