E-Commerce Acquisitions in Minnesota

S5 Equity, a Southern California private investment firm, has acquired Heartland America, a discount catalog and online direct-to-consumer retailer based in Chaska, Minnesota. The deal is a strategic bolt-on to S5 Equity’s portfolio company Hammacher Schlemmer to capture synergies across distribution, marketing and sales; financial terms were not disclosed.

PlanetArt has acquired Minneapolis-based I See Me! from the McEvoy Group to deepen its position in personalized children's products. I See Me! publishes more than 60 personalized children's books and related custom products, and PlanetArt said it will leverage its technology and broader product catalog to grow the business; financial terms were not disclosed.

Bertram Capital has made an investment in Bulk Reef Supply (BRS), a Golden Valley, Minnesota-based ecommerce retailer and content platform for saltwater aquarium enthusiasts. Terms were not disclosed; Bertram said it will partner with founders Ryan Batcheller and Andrew Duneman and apply its Bertram High-5 and Bertram Labs capabilities to accelerate BRS's growth.

All States Ag Parts (ASAP), a Kinderhook Industries portfolio company, acquired TractorJoe, a direct-to-consumer online distributor of new and used replacement tractor and agricultural machinery parts. The deal is ASAP's seventh add-on and is intended to expand ASAP's direct-to-consumer eCommerce presence and website capabilities; TractorJoe's founder/owners will remain involved in the combined business.