The Nic. Christiansen Group, one of Denmark’s largest car companies, has acquired the German chain May & Olde, Schleswig-Holstein's leading dealer in the BMW, Mini and Alpina car brands.

The acquisition supports Nic. Christiansen Group's continued focus on business expansion and means that the Group will now have seven BMW sales outlets in Northern Germany – and thus expanding and consolidate the group’s close collaboration with BMW.

Niels Vrist Bertelsen, CEO of the Nic. Christiansen Group is proud to enter the German market with May & Olde as the figurehead.

"May & Olde is a well-run and respected business that has really impressed us. That’s why we’re thrilled to make the chain part of the Nic. Christiansen Group. There is a perfect match between our values and business principles, and I am convinced that our German operations will be of great benefit to our Group," says Bertelsen and adds:

"The acquisition is also a natural step for the Nic. Christiansen Group. We are strategically focused on expanding our business, which is why we are constantly looking for the right acquisition opportunities in Denmark and abroad. And we have no doubt that we have found this in May & Olde."

May & Olde is the leading BMW dealer in the state of Schleswig-Holstein and one of Germany’s 50 largest dealer chains. Under Nic. Christiansen Group’s ownership, the chain will continue to operate under the name May & Olde. The company has 240 employees.

May & Olde’s CEO Christian Rönsch is excited about the deal, which supports the European dealer consolidation currently in progress. The consolidation will strengthen the chain’s strong position in Northern Germany.

"It was important for us to find a good partner with a similar company culture, with whom we can continue our success in the future. And we have found this in the Nic. Christiansen Group," says Christian Rönsch and adds

"Both are family businesses, so we share the same values of prioritising our people, and during the sales process I also got to experience the Group's high level of professionalism. I also believe that us northern Germans and Danes have a lot in common on a human level."

Entry in Germany and transfer in Sweden

The Nic. Christiansen Group has extensive experience of operating in foreign markets, but the acquisition of May & Olde represents the first entry into Germany in the Group’s 56-year history.

"We have an international outlook and so entering the German market seems an obvious step, and is of course really interesting for everyone in the industry. So, in addition to May & Olde making a positive contribution to our business from day one, our presence in the German market will eventually open up more attractive opportunities for the Nic. Christiansen Group," says Bertelsen.

Simultaneously with the German acquisition, the Nic. Christiansen Group has agreed to transfer it’s Swedish Hyundai business to Hyundai Motor Europe. The Danish company has imported Hyundai to the Swedish market since 2018, and the transfer is agreed due to a switch in Hyundai Motor Europe’s strategic focus on the Swedish market.

“We have been very happy with the collaboration with Hyundai in Sweden. We have really succeeded in the Swedish market, which have even demanded more cars than we have been able to deliver. We took over a challenged import business, and today we are able to hand over a very well-driven business in very good condition. We are proud to do so, and we wish Hyundai in Sweden that best of luck in the future,” says CEO of the Nic. Christiansen Group Niels Vrist Bertelsen.

He emphasizes that the group’s close collaboration with Hyundai continues in the Danish Market.

The Nic. Christiansen Group’s acquisition of German May & Olde is awaiting approval by the competition authorities. Niels Vrist Bertelsen from the Nic. Christiansen Group states that he doesn't expect to have any issues obtaining the necessary approval.

Background

The Nic. Christiansen Group:

• The Nic. Christiansen Group is one of the country’s largest automotive groups. Since its foundation in 1967, the Group has traded in car imports and retail sales, as well as car financing and leasing.
• The family-owned group is headquartered in Kolding, Denmark, and is currently responsible for the Danish import of Hyundai, Honda, BYD, Land Rover and Jaguar. The Group also owns the three car chains Bayern AutoGroup, Terminalen and British MotorGroup as well as the leasing and financing company NCG Finans.
• The Nic. Christiansen Group has 1,000+ employees spread across the Group’s activities in Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland and the Baltic States.

May & Olde:

• Founded in 2001 by Michael May and Hans-Otto Olde, May & Olde is one of the 50 largest automotive groups in Germany with seven locations and 240+ employees.
• The Group sells the BMW, Mini and Alpina car brands and has showrooms in Halstenbek, Elmshorn, Quickborn, Kaltenkirchen, Itzehoe, Heide and Rendsburg in Northern Germany.

For more information, please contact

The Nic. Christiansen Group

Niels Vrist Bertelsen, CEO

Phone: +45 60 37 51 26

May & Olde

Christian Rönsch, CEO

Phone: +49 0173 62 90 400

[email protected]