News

Tailwind Capital has acquired Commerce, California-based Smith-Cooper International, an industrial distribution platform. The seller is Blue Point Capital Partners. No financial terms were disclosed. BlackArch Partners provided financial advice to Blue Point Capital on the deal.

PRESS RELEASE

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (PRWEB) NOVEMBER 28, 2017

BlackArch Partners (“BlackArch”) is pleased to announce the sale of Smith-Cooper International (“Smith-Cooper” or the “Company”), a portfolio company of Blue Point Capital Partners, to Tailwind Capital (“Tailwind”).

Smith-Cooper, headquartered in Commerce, CA, is a next-generation, global industrial distribution platform, serving a diverse range of end markets that include industrial, fire protection, oil and gas, commercial and residential construction, agriculture, food and chemical processing and waterworks. The Company’s unique design-and-import model allows Smith-Cooper to aggregate demand across its various markets and to serve as a critical link between a fragmented base of 60+ vendors and a highly localized group of 4,000+ distributor customers. Smith-Cooper offers products through three highly regarded and proprietary brands: SCI®, Sharpe® and FPPI®. The Company’s diverse offering of more than 15,000 SKUs, along with its ability to deliver unparalleled service levels and efficient inventory management for its customers, positions Smith-Cooper as the industrial distribution platform of choice.

BlackArch was retained by Blue Point Capital Partners to serve as its exclusive financial advisor. The transaction continues BlackArch’s strong presence in the distribution, business services and diversified industrials sectors and is representative of the firm’s focus on providing unique M&A advisory services to market-leading growth businesses.

Juli Marley, Partner at Blue Point Capital Partners, stated, “The BlackArch team did an impeccable job managing the Smith-Cooper process on behalf of our shareholders and management. They demonstrated a high understanding of the business and were thoughtful in helping us communicate the investments we made to assemble a management team and build a platform that is well-positioned for continued growth, both organically and through add-on acquisitions. We could not be more pleased with the level of professionalism and dedication BlackArch brought to the transaction, ultimately driving a great return for all of our shareholders.”

Transaction Highlights
Tailwind Capital has acquired Smith-Cooper International from Blue Point Capital Partners
The Company’s unique, data-oriented approach to drive business decision making and high levels of customer service position Smith-Cooper as a “next-generation” platform poised to scale efficiently
Management will continue to grow the business and remain an integral part of the shareholder group during the Company’s next phase of growth
BlackArch leveraged its deep end market and business model knowledge to achieve a superior outcome for management and the shareholders

About Smith-Cooper International
Smith-Cooper International is a value-added designer, producer, importer and distributor of branded valves and fittings under the SCI®, Sharpe® and FPPI® brands. Headquartered in Commerce, CA, with locations in Elk Grove Village, IL, Lawrenceville, GA, and Vancouver, WA, the Company provides more than 15,000 SKUs to more than 4,000 localized distributor customers across diverse end markets. Smith-Cooper is an established brand that offers the quality of a domestic product at a better value through an established import supply chain; customers include national and regional diversified distributors serving a variety of end markets and geographic areas.

About Blue Point Capital Partners
Blue Point Capital Partners is a private equity firm managing over $825 million in committed capital. With offices in Cleveland, Charlotte, Seattle and Shanghai, Blue Point’s geographical footprint allows it to establish relationships with local and regional entrepreneurs and advisors, while providing the resources of a larger, global organization. The Blue Point group has a 27-year track record of partnering with companies in the lower middle-market to facilitate growth and transformative change. It is one of only a few middle market private equity firms with a presence in both the United States and China, which provides a distinct advantage for its portfolio companies. Blue Point typically invests in manufacturing, distribution and service businesses that generate between $20 million and $200 million in revenue.

About Tailwind Capital
Tailwind Capital is a leading middle market private equity firm focused on growth-oriented investments in targeted sectors within healthcare, business and industrial services. Tailwind partners with experienced management teams and entrepreneurs to transform businesses through organic growth initiatives, acquisitions, and operational and strategic improvements. Since inception, Tailwind has over $3 billion of committed equity capital, and invested in 35 portfolio companies and over 55 add-on acquisitions.

About BlackArch Partners
BlackArch Partners is a leading middle-market investment bank offering a full spectrum of advisory services to financial sponsors, private companies and diversified corporations. BlackArch addresses the needs of entrepreneurs, founders and shareholders of private companies with specialized services that include M&A advisory, strategic advisory and private capital solutions. Headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., with offices in Chicago and New York, BlackArch features a total of 12 industry-focused practices that cover all sectors of interest to middle-market investors; BlackArch professionals have closed over 350 transactions in 16 countries on four continents. Please visit our website, http://www.blackarchpartners.com, for more details.