CIR Group - The Group

The Group

Today the most important business of the group is Sorgenia, the company founded by CIR in 1999 thanks to an agreement with the Austrian utility Verbund, which has over the years become one of the principal Italian operators in the electricity and gas sector. Sorgenia is active in the production and sale of electricity and in the sale of natural gas with approximately 500 thousand clients throughout Italy. After having focused for several years on the micro and small business sector, in 2011 the company entered the market as a supplier of electricity to households. CIR is the controlling shareholder of Sorgenia with an interest of 52%. In 2011 Sorgenia reported revenues of approximately 2.1 billion euro.

In the media sector CIR controls Gruppo Editoriale L'Espresso, the publishing company listed on the Italian stock exchange, which owns the daily newspaper la Repubblica, the weekly magazine L’Espresso plus other magazines, 18 local newspapers, three national radio stations (Radio Deejay, Radio Capital and M2O), two television channels, a digital division and an advertising concessionaire. The group is also active in television infrastructure with two multiplexes for digital terrestrial broadcasting. In 2011 Gruppo Editoriale l’Espresso reported revenues of 890.1 million euro.

In automotive components it is present with the subsidiary SOGEFI, one of the main operators worldwide in the engine system sector (filters and air cooling systems for engines) and suspension components (precision springs, stabilizer bars). Founded in Mantua in 1980, SOGEFI today supplies the most important car manufacturers worldwide and operates in 16 countries in five continents with 46 production plants. SOGEFI’s history includes numerous acquisitions, particularly in Europe and South America, the most recent of which was that of Mark IV Systèmes Moteurs (engine systems), completed at the end of July 2011. Sogefi’s revenues for 2011 came in at 1,158.4 million euro (pro-forma revenues, including the businesses of Systèmes Moteurs in the consolidation as from January 1, 2011, would be 1,335 million euro).

KOS, which is controlled by CIR with AXA Private Equity also having an interest, operates in the care-home sector. Established in 2003 with the name Holding Sanità e Servizi, KOS is active in the management of care homes (with the brand Anni Azzurri) and rehabilitation centres (S.Stefano). The company also supplies and manages diagnostic and therapeutic medical technology through its subsidiary Medipass. The KOS group is one of the main Italian operators in this field with more than 60 facilities under management in the centre and north of Italy. The group recently launched a joint venture in India in the medical technology sector. KOS employs some 4,000 people and has an annual turnover of approximately 350 million euro.

The CIR group is also active in various investment initiatives such as the venture capital fund CIR Ventures, has a series of interests in the private equity sector and a portfolio of non-performing loans. In 2011 the CIR group acquired an interest of approximately 20% in the SEG group (Swiss Education Group), which is involved in training for the hospitality sector (hotels, catering etc.) with six facilities and over 5,000 students from all over the world.