Acquisitions in Oregon in 2020

Alera Group, a national insurance and financial services firm based in Deerfield, Illinois, acquired CSNW Benefits, a Portland-based employee benefits and retirement services firm, effective December 31, 2020. The acquisition strengthens Alera Group’s presence in the U.S. West/Northwest region and brings CSNW’s local benefits, HR compliance tools and retirement expertise into Alera’s national platform; terms were not disclosed.

Mercer Global Advisors (Mercer Advisors), a Denver-based registered investment adviser, acquired McGee Wealth Management, a Portland, Oregon wealth management firm, effective December 31, 2020. The transaction brings roughly 15 McGee team members and approximately $815 million AUM (serving ~800 clients) into Mercer as part of a succession plan and to augment Mercer’s Portland presence.

Precinmac Precision Machining acquired Albany, Oregon-based Viper Northwest, Inc. and Tualatin, Oregon-based Shields Manufacturing, Inc., strengthening its West Coast presence and expanding precision machining capabilities. The add-on acquisitions broaden Precinmac's capacity to serve semiconductor, aerospace, defense and life sciences customers; financial terms were not disclosed.

IntelliSite Corporation, a DFW Capital portfolio company, has acquired Broad Sky Networks and concurrently created a new holding company, EPIC IO Technologies, to hold both businesses. The deal combines IntelliSite’s IoT, AI-enabled edge computing and software capabilities with Broad Sky’s managed wireless and emerging 5G connectivity services to expand capability and market reach across public sector, healthcare, retail and manufacturing customers.

Riverside Partners has completed the merger of Convergence Networks (Portland, Oregon) and Grade A (Ottawa, Canada) to form a combined managed IT and cybersecurity services platform serving small- and medium-sized businesses. Riverside invested new equity to accelerate growth, while management teams from both companies will continue to lead the combined organization and remain significant shareholders.

TPC Training acquired eFoodHandlers to expand its online food safety training and certification offerings, integrating eFoodHandlers' state-specific, video-based courses into TPC's FUSION LMS. The deal strengthens TPC's compliance-driven eLearning footprint across restaurants, schools, and other foodservice customers nationwide.

Camping World Holdings agreed to acquire All RV Needs, a South Medford, Oregon RV dealer, and will rebrand the location as Gander RV. The acquisition expands Camping World’s retail footprint in Oregon to five SuperCenters and supports the company’s local growth and customer service strategy.

Los Angeles-based private equity firm Westhook Capital has made an investment in RainShadow Labs, a St. Helens, Oregon-based private-label manufacturer of natural and organic personal care products. The capital will help RainShadow expand its product development, manufacturing and logistics capabilities to better support independent skincare and personal-care brands.

GTCR has agreed to acquire a majority interest in Consumer Cellular, the U.S. wireless provider focused on customers 50+, in a transaction expected to close by the end of 2020. Founder and CEO John Marick will retire but remain a board member and shareholder; GTCR said it will invest to continue the company’s growth while Consumer Cellular retains its offices and nearly 2,000 employees.

Trivest Partners has made a platform investment in Unosquare, a Portland-based provider of outsourced software development and staff augmentation services. The partnership will support Unosquare’s growth—expanding global delivery centers, broadening its customer base across financial services, healthcare, and technology, and pursuing add-on opportunities.

Avalara, Inc. (NYSE: AVLR) acquired Transaction Tax Resources, Inc. (TTR) for approximately $377 million in cash, strengthening Avalara's enterprise tax capabilities and content database. The deal brings TTR's tax research, rates database, and exemption certificate management solutions into Avalara's cloud tax automation platform and adds roughly 1,400 customers primarily in enterprise verticals.

Curtiss-Wright Corporation agreed to acquire Pacific Star Communications, Inc. (PacStar) for $400 million in cash. The acquisition adds PacStar's rugged tactical communications hardware and IQ-Core network management software to Curtiss-Wright's Defense segment, expanding its battlefield networking capabilities and expected to be accretive to adjusted EPS in the first full year.

Intrado Corporation has acquired substantially all the assets of Syn-Apps LLC, a pioneer in IoT-enabled mass notification software, to accelerate its intelligent 911 and emergency notification initiatives. The acquisition brings Syn-Apps' Revolution platform and customer base into Intrado's Life & Safety and SchoolMessenger offerings, expanding situational awareness and inside-building IoT data access for public safety and education customers.

FTV Capital has made a significant growth equity investment in 6 Degrees Health to support expansion of the company's MediVI technology platform and product capabilities. The funding will enable 6 Degrees Health to scale its technology-enabled healthcare cost-containment and reference-based pricing solutions for self-insured employers and health plans.

Allegro MicroSystems has acquired Voxtel, Inc., a Beaverton, Oregon-based developer and manufacturer of eye-safe LiDAR and photonic imaging technologies. The acquisition adds Voxtel's lasers, ROICs, and NIR/SWIR photodetectors (and related IP and engineering team) to Allegro's automotive semiconductor portfolio to accelerate ADAS and automotive LiDAR solutions.

