PLUTA restructuring expert Dr Kaufmann secures DUHA’s future

Dr Christian Kaufmann from PLUTA Rechtsanwalts GmbH has successfully completed the process to find an investor for DUHA Fertigteilbau GmbH based in Haselünne in the Emsland region. The restructuring expert has achieved a follow-up solution for the company, which specialises in the manufacture of prefabricated concrete elements. Effective 1 December 2021, the business has been sold by way of an asset deal to a company in the Mainka Group headquartered in Lingen.

The parties involved have agreed not to disclose the purchase price. All 78 current employees will be kept on by the buyer and no compulsory redundancies have been required. A few members of staff had already left the company of their own accord during the provisional proceedings. The company headquarters will remain in Haselünne.

“We held countless discussions with a multitude of interested parties. All in all, investor interest in the prefabrication plant and its versatile production possibilities was very high. The solution that has now been reached for DUHA represents the best possible outcome for the business and creditors,” said PLUTA attorney Dr Kaufmann. The creditors can expect their claims to be fully satisfied. Dr Kaufmann added, “Many thanks are due to managing director Ms Heike Kestel for her constructive cooperation. She and all of the employees have pulled together with us over recent months to keep the business operating on a stable basis. The whole team has therefore played a key role in the excellent outcome achieved.”

Reliability and quality for industrial construction projects

Mainka managing director Dr Andreas Mainka explained, “We are very pleased about the agreement we have achieved. We place great emphasis on reliability and quality. Therefore, the skills and high quality standards of the DUHA employees that we are taking on perfectly complement our existing portfolio. We will now be in a position to offer our customers high-quality solutions for industrial construction projects from a single source.”

Since 1895, Mainka has been a reliable partner for industrial construction projects such as production facilities, power plants, warehouses, and laboratory and administration buildings. The group’s some 975 employees also carry out the related infrastructure measures, from earthworks, pipeline construction and roadworks through to turnkey construction.

The company, which now has ten sites, focuses on construction projects with strict safety requirements. Its customers mainly operate in the chemical, energy and special logistics industries. The company also carries out projects for customers in other sectors and offers planning services for partial or entire projects.

In early October 2021, the Local Court of Meppen ordered provisional insolvency proceedings and appointed Dr Kaufmann as provisional administrator for DUHA Fertigteilbau GmbH. On 1 December, the proceedings were opened and the restructuring expert was appointed insolvency administrator. Dr Kaufmann is being supported in his team by attorney Mr André Gildehaus, business lawyer Ms Sunny-Jo Linderkamp and economist Mr Jürgen Schendel. He has kept the business operational since the application was filed and launched the investor process, which was supported by the experts at WAYES GmbH & Co. KG based in Oldenburg and has now been successfully completed.

“I would like to especially thank the team at WAYES under Hamed Omumi for their good and successful support during the M&A process as well as attorney Dr Christoph Bode, also from Oldenburg, for the constructive joint sales negotiations,” said attorney Dr Kaufmann.