Global investment firm Kohlberg Kravis Roberts&Co LP will acquire a 10 percent stake in a subsidiary of the HCM City-listed Masan Group, following a bilateral agreement inked on April 12.

The investment company will pay 159 million USD for the stake in Masan Consumer, in what will be the largest ever private equity transaction in Vietnam . It is also the first venture by Kohlberg Co into the Vietnamese market.

Under the deal, Masan Consumer will issue 14 million shares to Kohlberg, reducing Masan Group’s stake from 86.6 percent to 78 percent.

Masan Group CEO Madhur Maini said that the partnership with Kohlberg will help the company achieve more growth in the food industry.

Ming Lu, a representative of Kohlberg, said that the acquisition showed how the company regarded Vietnam ’s business prospects.

Masan Consumer produces popular fish, soya and chilli sauces, and instant noodles. The company last year earned a revenue of 5.7 trillion VND (272 million USD) and a net profit of 1.3 trillion VND (60 million USD).

Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co is an alternative asset manager with 61 billion USD in assets under management as of December 31, 2010. The company seeks to create value by bringing operational expertise to its portfolio of companies and through active oversight and monitoring of its investments./.