Primus Capital led a major growth investment in Cayuse, the Portland-based market leader in cloud-native research administration software. Quad Partners and its affiliates reinvested alongside Primus to support Cayuse’s product innovation, platform expansion and continued strategic acquisitions; Macquarie Capital served as Cayuse’s financial advisor.

United Sports Brands (USB) has acquired Glukos Energy, a sports energy supplement brand, adding it as the fifth brand in USB’s portfolio. USB said it will leverage its resources, partnerships and distribution to expand Glukos’s product lines and market presence while continuing the brand’s focus on clean, fast-acting glucose-based performance products.

Noble Foods Nutrition, a Montreal-based contract manufacturer backed by Novacap, acquired the co-packing activities of Betty Lou's, Inc. in McMinnville, Oregon. The deal transfers Betty Lou's co-packing operations to Noble Foods while founder Betty Lou Carrier retains ownership of the Betty Lou's brand and will continue manufacturing at a new McMinnville facility.

Portland-based Sortis Holdings, through its Sortis Rescue Fund, has acquired Sustainable Restaurant Group (SRG), owner of the Bamboo Sushi restaurant chain, out of bankruptcy and will assume operational control. Existing investors Bain Capital Double Impact and Kitchen Fund have reinvested in the business; Sortis plans to reopen locations, rehire staff, and pursue a resumed growth strategy after pandemic disruptions.

HumanCo, a purpose-driven holding company, has acquired a majority interest in Coconut Bliss, a family-owned, Oregon-based organic plant-based ice cream maker. The deal will support product innovation, expanded distribution and increased marketing to grow Coconut Bliss into a larger, potentially global brand while maintaining its commitments to organic, fair-trade and sustainable sourcing.

Orchard & Vineyard Supply (OVS), a portfolio company of Clearview Capital Fund III, has acquired Cascade Water Systems Corp., with the related Ridgway Supply Company included in the transaction; the deal closed July 3, 2020. Paul Ridgway, Cascade's founder, retains an ownership stake and joins OVS as Senior Director of Pump Systems Design & Sales, strengthening OVS's irrigation and pumping capabilities across the Pacific Northwest.

Toronto-based private equity firm Lynx Equity Limited has acquired DeBenedetto's Commercial Flooring LLC, a Portland, Oregon-based full-service commercial flooring provider. The deal is an add-on to Lynx's existing flooring portfolio (including Floor Solutions) and is intended to capture market share in the Portland area while leveraging operational synergies and experienced personnel.

Cumming Group, a portfolio company of Tailwind Capital, has acquired Portland-based PlanB Consultancy, a specialist in cost management and quantity surveying for chip manufacturers, data centers and other high‑tech facilities. The transaction is an add-on that expands Cumming's project controls and quantity surveying capabilities across the Pacific Northwest and internationally.

Elm Street Technology, a sponsor-backed real estate technology platform, has acquired IDX Broker, LLC, a Eugene-based provider of IDX search and lead-management SaaS for real estate professionals. The transaction (backed by Vaquero Capital) represents an add-on to Elm Street’s platform; Main Street Capital Corporation exited its debt and equity investments and realized a reported $9.3 million gain on the sale.

Effectual has acquired Five Talent, a Bend, Oregon-based technology consultancy that specializes in custom software modernization and DevOps. The deal expands Effectual's cloud-native application development and DevOps capabilities to better serve commercial and public sector clients.

Toronto-based Strategic Mapping has acquired moovel North America, a Portland-based provider of mobile ticketing and multimodal transit solutions. The deal combines Strategic Mapping's ITS, CAD-AVL and systems-integration capabilities with moovel's mobile ticketing platforms to offer a broader product portfolio for public transit agencies.

ERT, a global clinical endpoints data and technology company, has acquired APDM Wearable Technologies, a provider of medical-grade wearable sensors and digital biomarkers. The deal integrates APDM's Opal sensors and analytics with ERT's eCOA and clinical data platforms to expand objective endpoint measurement in movement disorder and CNS trials; financial terms were not disclosed.

Goldfinch Partners has provided $125 million of growth capital to Vesta, a provider of fraud protection and fully guaranteed e-commerce payment solutions. The funding will support Vesta's product development, market expansion (including its new Singapore hub) and continued global deployment of its fraud-protection and payment technologies.

Saalex Information Technology (SaalexIT), a division of Saalex Corporation, acquired Eugene, Oregon-based Managed Service Provider Arctic MSP; financial terms were not disclosed. The deal expands SaalexIT's managed security/service footprint in the Western U.S. and brings additional cybersecurity, cloud, and compliance capabilities while Arctic MSP will continue operating from its Eugene headquarters as a DBA SaalexIT company.

