With the payment of the purchase price, the AutoWallis Group has successfully closed the takeover of the vehicles sales and service activities and the purchase of the real estate properties of Avto Aktiv, a major car sales company in Slovenia. The acquisition is an important milestone in the life of the company listed in the Premium category of the Budapest Stock Exchange, because Avto Aktiv’s EUR 46 million 2021 revenue is significant even among earlier transactions and is close to 10 percent of the company’s revenue for 2021. Avto Aktiv achieved this result through the sale of 795 new and 458 used vehicles and the related repair and other services. Established in 2004, the sales company is a significant market player on the Slovenian automotive retail market, selling and servicing BMW, MINI, Toyota, and Suzuki (and is the exclusive authorized representative of the MINI brand) vehicles in five cities (Koper, Kranj, Ljubljana, Nova Gorica, and Trzin). With this acquisition, the Group has continued the expansion of its international Retail & Services Business Unit with the aim of making AutoWallis a major vehicle trading company and mobility service provider in the region. This is not the company’s first acquisition in Slovenia: in 2020, the company concluded the takeover of the country’s largest, and Ljubljana’s only, BMW dealership, which also marked the group’s entry into the local car retail market. In addition, the group is also the exclusive authorized representative of the Opel, Jaguar, and Land Rover brands on the Slovenian market. The Slovenian economy and car market, and their outlook for growth, are particularly strong: GDP growth is typically above the EU average, with GDP per capita in 2021 estimated at USD 27,278 compared to USD 17,020 in Hungary, while new car registrations per capita are typically double the Hungarian average.

Péter Antal, head of AutoWallis’s Retail & Services Business Unit, explained that following the successful completion of the recent acquisition in Slovenia, the company now has more than a 50 percent share of the Slovenian market for the BMW and MINI brands, with sales in five cities and six locations. AutoWallis Group’s almost 30 years of experience, expertise, contacts, and capital will help Slovenian subsidiaries thrive on the Slovenian retail market, possibly enjoying even faster growth, while the synergies stemming from their position are beneficial for both the company and its customers and clients. Among others, AutoWallis plans to optimize the procurement, IT systems, back office, marketing, and logistics activities of its Slovenian subsidiaries, which will further improve the efficiency of the Slovenian retail sector. According to Péter Antal, one of the biggest gains in efficiency is expected to come from inventory management, as instead of one location, vehicles and spare parts stocks can now be moved between five locations. He added that this is advantageous not only for the company but also for Slovenian customers, who will be able to choose from larger stocks and also receive a higher level of service thanks to the planned improvements. AutoWallis focuses on sustainability in the development of its car showrooms and plans investments that fit its strategy and its Green Finance Framework, even going beyond industry standards. Péter Antal pointed out that in addition to organic growth, expansion on the Slovenian market can be possible with the inclusion of more vehicle brands, the possibilities of which are being examined.

‍