Member Article

AXIO Group disposes of forest products information business for $125m

Euromoney Institutional Investor has announced it has acquired RISI, the firm which provides information and insight to the forest product industry, for $125m.

RISI, which is part of the AXIO Group, is described as a ‘leading supplier’ of information to the global forest products industry and continues Euromoney’s strategy of acquiring businesses in the price discovery sphere.

Based out of Bedford, Massachusetts, the global firm provides intelligence and data across the industry, including supply and demand as well as pricing and cost for materials including pulp, timber and other wood products.

Andrew Rashbass, Chief Executive Officer of Euromoney, said: “The acquisition of RISI is another important step in Euromoney’s strategy of building a portfolio of leading price reporting agencies in growing international markets.

“RISI is a very high-quality business which Euromoney is perfectly placed to grow further. We look forward to working with RISI management and employees around the world to offer the company’s customers products of the highest value.”

The acquisition also marks another return for Epiris which runs the Electra Private Equity Fund and counts AXIO as a portfolio company, who will receive £66m from the transaction which is expected to go through in Q2 of this year.

Marking the sixth such realisation from the AXIO portfolio, the disposal is also yet another sale from Epiris after disposing of Parkdean Resorts and the company responsible for the new plastic fivers in December last year.

Alex Cooper-Evans, Partner at Epiris, commented: “In AXIO we bought a complex group of assets which we have transformed into high-performance growth businesses. RISI is another example of this approach in action.

“As a result of the focus on management, strategy and execution, RISI not only has grown profits at 15% a year since we invested, but also now is better-positioned, better-invested and has stronger growth prospects than ever before.”