Berlin circular economy company CirQono has acquired ORA Ostrauer Recycling und Abfallwirtschaft GmbH, based in Grimma, Saxony. CirQono has been a portfolio company of Deutsche Private Equity (DPE) since 2022 and, with its core brand DARE, is one of the established providers of dismantling, demolition, remediation of hazardous materials, building materials recycling and waste disposal in the Berlin-Brandenburg region.
With the acquisition of the medium-sized waste disposal and recycling business, the Berlin corporate group is deliberately expanding its regional operational reach beyond its previous core area into the economic regions of Leipzig and Dresden. In addition to geographical expansion, the group intends to use ORA's technical specialisation in rail infrastructure projects to further develop this sector across the entire group.
Specialisation in rail infrastructure and regional recycling
ORA GmbH is an owner-managed family business from the Ostrau district of Grimma that has been active in the market for more than two decades. In addition to traditional demolition, recycling and waste disposal operations, the company's service portfolio primarily comprises sophisticated construction and dismantling services across the rail network, most notably the dismantling of bridge structures.
The Saxon enterprise also operates its own facility for processing and recycling mineral construction materials, as well as an associated container service. These operational facilities complement CirQono's capabilities, which range from site clearance and the controlled demolition of complex engineering structures to waste disposal services for commercial and private clients.
Transaction advisory by Grant Thornton
As part of the transaction, the buyer was advised by the audit and consulting firm Grant Thornton in Germany. A specialist team led by Steffen Kahlefendt, Partner in Deal Advisory, carried out the financial due diligence and advised CirQono on the commercial execution of the acquisition.
- —Target company: ORA Ostrauer Recycling und Abfallwirtschaft GmbH, based in Grimma-Ostrau
- —Buyer: CirQono, portfolio company of DPE Deutsche Private Equity
- —Core competencies of the acquisition: rail infrastructure, bridge dismantling, as well as proprietary recycling and container site
- —Advisory: financial due diligence by Grant Thornton led by Steffen Kahlefendt
