Zegna Group & Investindustrial Acquisition Complete Business Combination for Listing
Ermenegildo Zegna N.V., the world-renowned Italian luxury group, today announced the completion of its business combination with Investindustrial Acquisition Corp. (NYSE: IIAC) a special purpose acquisition corporation sponsored by investment subsidiaries of Investindustrial VII L.P. The newly combined company is expected to commence trading on the New York Stock Exchange under the new ticker symbol “ZGN” on Monday, December 20, 2021.
The Zegna family will continue its long-term stewardship of the Company through an ownership stake of nearly 66%. Based on the transaction value, the merged entity is expected to have an initial enterprise value of $3.1 billion, an initial market capitalization of $2.4 billion and will be well-capitalized.
The business combination received the strong support of IIAC’s shareholders at a meeting held on December 15, 2021, at which over 97% of the votes cast were in favour of the transaction.
Ermenegildo Zegna, CEO of Zegna Group, will ring the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange at 9:30 am Eastern Time on Monday, December 20, 2021. He will be joined by Thom Browne, members of the Zegna and Thom Browne leadership teams, by Zegna Board member Paolo Zegna, and by Andrea C. Bonomi, Founder of Investindustrial and Chairman of the Industrial Advisory Board, and Sergio Ermotti, Chairman of Investindustrial Acquisition Corp. A live stream of the event and replay can be accessed by visiting https://www.nyse.com/bell.
Ermenegildo “Gildo” Zegna, CEO of Zegna Group, said: “Today marks a monumental milestone for Zegna and is the beginning of an exciting and pivotal new chapter in our 111-year legacy. What began as a wool mill built by my grandfather has now become a publicly traded, modern luxury group with a one of- a-kind manufacturing platform, sophisticated digital operations and global scale and reach. We are well-positioned to accelerate the successful strategies of the Zegna Group’s two core brands, Zegna and Thom Browne, while also continuing to build upon our heritage, our ethos of sustainability, and the unique craftsmanship that has made our name synonymous with excellence and luxury around the world. We will continue to meet our clients’ changing needs while working to attract new, younger clients through exciting collaborations and digital innovation across the Group.”
Mr Zegna continued, “I am very happy with the Zegna Group’s performance. Our enhanced focus on our legacy brand, the strengthening of our luxury textile platform and the dynamic pace of Thom Browne has supported a strong recovery this year, which has accelerated over the summer and continues today with solid growth in revenues relative to the same period of 2020. At the end of November 2021, the Group’s worldwide performance year-to-date is substantially in line with pre-COVID-19 levels. We are confident in our ability to further strengthen our leadership position in the global luxury market while keeping sustainability and care for the people around us at the heart of everything we do. Today’s announcement unlocks the doors to a brighter future – while we continue to follow our own path.”
Andrea C. Bonomi, Founder of Investindustrial and Chairman of the Industrial Advisory Board, said: “We are thrilled about the encouraging feedback we have received, as well as the positive reaction to the business combination with Zegna from the markets, investors and the financial community. This excitement is evidenced by the amount of capital that has been raised to support the transaction, as well as by the participation of major institutional investors. Since the very beginning, we have strongly believed in this partnership, and we are ready to work together and support Zegna in the future to continue its unique history of growth, craftsmanship, heritage and sustainability.”
Sergio Ermotti, Chairman of Investindustrial Acquisition Corp., said: “During recent months, the transaction has garnered strong interest from the investment community as demonstrated by the excellent participation we had at roadshows and at our Analyst Day on November 23, 2021. IIAC believes in the strength of this business combination, and we are excited about our partnership with Zegna.”
Earlier this year, Zegna demonstrated its continued momentum, delivering strong sales and profitability for the first half of 2021, with revenues up 50% year-over-year. The Group’s ongoing growth in the luxury leisurewear segment, as well as its resonance with a new generation of customers, uniquely positions it for long-term success.