RIVAL A/S and LPM Production A/S Join Forces to Become a Stronger Partner for Customers

RIVAL A/S has been sold to an investor group that also owns LPM Production A/S (LPM) in Ølgod.
As sister companies, LPM and RIVAL will become a stronger supplier to the industry than they have been individually. The timing for this new partnership is perfect.

Demand from sectors such as the defense industry is steadily increasing. This presents significant growth opportunities for individual suppliers but also requires substantial investments to keep up. For owner-managed companies, this can be challenging, and the right investors can be the key to maintaining momentum and supporting continued development.

Passing on a Lifework

For Kirsten and Henrik Holvad, the time has come to pass RIVAL on to continue its development journey.
“We are proud to hand over our life’s work to new owners. Over many years, we have built a truly unique company with a strong culture, a solid organization, and valuable partnerships with customers who place high demands on us and wish to grow alongside us,” says CEO Henrik Holvad.
“We believe that our Sales Director Christian Aarup, the new owners, and the collaboration with LPM will take RIVAL to the next level of growth — all while honoring the culture and competencies that define RIVAL.”

The investor group consists of Brygge Partners A/S, business leader Lars Gantzel Pedersen, and three senior employees: Sales Director Christian Aarup from RIVAL, and CEO Jan Nielsen Økjær and Sales Manager Leif Jonsen from LPM.

Businessman Lars Aaen will serve as Chairman of the Board for both the parent and subsidiary companies. Moving forward, Jan Nielsen Økjær and Christian Aarup will form the executive team of both LPM and RIVAL.

Fantastic Owner-Managers Say Goodbye

“From our first meetings at RIVAL, we could sense what fantastic owner-managers Kirsten and Henrik Holvad are. Their integrity and values strongly influence the daily work at RIVAL — something that benefits customers, employees, and the local community alike,” says CEO Kent Ernst Hansen of Brygge Partners.
“That’s something we will take great care of moving forward and will incorporate into the future collaboration between the two sister companies. RIVAL and LPM will continue to operate out of Skanderborg, Ølgod, and Cielądz in Poland.”

A Strong Foundation for Continued Development

The investor group, including Brygge Partners and Lars Gantzel Pedersen, acquired LPM in 2022 with the goal of seeing the company grow and thrive. “Together with our new owners, we are in the midst of a valuable development phase where we are both growing and consolidating our position in the defense industry — and in the industry more broadly,” says CEO Jan Nielsen Økjær of LPM.
“We look forward to continuing this development together with RIVAL. We share many similarities and can learn a lot from each other. At the same time, we will significantly broaden our offerings to customers and increase our capacity. With LPM’s solid expertise in CNC long-turning and RIVAL’s in 5-axis machining, we will be able to produce complex parts with tight tolerances — from the smallest diameter of Ø1mm to very large components.”

Great Potential

The investor group sees strong potential in the future collaboration between RIVAL and LPM. The two companies share a commitment to creating real value and progress for their customers through deep technical expertise and strong partnerships.
“We have seen very strong growth with LPM over the past few years and see great potential for future growth for both sister companies,” says Lars Gantzel Pedersen. “They will both be able to take on new assignments with their current customers and, together, tackle even larger projects. This will strengthen their joint position in both the defense industry and the industry at large.”

A Few Facts

Figures indicate the combined total for LPM and RIVAL