FM newsroom – corporate news, acquisition. B+N Referencia Zrt. has signed an agreement to acquire KÖBERL Group. B+N has thus acquired a qualified majority stake in one of Germany’s leading facility management and building services providers.
B+N Referencia Zrt. is the leading facility management company in Central and Eastern Europe with nearly 28,000 employees in 8 countries. The acquisition in Germany is another important milestone in the company’s successful international expansion.
Founded more than 120 years ago and headquartered in Aschheim-Dornach near Munich, the KÖBERL Group is one of Germany’s best-known facility and technical building management companies. With nearly 600 employees, the KÖBERL Group offers comprehensive solutions for residential, commercial, and industrial building operators. Thanks to its quality services and customer focus, the Group has become the leading full-service provider on the German market.
The partnership between Gimv and KÖBERL Group started in 2020, after which the parties made significant investments to expand, strategically develop and digitalize the company. During these years, other acquisitions to broaden the service portfolio also supported organic turnover growth, with a strong focus in business development on recurring customers and orders.
Agreement reached on the acquisition of the German market leader KÖBERL Group
According to the agreement signed on 17th December 2024, B+N Referencia Zrt. acquired a qualified majority stake in the KÖBERL Group. The transaction is expected to close in the first quarter of 2025.
“With the acquisition of the majority stake we aim to further strengthen the KÖBERL Group’s activities in Germany and expand B+N Group’s services in the international market, especially in technical and infrastructure facilities management. In recent years, with the support of Gimv, KÖBERL Group has become a high-performing company, able to respond efficiently and agile to the evolving needs of its customers – just like B+N. We believe that the shared values and the customer-centric approach of both groups provide a good basis for further growth together”, said Ferenc Kis-Szölgyémi, Managing Director and owner of B+N Referencia Zrt.
“Our goal is to continue our success story together with B+N Referencia Zrt., to open up new opportunities for our clients and to offer even more perspectives to our employees”, shared Armin and Karl Köberl, the two managing directors and co-owners of KÖBERL Group, in connection with the transaction.
“Our partnership with the KÖBERL Group is a real success story in the German market. We have succeeded in making the Group a market leader in facility and technical building management by offering a full range of services. We want to thank the entire KÖBERL Group team for their trustful cooperation”, added Maja Markovic, Partner at Gimv Sustainable Cities and member of the KÖBERL Group Advisory Board.
B+N Referencia Zrt., with more than 30 years of professional experience, has become a market leader in facility management in the Central and Eastern European region. Since last year, it has also been present in the Western European market with the acquisition of a company in Italy and two in the Czech Republic. The Group employs nearly 28,000 people in 8 countries, and approximately 40 percent of its turnover comes from foreign subsidiaries. The company holds all the most important professional qualifications and has recently won numerous professional awards. B+N is Hungary’s only facility management company with a research and development department. Automated, auditable, and regularly reviewed processes, continuous engineering support, and a regular service team ensure transparent, verifiable, and quality service delivery.
About B+N Referencia Zrt.
B+N Referencia Zrt. is one of Europe’s leading facility management companies. With more than 30 years of experience, it employs nearly 28,000 people in 8 countries.
According to the EUROPEAN FM PROVIDER 2023 Report, B+N Referencia Zrt. is the market leader in Central Europe in facility management. Its leading position is based on a stable workforce, innovative solutions, transparent operations, and high-quality services.
Headquartered in Hungary, B+N Referencia Zrt. provides facility management services at 21,000 locations through its subsidiaries, operating its own training facilities and R&D department to ensure the quality of its services and continuous improvement.
The company pays particular attention to social responsibility, sustainability, and the promotion of labour market integration. It defines the industry’s future through automated and audited operational processes, and its work is recognized by the industry through numerous certifications and awards.
