Packaging Acquisitions in Minnesota

Crestview Partners has completed the acquisition of Smyth Companies, a leading provider of pressure sensitive labels, shrink sleeves, in-mold labels and flexible packaging, from Novacap. Crestview is investing alongside members of Smyth's founding family and the company's management team and plans to allocate additional equity to support organic investments and M&A as Smyth pursues tuck-in and transformational acquisitions.

Mill City Capital completed a recapitalization of Diversified Packaging Holdings, LLC, a Blaine, Minnesota-based provider of pre-press products and flexographic plates. Barings provided second-lien debt and an equity co-investment to support the transaction and fund Diversified Packaging's growth initiatives.

Mauser Packaging Solutions, an affiliate of Stone Canyon Industries LLC, has acquired substantially all assets of Consolidated Container Company, LLC, a manufacturer, reconditioner and distributor of industrial containers with facilities in Minneapolis, Minnesota and Kansas City, Kansas. The transaction, funded with $56 million in cash from Mauser's balance sheet, expands Mauser’s reconditioning and recycling capabilities and geographic footprint and is expected to be margin accretive before synergies.

ProMach, via its ID Technology labeling & coding business line, has acquired Lofton Label & Packaging, a Minneapolis–Saint Paul-area producer of labels and printed flexible packaging. The acquisition expands ProMach's label converting and flexible packaging capabilities and adds Lofton's Inver Grove Heights production site and a team of over 70 employees to ProMach's Labeling & Coding portfolio.

Mill Rock Packaging Partners LLC, a portfolio company of Mill Rock Capital, has acquired Impressions Incorporated, a specialty paperboard packaging and commercial printing business based in St. Paul, Minnesota. The acquisition expands Mill Rock Packaging's national footprint into the Midwest and adds Impressions' folding-carton, lithographic printing and value-added engineering capabilities to the combined platform; financial terms were not disclosed.

Cornell Capital has entered into an agreement to acquire Advantek, a global manufacturer of precision carrier tape and protective packaging for electronic and semiconductor components, from Tinicum-managed funds, with Tinicum retaining a minority stake. Cornell will partner with Advantek's management to accelerate growth through product innovation, capacity and geographic expansion, and M&A; terms were not disclosed.

Spell Capital Partners, a Minneapolis-based private equity firm, has acquired Diamond Graphics, a Ramsey, Minnesota-based gift card and plastic card manufacturer. Spell Capital said it will partner with Diamond's management and employees to grow the business and pursue further investment opportunities.

Investment funds managed by Morgan Stanley Capital Partners completed an investment in Advanced Web Technologies Holding Company (AWT Labels & Packaging/Citation Healthcare Labels) from Mason Wells. AWT, headquartered in Minneapolis with ~300 employees and three U.S. facilities, is a manufacturer of labels and flexible packaging serving healthcare, food & beverage, personal care and industrial end markets; MSCP intends to support organic growth, capability and geographic expansion, and acquisitions.

Revolution, a Little Rock-based manufacturer of sustainable plastic solutions, acquired Polar Plastics Corporation from Spell Capital Partners to expand its production footprint and deepen penetration into packaging, agriculture and retail end markets. Polar Plastics is headquartered in St. Paul, Minnesota and operates a 100,000-square-foot polyethylene film and bag manufacturing facility; Spell Capital had owned the business since 2018.

TricorBraun has acquired Minneapolis-based Packaging Solutions, Inc. (PSI), a rigid packaging distributor and custom designer serving pharmaceutical, pet food and personal care markets. The acquisition strengthens TricorBraun’s Minneapolis presence (adding warehouse capacity) and integrates PSI into the TricorBraun platform; PSI’s owners and team will remain and the Packaging Solutions name has been retired. Terms were not disclosed.

Brixey & Meyer Capital completed the acquisition of Patriot Converting, Inc., a custom paper converting and logistics provider based in Elk River, Minnesota. Cherry Tree advised Patriot Converting on the sale, which transfers ownership from founder/owner Mike Stilwell to the Ohio-based private investment firm to expand BMC’s manufacturing and distribution platform.