Linea Trovata Suntec seeks 30 million euro growth capital
Linea Trovata Suntec from Lokeren is seeking 30 million euro to finance their growing sustainable energy company. The company turnover increased tenfold last year from 7,5 to 76 million euro. This year it is heading towards a turnover of 110 million. The international breakthrough has also begun with several subsidiaries in France (headquarters in Lyon) and with the integration of three partners in Italy. Daughter companies will follow in the US and in Great Britain this autumn.
Italy
Linea Trovata Suntec has just taken over projects in sustainable energy with a capacity of 100 MW peak from its three partners in Italy. LT Suntec will develop power which will mainly involve photovoltaic energy via a daughter company in Italy. ‘Linea Trovata has a 75 % input in this and its partners a 25 % input. This “collaborative” development is the core of our companies’ philosophy’, says Piet Van Poucke, LT Suntec’s CEO.
30 million euro in 2011
The Group has attracted sufficient private capital to finance all of its projects for this year. ‘For 2011 we plan to enter the open market in order to find 30 million euro to reinforce our own equity, but for the moment not through an IPO (Initial Public Offer)’, says Piet Van Poucke.
Founders in company capital
Until now all of the companies from the Linea Trovata Group are for almost 100 % in the hands of the founders and employees. 25 of the 35 engineers in the Group are shareholders. The Group which only became a Legal entity (Ltd company) in 2005 consists of 110 employees spread over 6 Belgian subsidiaries, Lokeren, Hasselt, Kortrijk, Herentals, Oostende and Ans in Liège. It also has offices in France, Italy, the Netherlands and China.
LT Suntec key company
Linea Trovata started with LT BioPower, a daughter company in 2005. LT BioPower is specialised in cogeneration (Combined Heat and Power – CHP) obtained from biomass. In 2006 LT Eco, another daughter, was established. LT Eco developed an energy friendly drying technique for manure and digestate that produces manure granules through means of a profitable process. In 2007 LT Suntec was established, this quickly grew to a key company. LT Suntec places photovoltaic as well as thermal solar panels, and is also involved in geothermal or heat pumps.
Sun Invest
Sun Invest was established a little later with the aim to rent roofs and generate green electricity, for which financiers are constantly being sought. Despite its early start in 2005 and the numerous investments in innovation, the Linea Trovata Group has continued to be profitable over the past years with a gross profit of more than 10%.
Engineering round sustainable energy
The denominator for all Linea Trovata companies is engineering centered around sustainable energy. A group of engineers with the same ethics set up the company at the end of the 90’s. Together the engineers sought for original and sustainable solutions for the energy problems of the companies for which they at that time worked. It was in 2005 that the founders Piet Van Poucke and John Herfs started their own company. Shortly afterwards Andries Busschaert, Joor De Bruijn and Kurt Steendam joined. The current board is made up of 12 people. The earlier belief in an open collective centered around a sustainable economy is to this day maintained in the daily work.
10% to charities
The stakeholders prove that sustainability is not a buzz word for Linea Trovata by donating up to 10 % of its profit to charity. Linea Trovata is one of the largest financiers of Natuurpunt. It paid the largest private part of the Stappersven in the Kalmthoutse Heide, a nature reserve of 360 hectare and is, after Lambrecht tyres, the second largest sponsor of Lokeren football club.
Linea Trovata 