Acquisitions in Ohio in 2020

CGI acquired the Professional Services Division of Harris, Mackessy & Brennan, Inc. (HMB), a transaction that closed on December 31, 2020. The division brings approximately 165 consultants and expanded consulting capabilities and client relationships—notably in the utilities market and with the State of Ohio—strengthening CGI's footprint in Central Ohio and the Columbus metro.

SinterMet LLC, a portfolio company of V&A Capital, has acquired Leadar Rolls, Inc., a precision manufacturer of industrial rolls based in Lima, Ohio. The add-on expands SinterMet's footprint, product offering and customer base across steel, automotive/aerospace and paper end markets; S&T Bank provided financing for the deal.

TMS International has acquired the business and assets of Stein, LLC and Stein Steel Mill Services, LLC, a family-owned provider of steel mill services headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio. The acquisition (approximately 500 employees) expands TMS's service capabilities and U.S. footprint, adding slag removal, scrap management, recycling, material handling and mill maintenance capabilities across seven states.

Dura Software, a San Antonio-based acquirer of hyper-niche software businesses, has acquired Vertex Systems, a Columbus, Ohio company that provides software for organizations serving adults with disabilities. The purchase expands Dura's footprint into the human-services/healthcare software market; Vertex will move its corporate headquarters to San Antonio while retaining its Columbus workforce.

Seawall Capital, a middle‑market private equity firm, acquired Kent Water Sports Holdings, LLC (Kent) for an undisclosed amount; the transaction closed on December 31, 2020. Seawall said it will partner with Kent’s management and the Archer family to provide capital and resources to accelerate organic growth and pursue future acquisitions across Kent’s portfolio of action‑sports brands.

Golden Gate Capital announced an investment in Covia as the company emerged from Chapter 11 after completing a financial restructuring that reduced long-term debt by approximately $750 million and cut fixed costs, including railcar obligations, by about $300 million. Golden Gate and its affiliates are the largest individual shareholder in Covia, a supplier of mineral-based material solutions headquartered in Independence, Ohio with an extensive network of plants and terminals across North America.

Motion & Control Enterprises (MCE), a Frontenac-backed motion and control distributor, has acquired Diversified Air Systems (DAS), a Cleveland-based stocking distributor of air compressors, vacuum and water recovery systems, and related services. DAS — which employs 42 people across four locations in Ohio and western Pennsylvania — will operate as a division of MCE under the Diversified Air Systems name, expanding MCE's fluid power and aftermarket service capabilities.

Argosy Private Equity made a growth investment in Bionix, LLC, a Toledo-area (Maumee), Ohio manufacturer of disposable ear, nasal and wound care medical devices. The transaction — the first investment from Argosy's sixth lower middle market fund — will fund new product introductions, deeper sales-channel penetration and potential add-on acquisitions.

Express Wash Concepts (EWC) acquired Ultimate Wash, a single-location car wash at 9475 State Route 14 in Streetsboro, Ohio, with the transaction effective December 24, 2020. EWC plans roughly $1 million in upgrades, will temporarily close the site for conversion to its CLEan Express Auto Wash brand, and expand its Ohio footprint to 33 locations.

EverCommerce, a public service-commerce platform, acquired Updox, a Dublin, Ohio–based healthcare communication and virtual care platform. The acquisition expands EverCommerce’s health services portfolio by adding patient engagement, telehealth and office productivity capabilities to serve healthcare practices, health systems and pharmacies.

Kohlberg & Company has acquired Area Wide Protective (AWP), a North Canton, Ohio–based traffic control and temporary traffic safety management services provider, from The Riverside Company. Riverside retained a minority stake via its Strategic Capital Fund; AWP will be led by new CEO Ron Childress as founder/CEO John Sypek transitions to Vice Chairman. Terms were not disclosed.

Woolpert has acquired Data Cloud Solutions, LLC, a Springfield, Ohio-based provider of CAMA-focused SaaS, GIS and mobile data-collection solutions. The deal brings DCS's CAMACloud and MobileAssessor products and machine-learning roadmap into Woolpert's geospatial, AEG and consulting platform to expand capability and reach into new public- and private-sector markets.

