Acquisitions in Washington in 2016

Advanced Integration Technology (AIT) announced an investment to acquire Nova-Tech Engineering, a Lynnwood, Washington-based designer and integrator of aerospace assembly automation, materials handling and friction-stir welding equipment. Nova-Tech will operate as a distinct business line within AIT, expanding AIT’s aerospace automation capabilities and international footprint; financial terms were not disclosed.

Seattle-based private equity firm Westward Partners LLC has acquired OSW Equipment & Repair, a Snohomish, Washington manufacturer and repairer of Class 8 dump truck bodies and truck body assemblies. The investment will provide OSW with capital and operating expertise to expand manufacturing capacity and pursue growth into new markets across the West Coast.

Vaco’s healthcare IT division acquired Pivot Point Consulting (Seattle) and Greythorn (Bellevue, WA) and combined them into Pivot Point Consulting, a Vaco company, expanding Vaco Healthcare’s EHR implementation, training, optimization and advisory capabilities. The new healthcare IT services business brings together more than 50 employees and about 250 consultants nationwide to support EHR implementations, go-live support, project management and strategic advisory for provider organizations.

Morningstar, Inc. has completed its acquisition of PitchBook Data, Inc., the Seattle-based provider of private capital market data, research, and technology. The deal adds PitchBook’s platform and approximately 600 employees to Morningstar’s data and analytics offerings to expand capabilities in private capital markets.

Bellevue-based 110 Consulting has merged with fellow TA Group portfolio company Launch Consulting, combining their teams under the Launch brand to deliver expanded business intelligence, cloud operations, custom application development and digital transformation services. The merger, supported by TA Group Holdings (TAG) and parent Direct Technology, formalizes an integration that the companies said had effectively already occurred and aims to accelerate growth and client delivery.

French agricultural cooperative Agrial has acquired Two Beers Brewing and Seattle Cider Company, merging the two Seattle-based beverage producers into a single, wholly owned subsidiary. Founder Joel VandenBrink will remain CEO and all employees were retained; Agrial aims to provide capital and international distribution to accelerate domestic and global growth for the cider and beer brands.

Acorn Growth Companies has acquired Raisbeck Engineering Inc., a Seattle-based developer and manufacturer of aircraft performance improvement systems. Participating financing and investment partners included Congruent Investment Partners, Independent Bankers Capital Funds, Omega Capital and Arvest Bank. Founder James D. Raisbeck will remain as chairman and the company will continue to operate under its brand; financial terms were not disclosed.

The Carlyle Group has signed a binding agreement to acquire NetMotion Wireless, a Seattle-based provider of mobile performance management software, from Clearlake Capital Group. NetMotion — which employs about 114 people and serves more than 3,500 organizations across utilities, healthcare, telecommunications, government and other sectors — will be scaled internationally with equity provided by two Carlyle funds.

Doosan Heavy Industries & Construction has acquired Seattle-based 1Energy Systems and will rename the business Doosan GridTech. The deal gives Doosan advanced distributed energy resource and energy storage management software capabilities and a stronger foothold in the U.S. market; 1Energy's roughly 30 MW of projects and team of about 25 employees will operate as a subsidiary of Doosan Heavy.

American Fast Freight, a portfolio company owned by The Resolute Fund II (managed by The Jordan Company), has acquired Global Transportation Services, Inc., a Kent, Washington–based freight forwarding and 3PL provider. GTS will operate as a subsidiary of AFF with Jason Totah remaining as President and reinvesting in AFF; the deal expands AFF’s geographic footprint and creates a broader global logistics platform.

JEB, Inc. has completed a growth investment in Computer Power & Service, Inc. (CPSI), the Pacific Northwest's largest independent provider of critical power systems for data centers. The investment will provide CPSI with capital and resources to scale its design, installation, 24/7 monitoring and service capabilities and pursue geographic expansion.

Cambridge Consultants, part of the Altran group, has entered a definitive agreement to acquire Synapse, a US West Coast product development firm headquartered in Seattle, to expand its US footprint and consumer-technology capabilities. The deal (acquiring Synapse's business assets) will strengthen Cambridge Consultants' presence on both US coasts and is expected to grow Altran's Innovative Product Development revenues by ~50% on a pro forma basis.

Probi AB, via its U.S. subsidiary Probi USA, Inc., signed an asset purchase agreement to acquire the operations of TNTGamble, Inc. (doing business as Nutraceutix) for a preliminary cash purchase price of USD 105 million. The acquisition substantially expands Probi’s North American presence, adds proprietary delivery technology and manufacturing capacity, brings ~200 customers and ~145 employees, and will be financed with cash, a credit facility and a bridge facility to be refinanced by a proposed SEK 600 million rights issue.

Valorem Consulting, a Kansas City–based Microsoft-focused IT consulting firm, has acquired IdentityMine, a user-experience and interactive design firm with offices in Seattle, Kochi (India) and Herrliberg (Switzerland). The acquisition expands Valorem’s UX, mixed-reality (HoloLens) and interactive design capabilities and increases its global footprint and professional headcount.

Grant Thornton LLP has acquired substantially all of the assets of ARRYVE LLC, a Bellevue, Washington-based business consulting firm. The deal brings approximately 60 ARRYVE professionals into Grant Thornton, bolstering its Advisory capabilities and strengthening the firm's presence in the Pacific Northwest; ARRYVE partners join Grant Thornton as Advisory principals.

Infoblox has agreed to acquire Tacoma-based cybersecurity firm IID for $45 million to expand its network security and threat-intelligence capabilities. IID co-founders Lars Harvey and Rod Rasmussen will join Infoblox's management team, most of IID's ~65 employees and the Tacoma office will be retained, and IID's customers (including Microsoft and the U.S. Department of the Treasury) will continue to be supported.