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Aurelius to acquire staffing firm Lernia from Swedish government

Aurelius to acquire staffing firm Lernia from Swedish government

Danny Romero
| February 4, 2025
M and A - Merger and Acquisition - word wooden cubes

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Aurelius, a private equity firm, has signed an agreement with the Swedish government to acquire Lernia, a staffing, recruitment, and training agency, in a move to expand its presence in the Nordics.

Lernia, formerly AmuGruppen, has roots dating back to 1918, and is currently present at almost 100 locations in Sweden, with group headquarters in Stockholm. In the 1940’s the company came under the control of the Swedish Public Employment Service, AMS, to provide labour market training for the unemployed. The company introduced staffing services in 1998. Now with 5,300 employees, the company generated an annual turnover of SEK 3.5 billion (€306.6 million) in 2023.

Aurelius said private ownership will give the staffing firm freedom “to act in a competitive fashion and to develop its operations in the way it sees fit, based on economic parameters alone.”

The company said Lernia’s recent financial performance has been volatile.

“Lernia is renowned for its strong brand and deep expertise in providing flexible workforce solutions,” Fabian Steger, managing director at Aurelius European opportunities IV, said in a press release. “We are excited to welcome Lernia into the Aurelius family. We are also confident to be able to provide the right support in changing times and to create value. We intend to develop the company further, in close collaboration with the executive management team and other stakeholders.”

The acquisition is subject to approval by relevant authorities and is expected to be completed by the end of the first quarter of 2025. Financial terms were not disclosed.

“We believe in the strength of Lernia’s team and their ability to continue driving success in this evolving market,” Steger said. “We also believe that the relationships Lernia has with its customers are paramount. We will fully support Lernia in fostering these under our ownership. Our goal is to work closely with employees, customers, and trade unions to promote stability, innovation, and long-term success.”