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Ingram Micro Now Trading on NYSE
Executives from Platinum Equity-backed Ingram Micro (INGM.N) rang the bell at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) on Thursday, October 24 to celebrate the global technology distributor’s return to the public markets.
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Platinum Equity Acquisition of Sunrise Medical Recognizes ‘Important’ German Market
The World Health Organization is predicting the population of people aged 60 years and older will grow to 2.1 billion globally by 2050, while the number of Americans 65 and older is projected to increase from 58 million in 2022 to 82 million by the middle of the century. The expected rise in ageing populations is one reason Platinum Equity acquired Sunrise Medical Group. Headquartered in Malsch, Germany, with North American headquarters in Mt. Juliet, Tenn., Sunrise Medical develops, manufactures, and distributes assistive mobility products, which include manual and power wheelchairs. “Sunrise Medical is an innovative, global company that has been a pioneer in mobility solutions for more than 40 years,” Platinum Equity Co-President Louis Samson said when the acquisition was announced. “We believe strongly in the company’s core mission and are committed to partnering with the management team to continue investing in the development of advanced clinical solutions tailored to the individual needs of people who depend on them.” The deal also is an example of Platinum Equity’s growing presence in Europe, marking the firm’s first deal in the European healthcare sector. Sunrise Medical joins other companies like Urbaser and Calderys under Platinum Equity’s European portfolio. Samson and Platinum Equity London-based Managing Director Igor Chacartegui provided additional details about the deal. “We did the work, which earned us the right to be somebody they wanted to stay in touch with. We were a steady hand. We were disciplined, we were open, we were open-minded, too. We are also willing to adjust when things change.” Louis Samson, Co-President, Platinum Equity (Questions and answers have been edited for length and clarity). Q: It’s the firm’s first platform deal in Germany since 2004. Is that significant? Samson: It’s a very large, important M&A market in Europe. We had tried for a long time , but the stars hadn’t aligned before. We’re very proud to do a deal in Germany and hope to do a lot more. Q: Why did Platinum do this deal? Samson: We bought it to grow, it’s a really a ‘buy and build.’ Part of that is they have a meaningful investment in the U.S. and are intending to grow their presence in the U.S. We like the management team a lot, they’ve done good work and think they’ll be good partners. It’s also generally a non-cyclical business that is uncorrelated to GDP or business cycles, which is attractive. Chacartegui: This is a market that presents noncyclical, structural growth because of the population aging. The replacements for these types of products, which about 85% of the sales are related to replacements, happen every three to five years for a patient. It’s fairly recurrent. Importantly, this business is diversified across customers, countries, and products. Q: How was this deal sourced? Chacartegui: This was originally a process in 2023 that got aborted. It was bad market timing from a financing perspective, from a buyer/seller type of gap perspective, and the risk appetite. We reengaged. We followed the company throughout that period, saw it was performing according to the management targets, and that ultimately there was a preference by the seller to do this under a quieter process. By the time we signed, we had followed this business for a year and a half. Q: What was going on in the markets in 2023? Chacartegui: You’re in the midst of interest rates still going up, not having visibility as to when those were going to stabilize, and people were waiting on the sidelines from a financing market perspective. But from an investment perspective, you’re waiting to see when it was all going to stabilize. Q: Describe how Platinum developed a relationship with the seller. Chacartegui: We really developed a strong relationship with the management team. The CEO (Thomas Babacan), who comes more from an industrial background, had a real appreciation for our operational capability. He was hired by Nordic Capital to evolve the business. He is very sophisticated from an operational point of view. He appreciated our approach, our resources, and was looking for somebody that could act as a partner to him to keep evolving the business. Samson: We did the work, which earned us the right to be somebody they wanted to stay in touch with. We were a steady hand. We were disciplined, we were open, we were open-minded, too. We are also willing to adjust when things change. Q: From an ops perspective, what will be the major focus? Samson: This is really an M&A-focused investment thesis and our ability to source add-on opportunities and then bring our suite of operations resources to help with integration and synergies is useful. The company has potential to keep expanding its footprint in the U.S. and I think as a global firm with potent teams on both sides of the pond in Europe and the US, we were a perfect fit. Chacartegui: The focus is going to be on supporting this strong management team and accelerating the initiatives they already identified but haven’t always had fully-fledged solutions for. Around manufacturing footprint optimization, there is regional consolidation of plants, but there’s also capacity shifts. So, there will be a focus on productivity measures around existing facilities, procurement, and then IT platforms standardization. They have a track record of having done a dozen acquisitions in the last 10 years, mostly relatively small. We’ll look at someone a little bigger, so it has a different level of complexity. When you couple that with these manufacturing footprint initiatives that are happening, the management team is going to be stretched, and that’s why they’ll really appreciate a firm like us. Q: What is Sunrise Medical Group’s potential? Chacartegui: The business has made some material investments in its powered wheelchair portfolio. It has transformed it’s positioning in North America with a complete revamp of the management team and the manufacturing footprint. All of that will help the company gain more share in the North America market. In the last fiscal year, they grew double digits in the U.S. It’s got potential to keep doing that and to accelerate this organic growth based on some key market positions they have. We think we can expand margins because of the operational improvements that we’ll help the company with. Through M&A, we expect to boost scale and diversification, which is always very important. And when you couple scale, growth, and market – and do it well - you’d anticipate a valuation profile improvement at exit.
