ALICANTE, SP-- Maison Décor and KA International merged retail outlets November 15 to form what is believed to be the largest retail decorating chain in Europe according to Juan and Jose Angel Climent, Alhambra Group owners and principals of the new merged entity.

Alhambra Group purchased Maison Décor along with the purchase of Pepe Penalver in 2010. KA International is now fully owned by the Alhambra Group and Sherpa Capital, a venture capital firm with headquarters in Valencia, Spain. Sherpa had purchased KA in June, 2011 from Mercapital, a venture capital firm with headquarters in Madrid.

The new company will take advantage of the knowledge and experience of the Climents in marketing as well as product development and international expansion. This arrangement gives Sherpa hands-on management from the Climent brothers and gives the brothers an ownership share of a bigger business.

As part of the deal with Sherpa Capital,  the Climent brothers now own 20% of both companies while Sherpa Capital owns the other 80 percent. Eduardo Navarro is president of Sherpa Capital.  As a result of the merger, the Climent brothers, owners of the Alhambra Group and the Aurea Decor Group, also join the board of directors of KA International.

“The merger is perfect for all sides as we increase the leadership in the decoration franchise industry and we also incorporate to the company an industrial partner to help us in the important development plan that we have for KA International,” Navarro said.

“We are quite satisfied with this agreement as we create a leading company and we can make use of all of our knowledge and experience of more than 30 years in the industry,” said Juan Climent, president of Maison Decor and Alhambra. “We consider that KA International has a great potential and that its leadership will strengthen in the upcoming year even in today’s difficult economic environment.”

“The synergies of the agreement are quite large as we put together the strong world-wide brand knowledge of KA International with the experience in the industry of Maison Decor, its vast international presence and the access to key international suppliers.  With the merger of the close to 400 stores of KA with the more than 80 coming from Maison Decor we become the key decorator franchisor worldwide,” Juan said. Alhambra Group separately owns Pepe Penalver and Lizzo brands as well as Viollettes, a distributor brand. Alhambra has 160 employees and operates in 92 countries according to Juan Climent.

KA International, founded in 1984, is a franchise retail concept and a brand in the European home furnishing market with 400 shops spread over 45 countries throughout the five continents and with a strong presence in The Iberian Peninsula. The Group operates two distinct, although deeply interrelated lines of businesses; retail and contract. KA’s retail format mixes point of service and the direct sale of textiles and other decorative furnishings. In contract, KA addresses architectural projects of hotels and large spaces with professional experts in interiors and decoration.

Maison Decor also operates a network of 40 franchises across Spain and was founded in 1993.