Congruex, a PE-backed national provider of telecom engineering and construction services, has acquired Gudenkauf Corporation, a Columbus-based provider of self-perform outside plant construction, splicing and emergency restoration services. The add-on expands Congruex's geographic footprint into Ohio and West Virginia and strengthens its capabilities serving broadband operators across the Mid-Atlantic region.

Alera Group has acquired Todd Associates, Inc., an independent insurance agency headquartered in Beachwood, Ohio, effective December 1, 2020. The acquisition expands Alera Group's presence in the Midwest and Florida and adds Todd Associates' property & casualty and employee benefits capabilities to Alera's national platform.

WellNow Urgent Care has acquired Hometown Urgent Care & Occupational Health, adding 34 locations across Ohio and Michigan and nearly doubling WellNow’s footprint. The deal expands WellNow’s geographic presence and adds occupational medicine, telehealth and clinical research capabilities; Hometown’s president Manoj Kumar will join WellNow’s leadership team.

Linden Capital Partners, a Chicago-based healthcare private equity firm, made a majority investment in Specialty Networks, LLC alongside current shareholders including Nautic Partners and management. The investment will provide Specialty Networks — a Rocky River, Ohio-based provider of a urology-focused GPO, analytics, and consulting services — with capital and resources to expand its services and capabilities for community-based urology practices and industry partners.

May River Capital, a Chicago-based private equity firm, has acquired PaperTech, a Findlay, Ohio manufacturer of sustainable, dual-ovenable paperboard trays and bowls serving the frozen food and foodservice markets. PaperTech has nearly 200 employees and produces over 500 million trays annually; founder Larry Epstein will retire (remaining a shareholder) while co-founder Al Fotheringham will remain as a shareholder and continue as Chief Development Officer.

Fosbel, a portfolio company of The Anderson Group, has acquired the assets of Wahl Refractory Solutions and will continue operating out of Wahl’s Fremont, Ohio manufacturing plant. The acquisition vertically integrates Fosbel’s supply chain and enables expansion into new end markets such as cement and aluminum.

Warburg Pincus has agreed to acquire Sweeping Corporation of America (SCA) from prior investor Soundcore Capital Partners; financial terms were not disclosed. Headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, SCA is the largest power sweeping company in the U.S. with more than 1,000 employees across 35 locations and the investment will be used to accelerate sales and marketing, expand service capacity, and pursue strategic acquisitions.

Recochem, a portfolio company of H.I.G. Capital, has acquired KOST USA Inc., a Cincinnati-based manufacturer and marketer of automotive coolants and functional fluids. The acquisition expands Recochem's presence in the United States and strengthens its position as a scaled player in the North American automotive aftermarket fluids market.

PPC Flexible Packaging LLC, a Buffalo Grove, Illinois-based flexible packaging manufacturer, has acquired Custom Poly Bag, Inc., a family-owned flexible packaging converter based in Alliance, Ohio. The deal expands PPC's manufacturing footprint and capabilities in film extrusion, printing and bag operations, and is the latest add-on in PPC's multi-year acquisition strategy.

Camping World Holdings, Inc. has agreed to acquire Paul Sherry RV, a single-location RV dealership in Piqua, Ohio. The acquisition will expand Camping World's retail footprint in the greater Dayton, Ohio market and the Paul Sherry location will be rebranded as Camping World.

Mountaingate Capital, a Denver-based middle-market buy-and-build private equity firm, has acquired Relevate Health Group, a Cincinnati-based data-driven healthcare marketing agency. Immediately following Mountaingate's investment, Relevate (backed by Mountaingate) acquired Arteric, a digital-native agency providing machine learning–based multichannel programs, creating a combined data- and ML-driven healthcare marketing platform.

Warburg Pincus has made a significant growth investment in Quantum Health, partnering with existing investor Great Hill Partners (which will retain a significant stake) to accelerate the company's technology platform and service delivery. Quantum Health, a Columbus, Ohio-based healthcare navigation and care coordination provider serving more than 1.7 million plan participants across 400+ employers, will continue to be led with Kara Trott remaining as Chair.

Medsphere Systems Corporation, a PE-backed healthcare IT company, has acquired Micro-Office Systems (MOS) to expand its interoperability, integration and patient communication capabilities. MOS will continue operating under its name as a division of Medsphere, contributing interfaces, data migration tools and a Patient Communications Gateway to Medsphere’s suite of EHR and revenue cycle solutions.

