EFC International Acquires Inventory Sales Company

Frontenac Acquires EFC International

November 3, 2021

Industrial Services

Chicago-based private equity firm Frontenac has acquired EFC International, a St. Louis-headquartered value-added distributor of highly engineered fasteners and specialty components. Financial terms were not disclosed; CEO Matt Dudenhoeffer and the executive team will remain in place as Frontenac supports EFC's organic and inorganic expansion plans following a sale by prior sponsor Quad-C Management.

Motion & Control Enterprises Acquires Applied Industrial Controls and Engineered Systems Group

November 2, 2023

Industrial Services

Motion & Control Enterprises (MCE), a Frontenac‑backed industrial distributor and service platform, acquired Buford, Georgia‑based Applied Industrial Controls, Inc. (AIC) and Engineered Systems Group, LLC (ESG). The add‑on acquisitions expand MCE’s automation, controls distribution, and systems integration capabilities and provide entry into southeastern U.S. industrial and water/wastewater end markets.

AFC Industries Acquires QFC Industries

April 25, 2023

Industrial Services

AFC Industries has acquired QFC Industries, a fastener distributor headquartered in Arlington, Texas. The add-on deal (terms undisclosed) expands AFC’s geographic presence in the South and West, deepens its distribution and VMI capabilities, and brings QFC’s team and two distribution centers into AFC’s platform backed by Bertram Capital.

PAI Partners Agrees to Acquire Majority Stake in ECF Group

June 14, 2023

Logistics & Distribution

PAI Partners has made a binding offer to acquire a majority stake in ECF Group from French private equity firm Naxicap Partners, with Naxicap remaining a minority investor alongside management. ECF is an omnichannel B2B distributor of equipment, consumables and hygiene products for hospitality and care professionals, headquartered in Grigny, France (~1,750 employees, ~€760m revenue); PAI intends to accelerate growth organically and via acquisitions to consolidate the fragmented market.

ECI Software Solutions Acquires ES Tech Group

October 7, 2022

Cloud & SaaS

ECI Software Solutions has completed the acquisition of ES Tech Group, a U.K.-based B2B eCommerce software and services company. The deal expands ECI's cloud-based eCommerce portfolio and brings ES Tech's platform and growth-agency capabilities into ECI's suite to better serve SME manufacturers, distributors and wholesalers.

Frontenac Invests in Integrated Openings Solutions

November 28, 2023

Building Products

Chicago-based private equity firm Frontenac has partnered with Integrated Openings Solutions (IOS), a value-added specialty distributor and service provider of commercial door openings and access control solutions headquartered in Olathe, Kansas. The investment will support IOS's geographic expansion and broaden its product and service offerings while founders Joe Lopez and Nick McCarty remain in leadership; TM Capital served as financial advisor to IOS.