Equistone portfolio company BUKO Traffic & Safety expands into the German market with acquisition of BVT Bremer Verkehrstechnik

BUKO Traffic & Safety ("BUKO"), a leading provider of outsourced traffic and safety management solutions in the Netherlands and the UK, has acquired BVT Bremer Verkehrstechnik GmbH ("BVT"). The acquisition marks BUKO’s expansion into Germany, a key strategic growth market, and follows the company’s expansion into the UK market earlier this year through the acquisition of Road Traffic Solutions Ltd. (RTS). The parties have agreed not to disclose details of the transaction.

Headquartered in Barendrecht, the Netherlands, BUKO Traffic & Safety employs over 450 people and successfully oversees thousands of projects annually. A leading provider of outsourced traffic and safety management solutions in its home market of the Netherlands, the company consists of the two business units BUKO Infrasupport and BUKO Waakt. Founded in 1991, BUKO Infrasupport specialises in temporary traffic management solutions. With its comprehensive portfolio of services – from design, planning, approval, deployment and collection, as well as onsite management of road signage, safety equipment required for roadworks and also an innovative range of digital traffic management solutions – BUKO Infrasupport primarily serves contractors and public authorities, active in utility-related and urban/rural roadworks. BUKO Waakt provides temporary remote security solutions with a focus on camera surveillance, intrusion detection systems and access control systems, which are used principally on construction sites.

Since funds advised by Equistone acquired a majority stake in BUKO in February 2023, the company has pursued a growth strategy focused on building its presence in its home market and targeted expansion into neighbouring countries supported by strong market dynamics. In March 2024, BUKO established a foothold in the attractive UK market with the acquisition of RTS, a temporary traffic and event management solutions specialist, operating from seven locations and employing 175 people.

By establishing a presence in Germany, the acquisition of BVT represents the next milestone in BUKO’s growth strategy. Headquartered in Stuhr (near Bremen), BVT provides high-quality temporary traffic management services to a diverse customer base of contractors, local authorities and event organisers. In recent years, BVT has grown into a go-to partner for customers in the region by combining a focus on low-speed traffic situations with a strong service proposition. BVT currently operates from three locations and has 75 employees.

"We are excited to partner with BVT for our entry into the German market. There is a strong fit between BVT and BUKO in terms of strategic focus, culture and shared ambitions for the future.”, says Robert Emmerich, CEO at BUKO. “This partnership marks our entry into Germany, and we are determined to significantly expand our presence over the coming years.”

"After successfully entering the UK market earlier this year, BVT represents an ideal partner for BUKO as it now enters the German market. We are excited to help BUKO realise its international growth ambitions via a targeted buy-and-build strategy which will enable the company to replicate its exceptional track record in the Netherlands in new markets," says Tanja Berg, Director in Equistone's Munich office.

The Equistone team includes Hubert van Wolfswinkel, Tanja Berg and Josh Aalbers. BUKO was advised on the transaction by PwC (Financial & Tax), De Angelis (Legal), Roland Berger (Commercial) and Rautenberg (M&A).