Consumer Products Acquisitions in 2018

Petmate, a leading pet products manufacturer based in Arlington, Texas, announced the acquisition of Gen7Pets, a maker of pet strollers, travel carriers and ramps founded in 2012. The deal expands Petmate's product portfolio in pet travel and safety accessories and will bring Gen7Pets management and IP into Petmate's Arlington headquarters during integration.

Swiss consumer goods company The Hero Group has sold its U.S. decoration business, Signature Brands, to investors Traub Capital. The divestment allows Hero to focus on core categories such as baby food and healthy snacks; financial terms were not disclosed.

Outward Hound, a J.W. Childs-backed portfolio company, acquired Planet Dog — a Made-in-USA dog toy brand known for its Orbee line and values-driven positioning. The add-on expands Outward Hound’s branded product offerings in the dog toy segment and follows Outward Hound’s acquisition by J.W. Childs in December 2017.

GSM Outdoors, a portfolio company of Sentinel Capital Partners, has acquired New Archery Products, LLC (NAP) from Bruckmann, Rosser, Sherrill & Co. Cleary Gull acted as exclusive financial advisor to NAP; the deal expands GSM's multi-brand hunting and archery product portfolio and complements its existing capabilities in the outdoor and shooting sports market.

Implus, the Durham-based athletic and outdoor accessories company (majority owned by Berkshire Partners), acquired substantially all assets of Pro Performance Sports LLC, which does business as SKLZ. The acquisition adds the SKLZ sporting-goods brand and product portfolio to Implus' fitness division and aims to expand Implus' presence and channels in the sporting goods category.

R2P Pet, a pet products manufacturer, has acquired Ultra Paws, a Minnesota-based maker of dog boots, apparel and outdoor accessories. The acquisition will provide Ultra Paws with greater resources to expand product lines, innovate into new categories and broaden domestic and international distribution channels.

Fireman Capital Partners has acquired a majority stake in Bandon Holdings, an Austin, Texas–based Anytime Fitness franchisee. The investment gives Fireman control of Bandon’s multi-location gym platform (250+ locations per company filings) and is intended to support growth, scale operations, and accelerate the franchisee’s expansion.

Intradeco, a global vertical-manufacturing apparel company, has acquired Headsweats, a Boulder-based leader in performance headwear. The deal positions Headsweats to expand into fully sublimated performance tees and running singlets while leveraging Intradeco's vertical integration and sustainable manufacturing capabilities to increase production and lower minimums.

Global Partner Acquisition Corp. (GPAC), a special purpose acquisition company, completed a business combination with Purple Innovation, LLC, taking the comfort-technology mattress and home goods company public in February 2018. The deal renamed GPAC to Purple Innovation, Inc. and listed the combined company's common stock and warrants on NASDAQ, providing Purple with access to public markets and growth capital.

Svoboda Capital Partners LLC and Quality Importers Trading Co., Inc. have acquired XIKAR, Inc.; Dinan Capital Advisors served as exclusive financial advisor to XIKAR and its shareholders. XIKAR, a leading designer and distributor of premium cigar accessories, will be combined with Quality Importers to expand product design, distribution capabilities and the buyers' presence in the premium cigar accessories market.