Acquisitions in Montana in 2021

American Innotek, Inc. has acquired Phillips Environmental Products, which does business as Cleanwaste, combining the RESTOP and Cleanwaste brands to expand product offerings in portable lavatories and personal waste management. The deal will consolidate manufacturing (RESTOP production to relocate to Cleanwaste’s Montana facility) and aims to drive product innovation and efficiencies across consumer, military, and healthcare end markets.

SpotOn has acquired Dolce Software, a Missoula-based labor-management solution for restaurants. The acquisition integrates Dolce’s scheduling, compliance, tip distribution and payroll integrations into SpotOn’s restaurant platform to provide a more complete workforce-management capability for restaurant customers.

Sedgwick has acquired Candau, Inc., a full-service claims adjusting firm serving Montana, Wyoming and the surrounding Mountain West region. The deal expands Sedgwick's automotive and heavy equipment appraisal and adjusting coverage in the Mountain West, broadening its adjuster network and local capabilities.

Vyne Medical has acquired Ahana Health (also referenced as Ahana Pediatrics) and will integrate its connected-care technology into Vyne’s cloud-based Refyne platform. The acquisition adds collaborative care-planning and virtual care functionality to Refyne to support provider-to-provider and provider-to-patient coordination.

Caltius Structured Capital provided a junior debt and equity financing package to Profitable Ideas Exchange (PIE) to facilitate a management buyout. The investment will support PIE's management team as they continue to grow the Bozeman-based business development services firm for consulting and professional services clients.

Prime Health Services, a national cost-management and PPO network company based in Franklin, Tennessee, has acquired and integrated InterWest Health, a regional PPO/provider network serving the U.S. Mountain Region. The acquisition expands Prime Health Services' provider access across Montana, Idaho, North Dakota, South Dakota, Washington, and Wyoming—adding access to over 25,000 physicians, hospitals, and other providers—while InterWest will continue to operate as a separate organization with Wendy Koster remaining as Executive Director.

Chicago-based private investment firm Tilia Holdings completed its acquisition of Wheat Parent, Inc. (doing business as Wheat Montana) from River Associates on April 30, 2021. Wheat Montana, headquartered in Three Forks, Montana, will continue to be led by CEO Laura Carden and the existing management team as Tilia provides capital and board support to expand the company's premium bakery and milled products business.

Salt Creek Capital, a San Francisco Bay Area private equity firm, has acquired OP/TECH USA, Inc., a Belgrade, Montana-based manufacturer and distributor of camera, musical instrument and industrial straps, slings and harnesses. The transaction represents a founder exit for owners Terry and Leslie Jackson and Salt Creek intends to build OP/TECH as a platform to expand product offerings and enter new markets under incoming CEO Richard Reuter.

Fortis Solutions Group LLC, a portfolio company of Main Post Partners, has acquired Total Label USA, LLC, a pressure-sensitive and specialty label manufacturer with locations in Whitefish, Montana and Memphis, Tennessee. The deal expands Fortis’s product portfolio and geographic reach into the Pacific Northwest while keeping Total Label co-founders Janet and Chris Farris in leadership roles.

Marsh & McLennan Agency LLC (MMA), the middle-market agency subsidiary of Marsh, has acquired PayneWest Insurance, a Missoula, Montana-based independent insurance agency. PayneWest’s more than 700 employees and 26 regional offices will operate as MMA’s Northwest regional hub to expand MMA’s geographic footprint and capabilities in the Pacific Northwest.

K2 Insurance Services, LLC made an early-stage growth investment in Loss Run Pro, LLC, a Missoula, Montana–based insurtech that provides subscription software to request, track, and manage loss runs. K2 said the investment and its network of MGAs, carriers and brokers will help Loss Run Pro expand its carrier and broker distribution and accelerate product adoption.

K2 Insurance Services has acquired a majority stake in Columbia Pacific Finance (CPF), a Missoula, Montana–based premium finance and billing solutions provider for insurance agencies. The partnership will expand K2's product offerings and national footprint in premium financing and billing; CPF President Reghan Brandt will continue to lead day-to-day operations.

Hometown Lenders, a national mortgage lender based in Huntsville, Alabama, has acquired The Wood Team, a Bozeman, Montana-based mortgage lender. Colleen Wood, founder of The Wood Team, will join Hometown as the producing branch manager for HTL Bozeman as the company expands its branch footprint across the U.S.

Digital Force Technologies (DFT) acquired Adelos, Inc., a Polson, Montana-based developer of fiber-optic surveillance and sensor systems, from majority owner S&K Technologies. The acquisition brings Adelos's sensor IP and Phosonic system capabilities into DFT's portfolio to expand its advanced sensing and surveillance offerings for defense and national security customers.