News & Press Releases - October 17, 2023

Axcel sells Mountain Top to RealTruck

Nordic private equity group Axcel sells Mountain Top, a high-quality producer of accessories for pick-up trucks, to US-based market leader RealTruck, owned by global consumer growth investor L Catterton. During Axcel’s ownership period, Mountain Top has transitioned from a regional player to a global supplier.

Axcel has sold Mountain Top to RealTruck, the premier manufacturer of functional aftermarket accessories and digital destination for truck, Jeep®, Bronco® and off-road enthusiasts. RealTruck is based in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and has over 5,000 associates across 47 locations throughout North America.

Axcel invested in Mountain Top in late 2017, and during the near six years of ownership the company has become a global brand providing innovative, high-quality accessories to leading pick-up truck producers and retailers in all the key markets. Today, Mountain Top has 350 employees and operates from four sites – Denmark, North America, Thailand and Australia – with entries into the US and Thai markets made under Axcel’s ownership.

“I’m very pleased that we’ve achieved our goal of transforming the company from a regional player into a leading global supplier,” says Christoffer Müller, Partner at Axcel. “During our ownership, we’ve invested in growing global markets and new product series, and we’ve expanded the company’s production capabilities. These efforts have resulted in an increase in revenue share outside Europe from 19% to 60% and an increase in earnings of more than 50%. None of this would have been possible without the tireless efforts of the management team and all the employees, and I wish them all the best in the next step of their journey.”

Henrik Støwer Petersen, CEO of Mountain Top, adds:

“Mountain Top has become one of the leading players in the global pick-up truck market during our partnership with Axcel. I want to thank Christoffer Müller and his team for helping us play to our strengths in terms of investing in a unique product offering, best-in-class operations and obtaining a truly global presence. We’re excited to now take Mountain Top even further as part of the RealTruck group.”

Mountain Top has been sold from Axcel Fund V.

About Mountain Top
Mountain Top has more than 40 years of experience in the automotive industry and is one of the leading players in the global pick-up truck market. The company does partnership solutions and is specialised in developing and manufacturing accessories for pick-up trucks in accordance with OE customer expectations and requirements. Mountain Top is headquartered in Copenhagen, Denmark. Mountain Top has approx. 350 employees and operates from four sites – Denmark, North America, Thailand and Australia. For more information, visit www.mountaintop.dk.

About Axcel
Founded in 1994, Axcel is a Nordic private equity group focusing on four sectors: technology, business services & industrials, healthcare and consumer. Our team in Stockholm and Copenhagen brings 30 years of experience in building companies through a collaborative mindset and a structured approach to value creation. Axcel has raised seven funds with committed capital of €4 billion from Nordic and international investors. We currently own 21 companies headquartered across the Nordics, and we have made a total of 70 platform investments, more than 300 add-on acquisitions and 49 exits. For more information, visit www.axcel.dk.

About RealTruck
RealTruck is the premier manufacturer of functional aftermarket accessories and digital destination for truck, Jeep®, Bronco® and off-road enthusiasts. Headquartered in Ann Arbor, Michigan, with over 5,000 associates across 47 locations throughout North America, RealTruck continuously designs, develops, manufactures and sells industry-defining products with more than 630 patents and growing. RealTruck’s extensive product offering is a leader in each of its primary categories. The company’s omni-channel approach makes it easy for people to find the right products to transform their vehicle, gain expert advice and secure professional installation, whether they are shopping for products online at RealTruck.com or through the more than 12,000 dealer locations and automotive (OEM) partnerships who sell their products. RealTruck is engineered to deliver a seamless consumer experience from idea to installation. For more information, visit www.realtruck.com.

For further information, contact:

Axcel:
Christoffer Müller, Partner
Tel.: +45 29 38 53 66
E-mail: cm@axcel.dk

Christian Schmidt-Jacobsen, Managing Partner
Tel.: +45 21 78 36 97
E-mail: csj@axcel.dk

Maria Fiorini Lorenzen, Head of Communications
Tel. : +45 22273676
E-mail : mfl@axcel.dk

Mountain Top:
Henrik Støwer Petersen, CEO
Tel.: +45 30921256
E-mail: hsp@mountaintop.dk

RealTruck
Tony Ambroza, Chief Growth Officer
Tel.: +1 734 277 5731
E-mail: Tony.Ambroza@realtruck.com