Bucharest, 19 October 2021 – SARMIS Capital, the largest private equity fund dedicated to Romania and neighbouring countries, has acquired a significant majority stake in Corporate Office Solutions (COS), the leading integrated office fit-out services provider in Romania, for an undisclosed amount.

SARMIS is partnering with Mr. Christophe Weller, the CEO and founder of the company, supporting him in achieving an accelerated growth strategy.

COS is the undisputed market leader in the office fit-out solutions space in Romania. It was the first local company to provide fully integrated “design & build” services and has continuously developed its range of services, having a proven track record of successful delivery of large-scale projects for blue-chip clients (such as Microsoft, Google, Amazon, UiPath, ING, KPMG, Accenture, Nestlé). Since its founding in January 1998, the company has grown to become the leading specialist in Integrated Design and Build solutions for interior spaces, including workplace consultancy, conceptual and architectural/mechanical and electrical design, supply and installation of furniture, floorings, light fixtures and interior partitions, as well as turnkey interiors construction fit-out covering all architectural and M&E parts. During its 24 years of activity, the company has delivered professional services and top-quality products to more than 2,300 clients that needed to create or transform their workspaces, in more than 17,000 successful projects. COS holds the sole local authorized dealership of Steelcase (worldwide leader in the office furniture industry, who first awarded the company the coveted Platinum status in 2016) and is also the representative of Interface (worldwide leader in modular carpet industry), in addition to other reputable brands. The company operates from local offices in Bucharest, Cluj-Napoca, Timisoara and Iasi.

COS aims to enhance its business model further under the new shareholding structure, by actively focusing on ESG and Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives, expanding to new sectors (such as private healthcare, private education and hospitality) and geographies, both organically and through strategic acquisitions.

“After 24 years in Romania, COS needed a change to keep stretching its market coverage, geographically and in new business segments, and accelerate its growth by reaching new heights. By partnering with the SARMIS team and benefiting from its focus and know-how in supporting entrepreneurial companies, we are developing an ambitious and creative business model that will sustain COS leadership position for many years ahead.”, said Christophe Weller, CEO and founder of COS.

“From our very first discussions with Mr. Weller, it was obvious that SARMIS and COS share the same values and objectives: the highest standards of work, services and product quality, efficiency and maximization of potential, leadership in one’s field and a committed interest in sustainability. Partnering was therefore a natural, logical outcome. We look forward to strengthening the market leader with our proven consolidation capabilities, financial backing and expertise, as well as supporting its development on a regional scale.”, said Cezar Scarlat, Managing Partner and co-founder of SARMIS Capital. “Our investment in COS is just the first of many aimed at supporting local entrepreneurs and their interesting business projects. We see a lot of potential in various market sectors and are excited to support the local ecosystem grow.”, added SARMIS representatives.

For this transaction, SARMIS was advised by Radu Tărăcilă Pădurari Retevoescu SCA (RTPR) (legal and transactional) and PwC Romania (financial, tax and commercial), while COS’s legal advisor was Ariana Lăța from Lăța & Associates.