An enlarged product range and the highest stock availability for catering equipment spares from a wide selection of brands, to benefit the market.

The two independent suppliers of catering spare parts, LF and GEV, now operate under the same holding company, with the global private equity firm, The Riverside Company (“Riverside”), as the main shareholder. This has been made possible by the purchase of LF by Riverside, which already owns the GEV Group including the Italian branch Fast ricambi and the vending and household specialist ATEL.

Under the new partnership LF and GEV will remain independent, retain their brands and own commercial organizations whilst cooperating to increase product ranges, improve spare parts availability and ensure the highest levels of service to spare parts distributors and maintenance engineers. 

“Our customers can continue to rely on both companies: Neither the contact person nor the office will change, so customers and suppliers can continue working with their preferred partner,” both Alexander Wiegand, CEO of GEV, and Vittorio Ricci, CEO of LF, agree.

With greater geographical coverage, a significant combined spare parts sales network as well as the outstanding expertise and motivation of their employees, both companies aim to be the number 1 partner for high-quality spare parts in the catering equipment industry.

About LF:
With its 35 years of experience in the spare parts market, LF is one of the leading suppliers for spare parts and accessories for both professional catering (HoReCa) and household appliances. Over 62,000 items are kept in stock, with 97% availability and 24-hour service for orders received by 2.00 pm, guarantee a high-quality service for the after-sales service centres served in 96 countries around the world. The entire LF offer is comprised of 4 million items and is available in the Webshop, accessible from desktop, smartphone and tablet. The logistics centre in Cesena, Italy, with an overall surface area of 16,000 sq.m., is equipped with 8 automated stacker cranes and is managed by integrated software, which allows items to be picked automatically and keeps the Webshop updated in real time.

About GEV: 
GEV is Europe’s specialist wholesaler for catering equipment spare parts. By continuously expanding its product range and by relocating its premises, the group is one of the leading suppliers of spare parts for gas, electric, refrigeration, washing and coffee machines - for industry and specialist dealers. With more than 85,000 catalogue items on stock suitable for 570 manufacturers, GEV guarantees the shortest delivery times. GEV’s highly developed Webshop and app provide customers with a powerful search engine containing a database of around 2 million items and customers benefit from the product overview in digital and printed catalogues. 340 employees in the head office in Bergkirchen near Munich and subsidiaries in eight countries work hand-in-hand to guarantee the best service for their customers in the catering industry.
www.gev-online.com     

About Riverside:
The Riverside Company is a global private equity firm focused on making control and non-control investments in growing businesses valued at up to $400 million. Since its founding in 1988, Riverside has invested in more than 520 transactions. The firm’s international portfolio includes more than 80 companies.
www.riversidecompany.com