ARRI Group is considering options including a full or partial sale of the business, according to reports published by Bloomberg.
Well, this is a turn up. Bloomberg says that the ARRI Group is considering its future options, including a full or partial sale of the business, according to people familiar with the matter. A deal could apparently involve selling a majority or minority stake, and it is known that the firm has also been working with consultancy AlixPartners to streamline its business.
We’ve asked ARRI for a comment, but expect that it’s rather busy at the moment.
Update. An ARRI spokesperson has provided us with the following: "As a matter of long-standing policy, ARRI does not comment on market speculation or rumors. Like others in the industry, ARRI is currently undergoing a transformation process in which we are structurally adapting to the lasting changes in the demands of our market. In doing so, we are building on our technological expertise, our strong brand, and our long-standing commitment to our customers and partners.
As we are in the midst of this transformational phase, please understand that we do not wish to comment further on this matter publicly."
“Arri has faced a build-up of inventory as a result of depressed sales, leading to pressure on liquidity, according to its parent’s 2023 report,” writes Bloomberg. “At the time, Arri had raised cash by selling non-core assets. In May this year, it signed an agreement to sell lighting fixtures subsidiary Claypaky to EK Inc.”
The Claypacky sale was interesting in that ARRI Group had only bought the company in 2022. Disposing of it a mere two and a half years later would not be normal business practice for the company.
The ARRI Group is made up of a number of components though, including ARRI Camera Systems, ARRI Lighting, ARRI Rental, ARRI Solutions, and more. So, there is definitely room for raising funds by a full or partial disposal of one of the sub-businesses without affecting the day to day operations of a lot of the rest of the company. And, as Nikon’s swoop for RED last year shows, specialist high end manufacturers can be attractive propositions for all sorts of other companies in the imaging space.