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Platinum’s Horizon Investment Fueled by Expected Growth in Organic Milk Market
The organic dairy market is expected to grow because of rising demand and other factors.
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Kohler Energy Rebrands as Rehlko
Ushering in New Era of Sustainable Energy Innovation: Rehlko builds on a 100-plus-year legacy of powering an energy resilient world for a better future. KOHLER, Wis. – September 17th, 2024 – Kohler Energy today officially rebranded under its new corporate name Rehlko (pronounced RELL-koh), marking a major milestone in the company’s 100 -plus-year history delivering innovative, resilient energy solutions that provide independence, agility, and security to mission-critical infrastructure, facilities and residences. Rehlko will continue operating as an independent enterprise. The company became a stand-alone entity in May 2024 when Platinum Equity completed a transaction with Kohler Company to establish then-Kohler Energy as a stand-alone business. Platinum Equity is the majority owner of Rehlko with Kohler Company remaining an investment partner. “We are embracing our future as an independent company with the new Rehlko brand and celebrating our legacy and our commitment for tackling the most complex energy challenges, and the values that guide everything we do and stand for,” said Brian Melka, Rehlko chief executive officer. “Our company’s new name is derived from the six letters of Kohler and reflects the reliability, resolve, reinvention, and resilience that have been – and will remain – the hallmarks of this organization in addressing the ever-evolving distributed energy needs of the marketplace.” Rehlko will continue to provide control, resilience and innovation through a comprehensive range of energy solutions, including power generation, energy storage, and renewable energy technologies among others. Rehlko operates a broad portfolio of leading businesses including Power Systems, Engines, Uninterruptible Power, Home Energy, Clarke Energy, Curtis Instruments, and Heila Technologies. Kohler Power Systems and Kohler Engines will lead the enterprise portfolio brand transition by officially becoming Rehlko branded by the end of 2024. “This rebranding is more than just a clever name change. The letters that comprise the name Rehlko reflect our 100-plus years of rich heritage under the Kohler brand and represent a bold step forward in our journey to continue building and powering a sustainable energy future,” said Francis Perrin, chief brand and sustainability officer at Rehlko. “Our new brand repositions our business at the forefront of innovation and energy resilience technology and showcases our proven ability to deliver to our customers with the energy reliability and control that they demand and require. The Rehlko brand is more focused and purpose-driven than ever before.” Mr. Melka will officially unveil the new enterprise Rehlko brand at the Fast Company Innovation Festival on September 17th and will soon launch its new corporate website – Rehlko.com. Over the coming weeks and months, the company will support its new enterprise rebranding through a multi-faceted marketing effort including a targeted advertising campaign to introduce Rehlko across top-tier business and trade industry media publications, with the theme “Resilience is Reinvention”. The company is also thrilled to continue its partnership with two of the Interpublic Group’s ("IPG") global communications and branding agencies, the Weber Shandwick Collective and FutureBrand, who have been supporting brand launch and brand design efforts, respectively. Headquartered in Wisconsin, Rehlko will maintain operations in more than 100 locations across the Americas, Asia, Europe, the Middle East and Africa. About Rehlko A global leader in energy resilience, Rehlko delivers innovative energy solutions critical to sustain and improve life across home energy, industrial energy systems, and powertrain technologies, by delivering control, resilience and innovation. Leveraging the strength of its portfolio of businesses – Power Systems, Home Energy, Kohler Uninterruptible Power, Clarke Energy, Heila Technologies, Curtis Instruments, and Engines, and more than a century of industry leadership, Rehlko builds resilience where and when the grid cannot, and goes beyond functional, individual recovery to create better lives and communities, and a more durable and reliable energy future. For more details, learn more at Rehlko.com. About Platinum Equity Founded in 1995 by Tom Gores, Platinum Equity is a global investment firm with more than $48 billion of assets under management and a portfolio of approximately 50 operating companies that serve customers around the world. Platinum Equity specializes in mergers, acquisitions and operations – a trademarked strategy it calls M&A&O® – acquiring and operating companies in a broad range of business markets, including manufacturing, distribution, transportation and logistics, equipment rental, metals services, media and entertainment, technology, telecommunications and other industries. Over the past 28 years Platinum Equity has completed more than 450 acquisitions.
