Owner families invest again and remain majority shareholders – Dr. Silvia Bentzinger also invests and becomes a shareholder
Seidensticker Family Remains Majority Shareholder
The Seidensticker Group is setting the course for the next phase of its development. Against the backdrop of positive and profitable business performance, the existing shareholders, Gerd Oliver Seidensticker and Frank Seidensticker, have decided to once again invest personally in the company. The owner family thus remains the majority shareholder, underlining its long-term confidence in the future of the company and the Seidensticker brand.
“We see Seidensticker in a significantly stronger position today than just a few years ago. The company is profitable, our brand is developing positively, and we also see attractive opportunities for further growth in the private label business. Our decision to invest personally once again is therefore a clear commitment to Seidensticker and its future. We want to actively shape the next phase of development while living up to our long-term responsibility as owners,” says Gerd Oliver Seidensticker.
Dr. Silvia Bentzinger Becomes a Shareholder
At the same time, Dr. Silvia Bentzinger, CEO of the Seidensticker brand, is making a personal investment in the company and will also become a shareholder.
Dr. Silvia Bentzinger has been part of the Seidensticker Group since the end of 2008 and has led the Seidensticker brand as CEO since 2020. With her personal stake, she will in future combine her operational responsibility with entrepreneurial responsibility as a shareholder.
“For me, Seidensticker is far more than a brand I have had the privilege of supporting for many years. I am convinced of the company’s long-term viability, the strength of our brand and the wide range of growth opportunities. That is why I made a very deliberate decision to now invest personally as well and to take on entrepreneurial responsibility as a shareholder,” says Dr. Silvia Bentzinger.
A Clear Strategy for Sustainable Growth
The new shareholder structure forms the foundation for the Group’s next phase of development. Together, the three shareholders will consistently implement a clearly defined growth and future plan as well as a continued, rigorous restructuring plan. Their shares are distributed as follows: 60% held by Gerd Oliver Seidensticker, 20% by Frank Seidensticker and 20% by Dr. Silvia Bentzinger. Nicole Seidensticker-Delius will step down as a shareholder and will enter her planned retirement at the end of next year.
The financing partners are supporting the implementation of the reorganisation during the repayment phase of the remaining financing. To this end, a temporary governance structure has been established with POLARIS Treuhand GmbH, which safeguards the agreed measures and oversees their implementation. Dr. Marc Barrantes, previously CFO/COO of the Group, will continue to support the process in an advisory capacity for the duration of the trusteeship. Operational responsibility remains entirely with the management.
As part of the realignment, the Group’s capital and financing structure is also being comprehensively further developed. The existing financing is being brought to a level that is sustainable in the long term, and the balance sheet is being strengthened on a lasting basis through additional equity from the shareholders and the support of the financing partners. As a result of the transaction, the Group’s equity will once again be immediately competitive, creating an essential prerequisite for the company’s long-term financial stability and further development. Together with its financing partners, Seidensticker is thus creating a solid financial basis for implementing its planned growth and future strategy.
Further development will focus on profitable and sustainable growth, further strengthening the Seidensticker brand and the targeted development of the product and brand portfolio. At the same time, the business model will be consistently aligned with the requirements of the international fashion market. In addition, further growth opportunities in relevant markets and sales channels are to be pursued in a targeted manner.
Bielefeld Remains Home and Location for the Future
“With the new shareholder structure, we are also making a clear commitment to Bielefeld as our company’s home. The Group’s roots and its connection to the city are an essential part of our company’s identity and will continue to play an important role in the future,” says Frank Seidensticker.
The further development of the Group and the Seidensticker brand will be driven forward from Bielefeld.
About the Seidensticker Group
The Seidensticker Group was founded in Bielefeld in 1919 and employs almost 2,000 people worldwide. Seidensticker is represented in 70 countries and, in addition to its own sourcing company and fabric sourcing agency, operates its own production facilities in Vietnam and Indonesia.
Media Contact
Textilkontor Walter Seidensticker GmbH & Co. KG
Please send enquiries in writing to: presse@seidensticker.de