Parade Technologies, Ltd. agreed to acquire Fresco Logic, Inc. for $37.5 million in cash to expand its high-speed USB Type-C connectivity portfolio and accelerate its USB4 roadmap. The deal includes Fresco Logic's USB hub, port expansion, Power Delivery products and related intellectual property; the transaction is expected to close in Parade's fiscal Q2 2020 and will be funded from cash on hand.

TSI US Holdings Co., Ltd., the U.S. subsidiary of Japan-based TSI Holdings Co., Ltd. (TYO: 3608), acquired an 88% majority stake in action-sports retailer Tactics. Co-founders Bob Chandler, Matt Patton, and Shawn Gilliam retain minority ownership and will continue as senior executives (Chandler named CEO); the deal gives TSI greater penetration into the action sports/streetwear market across e-commerce and retail channels.

HealthStream (Nasdaq: HSTM) acquired NurseGrid, a Portland, Oregon–based healthcare technology company that operates the NurseGrid Mobile app and NurseGrid Enterprise, for approximately $25 million in cash. NurseGrid has over 260,000 monthly active users and about 20 employees; HealthStream said the acquisition will expand its nurse-focused digital offerings and deepen engagement across its workforce solutions ecosystem.

Microtec, the Italy-based leader in lumber scanning and optimization systems, has acquired Lucidyne Technologies, Inc., a Corvallis, Oregon-based manufacturer of AI-enabled computer vision, scanning and automation technologies for the forest products industry. The acquisition combines Lucidyne’s Perceptive Sight deep-learning AI with Microtec’s broad product range to create an integrated, mill‑wide lumber scanning solution and expand both companies’ product lines and geographic reach.

Hub International Limited has acquired the assets of Oregon-based Barker-Uerlings Insurance Inc., a full-service insurance agency with offices in Corvallis, Albany and Lebanon. Terms were not disclosed; Barker-Uerlings’ president, Steve Uerlings, will join Hub Northwest as Senior Vice President as Hub expands its presence in the Pacific Northwest.

Integrated Beverage Group (IBG) has acquired Ransom Wine Co. & Distillery in Oregon's Willamette Valley, with founder Tad Seestedt remaining on as Master Distiller. The deal closed on February 28 (terms undisclosed) and gives IBG an established foothold in craft spirits while expanding its wine portfolio; Zepponi & Company served as financial advisor to Ransom.

Churchill Mortgage, a Nashville-based residential lender, has acquired Bend, Oregon-based Elev8 Mortgage and will transition Elev8's team and office into a Churchill branch. The deal expands Churchill's footprint in the Pacific Northwest and brings Elev8's loan production and staff into Churchill's broker network.

Battery Ventures has made a significant growth investment in Tech Soft 3D, the Bend, Oregon-based provider of 3D software development toolkits (SDKs). Tech Soft 3D will use the capital to accelerate product development, scale globally and expand its product offerings through acquisitions; Battery partners will join the company's board.

Aero Interiors Company (AIC), an affiliate platform backed by Balmoral Funds, acquired the assets of ECNC Inc., an Oregon-based aerospace-focused CNC machining and milling business. The bolt-on purchase expands AIC’s vertically integrated manufacturing capabilities, enabling faster turnaround and broader machined product offerings for its aerospace customers.

Liquid Agency, an experience design firm headquartered in San Jose, California, has acquired Vignette: The Employee Experience Agency of Portland, Oregon. The acquisition expands Liquid's employee experience capability and brings Vignette co-founder Shona Lepis into Liquid as Content Marketing Director to support integrated employee and brand experience work.

Minimizer, a manufacturer and distributor of heavy‑duty truck aftermarket accessories, acquired Premier Manufacturing Company of Tualatin, Oregon in January 2020. The transaction — executed with backing from private equity firm Capital Partners — is an add‑on to Minimizer's business intended to expand product lines, manufacturing capabilities, and geographic reach; former owner Paul Grycko remains invested and joins the management board.

Provana, a Lisle, Illinois-based contact center technology provider, has acquired TriVium Systems, an Oregon-based provider of call recording, reporting and analytics solutions. The acquisition will integrate TriVium's SonicView and analytics products into Provana's contact center platform to expand Provana's speech analytics and call-recording capabilities.

All Traffic Data Services, a Seaport Capital–backed traffic data collection and analysis platform, has acquired Key Data Network, an Oregon-based provider of traffic counts, parking studies and GIS data services. Founder Conley Bergh will join ATD as Regional Manager for the Pacific Northwest as ATD expands its service footprint and capabilities in Oregon, Washington and Northern California.

Accel-KKR, a technology-focused private equity firm, has acquired Springbrook Software, a provider of cloud-based ERP, finance, payroll and utility billing software for local governments. The carve-out from Accela will let Springbrook operate as an independent company with increased investment to accelerate product innovation, customer care and growth across North America.