Houlihan Lokey is pleased to announce that JTEKT Corp. (JTEKT) has signed a definitive agreement to divest its European needle roller bearing (NRB) business to AEQUITA SE & Co. KGaA (AEQUITA) on February 25, 2025. This transaction is subject to the approval of the relevant regulatory authorities and other customary closing conditions

JTEKT, a member of the Toyota Group, is a Japan-based global automotive supplier and manufacturer of machine tools, bearings, and gears.

AEQUITA is a German-based family office with long-standing experience in the global automotive industry and extensive transformation know-how in special situations for midsized enterprises.

JTEKT’s European NRB business, which originated from the established Timken brand, comprises four facilities across Germany, France, and the Czech Republic. The business specializes in the manufacturing and sale of NRBs for the automotive, industrial, and aerospace sectors within the European region. It holds a top-five position in its niche market and has long-standing partnerships with Tier 1 OEMs and suppliers.

Houlihan Lokey served as the exclusive financial advisor to JTEKT. This transaction highlights Houlihan Lokey’s deep expertise in the automotive and industrial space, excellent cross-border execution capabilities through seamless global collaboration across the U.S., Germany, and Japan, and exceptional ability to identify and secure investors in special situations.

This transaction marks Houlihan Lokey’s seventh successful transaction with a Toyota-affiliated company in the past four years.

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