The CENTRE BIOLOGIE NORD ARTOIS (CBNA) is a multi-site biomedical laboratory founded in 2011 following the merger of three independent laboratories located in the Hénin-Beaumont, Douai and Billy-Montigny municipalities.
The three CBNA sites are structured around a technical platform located in Hénin-Beaumont. The laboratory, which employs more than 50 people and generates turnover of around €8 million, carries out routine and specialised biomedical testing procedures (more than 200,000 per year), mainly for private patients. CBNA benefits from a 92% COFRAC accreditation and has a recognised expertise in medically assisted procreation (intraconjugal artificial insemination and sperm analysis), a specialty for which CBNA has been certified since 2001.
ADVISO PARTNERS advised CBNA's shareholder managers on the laboratory's sale to the UNILABS group, owned by investment fund APAX PARTNERS.
The transaction enables UNILABS to continue developing in the Hauts-de-France area, where the group already has 15 sites and will benefit from the strategic locations of CBNA's sites in the heart of the region's three healthcare territories.
Arnaud SERPENTINI, Associate Biologist at CBNA: "The support provided by ADVISO PARTNERS throughout the process of selling the laboratory was a major asset for the success of this project, which is a crucial step for any entrepreneur. ADVISO PARTNERS' teams were attentive to the views and concerns of CBNA's partners and took their specific requests on board. They very quickly built up a relationship of trust with all the key people involved in the transaction: vendor due diligence consultants, chartered accountant, statutory auditor, lawyers. With hindsight, all the work that was done, methodically and professionally, in strict accordance with the mission specified, enabled us to pass this milestone with great peace of mind and enhanced our visibility and credibility from a buyers' perspective. At the forefront in terms of buyers was the UNILABS group, which we finally chose to pursue an ambitious growth project in the Hauts de France region."
Loïc VITOUX, UNILABS North of France Managing Director: "We were impressed by the technical expertise and energy of CBNA's teams. We are delighted to welcome them to the UNILABS Group. This transaction forms part of UNILABS' development plan in the areas of medical biology, radiology and pathology."
Guillaume CAPELLE, Partner at ADVISO PARTNERS: "We are very pleased to have supported the entire team of CBNA Associate Biologists in the implementation of their ambitious project. The deal gained significant traction, attracting interest from major players in the biomedical sector; the project and the professionalism of the UNILABS teams really made a difference."