Denver-based United Flea Markets acquired Treasure Aisles Flea Market in Monroe, Ohio, marking the buyer’s 14th property and its first in Ohio. The seller, Levin Service Company, will retain most employees while United Flea Markets plans infrastructure upgrades, enhanced Wi‑Fi, refreshed signage, marketing and technology platform improvements.

Mangrove Equity Partners has invested in a management buyout of Steam Turbine Alternative Resources, Inc. ("STAR"), a Marion, Ohio-based manufacturer and field installer of custom turbine seals (packing rings). The transaction backs incumbent management and aims to expand STAR's penetration into the natural gas and combined-cycle power markets while broadening product and outbound sales capabilities.

Climate Pros, a Saw Mill Capital portfolio company, has acquired The Hattenbach Company, a Cleveland-based commercial refrigeration and HVAC services provider. The add-on expands Climate Pros' branch network into northeast Ohio and increases its footprint across the Midwest.

Select Express & Logistics, a LongueVue Capital portfolio company, has acquired Go Configure (GCI), the delivery, assembly, and installation division of Step2 Discovery. The add-on expands Select Express’s national last-mile, white-glove delivery and specialized assembly capabilities—particularly for outdoor furniture and playsets—and increases geographic density and service offerings for retail and e-commerce customers.

Envision Pharma Group has acquired Two Labs, a Powell, Ohio-based provider of pharmaceutical commercialization, launch planning, market access and market intelligence services. The deal, which follows increased investment in Envision from GHO Capital, strengthens Envision's US presence and expands its launch-excellence capabilities; Excellere Partners will exit its investment in Two Labs.

Graphic Village, a Revitalize Capital-backed print and marketing platform, has acquired Advance Printing Company and will serve Advance's customers from Graphic Village's Blue Ash headquarters. The deal expands Graphic Village's commercial printing footprint and represents another add-on for Revitalize Capital's platform.

RxVantage has acquired onPoint Oncology, a provider of oncology reimbursement data and analytics, with onPoint operating as a wholly owned subsidiary. The acquisition integrates onPoint's revenue-cycle data and reimbursement insights into RxVantage's digital platform to expand capabilities for oncology practices and life science customers.

Auxo Investment Partners has acquired Precision Products Group, Inc. (PPG) from Long Point Capital (with Greyrock Capital Group as part of the selling partnership); PPG management participated alongside Auxo. PPG is a niche manufacturer of small-diameter spiral-wound tubes/cores and specialty pharmaceutical and consumer packaging (including the Euclid Medical Products unit-dose systems); transaction terms were not disclosed and BGL served as exclusive advisor and executed a sale-leaseback of PPG real estate.

TorQuest Partners and Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec (CDPQ) announced a majority investment in Barrette Outdoor Living Inc., North America’s leading manufacturer of vinyl, aluminum and steel fence and railing, composite decking, and other outdoor products. Les Entreprises Barrette Ltée will retain a significant minority stake and the company's management team, led by CEO Jean desAutels, will remain in place; terms were not disclosed. The investors said the capital will support the company’s next phase of growth and geographic expansion across North America.

CertTech, a Lenexa, Kansas-based provider of electronics and software test automation services, has acquired Butterfield Engineering, a Cincinnati-based test engineering firm specializing in modular test systems and test software. The acquisition expands CertTech's end-to-end test and integration capabilities across regulated industries including defense, aerospace, medical devices, automotive and ground transportation.

Jaguar Transport Holdings acquired Marion Industrial Center, a rail-centric logistics services company headquartered in Marion, Ohio, on October 30, 2020. The acquisition adds 1.55 million square feet of distribution facilities, extensive rail infrastructure and transloading/3PL capabilities to Jaguar's portfolio and will be rebranded Marion Industrial Rail Park to emphasize rail-focused operations and development.

DartPoints, a Dallas-based owner and operator of edge colocation data centers, has acquired Metro Data Centers (MDC), a carrier-neutral data center provider in Dublin, Ohio. The acquisition expands DartPoints' regional footprint and adds over 22,000 square feet of colocation and carrier-neutral interconnection capacity to support cloud and content service providers in Central Ohio.

