Roca Group has acquired premium German bathroom brand Alape, rescuing it from preliminary insolvency proceedings.
Effective from October 16, Roca Group is now the new parent company of Alape GmbH.
Alape is a well-established premium brand, which specialises in the production of bathroom products in enamelled steel. Before the acquisition, Alape was a wholly-owned subsidiary of Dornbracht AG & Co. KG.
Alape originally submitted an application for insolvency proceedings on July 4. According to a report in the German press, “economic slowdown as a result of global political unrest, as well as the increased uncertainty in the energy market” were both major challenges that led to it filing for insolvency.
Roca Group’s acquisition has saved the jobs of more than 90 Alape employees and means that Alape can continue to trade. It will continue to operate as an independent brand with its own business strategy.
Following the takeover, a new management team will take control of Alape at its headquarters in Goslar. This will consist of Michael Gatzke, who will be Alape’s new commercial director, Andrea Jürgens, in the role of marketing and design director, and Dr Julia Rami, who will be stepping into the role of production director.
As well as the headquarters in Goslar, Alape will also retain its production factory in Hahndorf.
Michael Gatzke, Alape’s new commercial director, said: “The integration into the Roca Group is an outstanding opportunity for Alape to expand its sales structures in the long term. It is a decisive step, with which we aim to offer our premium products to more markets.”
The company’s marketing and design director Andrea Jürgens added: “We will reinforce the brand’s premium market position and develop it carefully to best respond to the needs of our customers. We will remain committed to our high-quality standards and will be the perfect addition to the Roca Group’s brand portfolio.”
Roca Group has been steadily building its global brand portfolio through acquisitions for the past several years. In 2021, it acquired German concealed cisterns manufacturer Sanit, and also gained a 75% stake in Valencia-based Royo Group. Earlier this year, Roca Group also acquired the US-based bathroom furniture company Medali, for an undisclosed sum.