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Tak Founder on Platinum’s Ops Capacity: ‘Well Suited to Help us Take the Next Step’
The expected growth of fiber cited for investment in broadband infrastructure services.
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Platinum Equity, Tom Gores continue support for annual JRLA Celebrity Golf Classic
DETROIT – Platinum Equity representatives recently joined celebrities, athletes and community leaders to support the 14th annual Jalen Rose Leadership Academy Celebrity Golf Classic, a fundraising event to support the public charter school bearing the name of the former NBA standout. For the 11th straight year, Platinum Equity Founder and CEO Tom Gores and the firm were presenting sponsors for the event which has grown to become the school’s top fundraiser. Among the celebrities appearing were former NBA standout Chris Webber, journalist Jemele Hill and political commentator Roland Martin. For Rose, the event always represents a chance to reflect on how the school, which opened in 2011, has continued its mission of educating Detroit youth. “We just completed our thirteenth school year and graduated our tenth class of seniors – huge milestones,” Rose said in a news release. “In addition, we get zero state funding for our facility, which is why this event is so paramount for our success. “I truly appreciate all those who supported our efforts whether in person or from afar.” The event featured a $5,000 Putting Challenge and a One-Million Dollar Shot Challenge, with top finishing groups receiving awards during the closing ceremony. The 2024 JRLA Leadership Award was presented to Teach for America Detroit and Teach Michigan for their commitments to investing in high-impact educators working in under-resourced schools. “It really is a fantastic event for a great cause,” said Platinum Equity Managing Director Christian Cook, who lives in the Detroit area. “We bring together local businesspeople, some local politicians, and a lot of local sports celebrities, all together to play golf, have a little fun, cut up a little bit, and it is all for a great cause with the Jalen Rose Leadership Academy.” JRLA is in the midst of a $10 million capital campaign to expand its existing facility with a high school gymnasium, locker rooms, weight room, additional classrooms and a dedicated main entrance. Platinum Equity’s support goes beyond the golf outing. The firm has introduced a mentorship program over the last two years with Platinum Equity employees traveling to Detroit for mentoring events. Some of the relationships established are still ongoing. “It’s been a great experience,” said Platinum Equity Senior Associate Lindsay Saldebar, who participated in the golf outing and won an award for longest drive among women. “I’ve always had very strong mentors in my life, even some of those at Platinum. It’s been so nice to be able to be that resource and sounding board for my mentee. “When I think about mentorship, it’s about constructing the right balance between providing advice but also making sure you’re championing their independence. This program has given me the opportunity to take what I’ve learned at the firm and outside of it to help mentor a girl that has similar ambitions.”
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Fantini Group Showcases Wines at Platinum Equity
Earlier this year, Platinum Equity employees gathered for an elevated happy hour, featuring the Fantini Group.
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Platinum Equity’s Jacob Kotzubei Talks Coping with Inflation at Milken
For the second consecutive year, Platinum Equity Co-President Jacob Kotzubei was invited to participate in a Milken Institute Global Conference panel discussion.
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Club Car Championship Raises an Event Record $450,000 for Charity
The recent Club Car Championship raised a record $450,000 for Savannah, Ga. charities, according to WTOC-TV.
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How Platinum Equity Earned ‘Trust’ as Investment Partner for Kohler Co.
In late 2019, Platinum Equity was performing diligence on Kohler Co.’s energy resilience division.
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