GlynnDevins, a Kansas City-based data- and technology-enabled marketing firm, has acquired Linkmedia 360, a digital, data-driven marketing agency based in Independence, Ohio. The acquisition expands GlynnDevins' digital and analytics capabilities to strengthen lead-generation and performance marketing services for its clients.

The Kleinfelder Group, a Wind Point Partners-backed engineering and professional services firm, has acquired Poggemeyer Design Group (PDG), a Bowling Green, Ohio-based design and engineering firm. The acquisition expands Kleinfelder's service capabilities — including surveying and water/wastewater services — and strengthens its footprint in the Midwest and Nevada while PDG's management will continue to lead operations.

Miamisburg-based accounting and advisory firm Brixey & Meyer acquired Columbus-based LAMP CFO & Accounting Services effective October 2020. The deal expands Brixey & Meyer’s presence and CFO services capability in the Columbus market and brings LAMP founder Jonathan Harrington into the firm.

Barentz International, a Cinven-backed global distributor of life science ingredients, has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Maroon Group, a leading North American distributor of specialty chemicals and life science ingredients headquartered in Avon, Ohio. Maroon, previously owned by CI Capital Partners, has roughly $500 million in annual revenue and ~300 employees; the deal expands Barentz's presence and capabilities across North America.

Sandata Technologies, LLC has acquired Interactive Financial Solutions, Inc. d/b/a Solana, a Wauseon, Ohio–based provider of software and business services for I/DD and home care agencies. The deal expands Sandata’s footprint into the I/DD and Medicaid home care market and brings Solana’s solutions and team into Sandata’s national home care technology platform.

Averhealth, backed by Five Arrows Capital Partners, acquired American Court Services, a provider of court-mandated drug and alcohol testing and electronic monitoring across Ohio. The deal expands Averhealth's footprint in the Great Lakes region and adds electronic monitoring and ignition interlock capabilities to its existing substance use monitoring and treatment services.

Watch Communications has acquired West Central Ohio Internet Link (WCOIL), a Lima, Ohio-based ISP that serves more than 2,000 customers and provides broadband, business phone, managed IT, security and cybersecurity services. The purchase expands Watch Communications’ footprint in central Ohio and adds WCOIL’s service capabilities and local team to Watch’s rural-focused broadband platform.

Farragut Capital Partners provided unitranche debt to Clean Water Environmental, LLC (CWE), an Ohio-based processor of hazardous and non-hazardous wastewater that operates facilities in Dayton and Mansfield, Ohio. The financing refinanced the balance sheet and supplies growth capital to fund a new biological treatment plant at CWE's Dayton location and expand overall capacity; CWE is a portfolio company of Hunting Dog Capital and is led by CEO John Staton.

Cincinnati-based marketing technology and services provider Vya has acquired Direct Options, a customer data management and analytics firm, to expand Vya's marketing resource management capabilities. The acquisition adds marketing data management and analytics to Vya's offering, enabling capability expansion and broader service delivery to utility and other enterprise clients.

Frontline Road Safety, a platform backed by The Sterling Group, has completed the acquisition of Griffin Pavement Striping, a Columbus, Ohio-based provider of road, highway and airport line striping. The deal is an add-on to Frontline’s national road-safety and pavement marking platform intended to expand the platform’s local execution capabilities and geographic footprint in Ohio.

A&M Capital Partners (part of Alvarez & Marsal Capital) has acquired a majority interest in BrightPet Nutrition Group, a Lisbon, Ohio-based manufacturer of premium and super-premium pet food and treats. The Golladay family will retain minority ownership and continue in management roles; the seller included Graham Partners, which announced the exit. AMCP plans to accelerate growth through channel expansion, product portfolio investments and strategic acquisitions.

MRI Software has acquired the RentPayment business (RentPayment.com, StorageRentPayment.com and DuesPayment.com) from Priority Technology Holdings. Priority will continue to provide payment infrastructure and processing to the MRI platform; the deal brings a payments platform serving ~2,900 real-estate clients into MRI to scale and expand its global payments capability for residential, affordable and public housing markets.

Gridiron Capital has acquired AML RightSource from Clarion Capital Partners, partnering with AMLRS founders and management to drive the company's next phase of growth. AML RightSource, headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, is a leading outsourced provider of AML, KYC and BSA compliance solutions with over 1,000 employees serving banks and non-bank financial institutions across North America.