Packaging Acquisitions in South Carolina

Foundation Investment Partners (FIP) has completed the acquisition of American Spool & Packaging, Inc. (Amspak), a Hartsville, South Carolina-based specialty paper packaging manufacturer. The Ridgeway family is exiting the business while FIP will keep operations in place with industry veteran David Partin serving as CEO to support growth and reinvestment in the company.

Hood Container Corporation has acquired Sumter Packaging Corporation, a South Carolina-based provider of high-graphic corrugated displays, graphic packaging and corrugated packaging. Mesirow acted as Sumter's exclusive financial advisor; the deal expands Hood Container's geographic footprint and vertical supply-chain capabilities across the Southeast.

ChromaScape, a specialty colorants and additives supplier backed by Heartwood Partners, has acquired CEL Chemical, a Piedmont, South Carolina-based manufacturer of adhesives, additives and modifiers for the corrugated paperboard packaging industry. The acquisition expands ChromaScape's packaging chemical product line and follows the retirement of CEL Chemical founder Jim Messenger; Heartwood Partners supported the transaction as the sponsor of ChromaScape.

Envoy Solutions, a Glenview, Illinois–based specialized distributor, has acquired York, South Carolina–based Sunbelt Packaging. The add-on strengthens Envoy's packaging footprint in the Southeast, bringing Sunbelt's flexible packaging inventory, automated equipment offerings and four distribution centers into Envoy's national platform; former majority owner SouthPointe Ventures was the selling party.

Funds managed by Apollo affiliates have entered into a definitive agreement to acquire a majority stake in Novolex from funds managed by Carlyle, with Carlyle retaining a minority interest. Novolex, a leading sustainable packaging manufacturer headquartered in Hartsville, South Carolina with more than 10,000 employees and 57 manufacturing facilities, will look to leverage Apollo's resources to expand customer relationships, sustainability initiatives and product innovation.

Wynnchurch Capital has acquired Huntington Foam, a manufacturer of engineered EPS, EPP and ARCEL foam products headquartered in Greer, South Carolina. Huntington will be combined with Wynnchurch portfolio company Drew Foam Companies to create a unified foam-platform serving appliance, cold-chain, automotive and building products end markets.

Wynnchurch Capital acquired Huntington Solutions (also referred to as Huntington Foam), a custom-engineered foam and shape-molded packaging provider headquartered in Greer, South Carolina, from Mill Point Capital. The deal (terms not disclosed) is part of Wynnchurch’s consolidation of foam/packaging assets (including Drew Foam) to build a larger foam-packaging platform and expand capabilities in cold-chain and protective packaging.

Atlantic Corporation (Atlantic Packaging) acquired Coastal Corrugated, a 35-year-old family-owned corrugated box and custom protective packaging manufacturer in North Charleston, South Carolina. The deal expands Atlantic's converted-products and corrugated manufacturing capabilities and strengthens its service offering to automotive manufacturers and tier-one suppliers in the Southeast.

ORBIS Corporation, a subsidiary of Menasha Corporation, has acquired Response Holdings Corporation (Response Packaging), a Greenville, South Carolina-based maker of custom dunnage and fabricated steel rack systems. The deal (covering facilities in Piedmont and Greenville, South Carolina; Auburn Hills, Michigan; and León, Mexico) expands ORBIS's custom packaging capabilities and establishes additional manufacturing presence in the Southeast U.S. and Mexico to better serve automotive and industrial customers.