May River Capital Forms Advanced Material Processing and Acquires Kason Corporation

May River Capital Merges AMP and AHS to Form Akona Process Solutions

January 15, 2025

Manufacturing

May River Capital has merged its portfolio companies Advanced Material Processing (AMP) and Automated Handling Solutions (AHS) into a single platform rebranded as Akona Process Solutions, headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina. The consolidated business unifies the Cablevey, Kason, Marion and Spiroflow brands to provide material processing and material handling equipment plus aftermarket parts and services for food & beverage, pharmaceutical, nutraceutical and chemical end markets.

May River Capital Acquires Marion Process Solutions

January 10, 2019

Manufacturing

Chicago-based private equity firm May River Capital has completed the acquisition of Marion Process Solutions, a Marion, Iowa manufacturer of industrial mixers, blenders and microwave vacuum drying systems. The deal—terms undisclosed—transfers ownership from longtime owners Barry Boyer and Jim Hoke to May River, which intends to use Marion as the first building block of a new materials processing solutions platform and to support the company’s growth under existing management.

May River Capital Acquires Cashco as Flow Control Solutions Platform

November 13, 2024

Manufacturing

May River Capital, a Chicago-based private equity firm, has acquired Cashco, a designer and manufacturer of pressure management and flow control products headquartered in Ellsworth, Kansas. Cashco will serve as May River's inaugural investment in a new Flow Control Solutions platform, with May River planning significant investments to grow the business organically and through add-on M&A while retaining Cashco's existing leadership.

May River Capital Acquires Cablevey Conveyors

December 22, 2021

Manufacturing

Chicago-based private equity firm May River Capital has acquired Cablevey Conveyors, the Oskaloosa, Iowa manufacturer of tubular drag conveyor systems. The deal closed on Dec. 22 (Cablevey’s 50th anniversary); Cablevey will continue operating in Oskaloosa while May River plans to invest to grow market share in food & beverage, pharmaceuticals and other regulated end markets and pursue synergies with a sister platform, Advanced Material Processing (AMP).

May River Capital Acquires Spiroflow to Form Automated Handling Solutions (AHS)

October 3, 2022

Manufacturing

Chicago-based private equity firm May River Capital acquired Spiroflow and combined it with Cablevey Conveyors to create Automated Handling Solutions (AHS). Northstar Capital provided junior debt and an equity co-investment to help finance the transaction; Spiroflow will continue operating under existing leadership to drive growth across food, pharmaceutical, nutraceutical and specialty chemical end markets.

May River Capital Acquires PaperTech

December 8, 2020

Packaging

May River Capital, a Chicago-based private equity firm, has acquired PaperTech, a Findlay, Ohio manufacturer of sustainable, dual-ovenable paperboard trays and bowls serving the frozen food and foodservice markets. PaperTech has nearly 200 employees and produces over 500 million trays annually; founder Larry Epstein will retire (remaining a shareholder) while co-founder Al Fotheringham will remain as a shareholder and continue as Chief Development Officer.