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On December 23, 2011, ONCAP, Onex’ mid-market private equity platform based in Toronto, Canada, acquired Davis-Standard, LLC from stockholders represented by Hamilton Robinson, LLC, including Davis-Standard management shareholders. The acquisition is part of Davis-Standard’s strategy to further expand its global extrusion and converting systems businesses. Hamilton Robinson’s involvement with the business dates back to 2003 with the acquisition of Black Clawson Converting Machinery, which later merged with Davis-Standard in 2005.
“Hamilton Robinson has been an excellent partner that has enabled management to invest in and grow our business over the almost nine-year relationship. They always understood that customers are our number one priority,” said Charlie Buckley, Davis-Standard’s CEO.
Under the new ownership structure, Davis-Standard management will remain in place and will continue to be significant shareholders in the business. The new ownership structure will preserve Davis- Standard’s excellent financial strength. Davis-Standard’s balance sheet remains extremely strong as ONCAP has invested significant equity into the business in order to sensibly expand Davis-Standard’s global footprint.
As part of the transition, Buckley, 66, will move from CEO to Chairman, with Robert Preston joining the company as its new CEO. Preston possesses significant international business experience, having held leadership positions and having lived abroad for several years while employed at Eastman, Allied Signal and Johnson Electric.
“I am extremely pleased to join a market-leading company such as Davis-Standard, and I look forward to working with the current management team to accelerate our global expansion. I am confident that we can create value on a broader scale while maintaining our vision of ‘Converting Customer Ideas into Successful Products’,” said Preston.
Greg Baylin, an ONCAP Managing Director said, “We look forward to partner with Mr. Buckley, Mr. Preston and the rest of the Davis-Standard team and we are excited to be working with them to build on the company’s strong market position, technical leadership, and blue chip customer base. Under Charlie’s on-going guidance and Robert’s leadership, we look forward to continuing to grow the business, secure new customers, enter new markets and enhance the company’s competitiveness to ensure its longterm success and to maintain its market leadership position.”
About Davis-Standard, LLC Davis-Standard is a global leader in the design, development and manufacturing of extrusion systems, feedscrews, barrels and process controls for the flexible web converting, plastics processing and rubber industries. The company manufactures extruders and extrusion processing equipment for blown film, blow molding, cast film, compounding and pelletizing, elastomer, extrusion coating and laminating, fiber, laboratory, pipe, profile and tubing, reclaim, sheet, wire and cable, and wood fiber applications. The company also manufactures solution coating equipment to service the flexible web converting industry. Davis-Standard has facilities in Pawcatuck, Conn., Bridgewater, N.J., and Fulton, N.Y., as well as in Germany and the United Kingdom.
About ONCAP ONCAP, in partnership with operating company management teams, invests in and builds shareholder value in North American small and mid-size companies that are leaders in their defined market niche and possess meaningful acquisition and organic growth potential. For more information on ONCAP, please visit www.oncap.com. ONCAP is the mid-market private equity platform of Onex, one of North America's oldest and most successful investment firms committed to acquiring and building high-quality businesses in partnership with talented management teams. Onex manages investment platforms focused on private equity, real estate and credit securities. In total, Onex manages approximately $13 billion, of which $9 billion is third-party capital. Over 27 years, Onex has built approximately 70 businesses, generating 3.3 times the capital it has invested and managed, and earning a 29 percent compound annual return on invested capital. For more information on Onex, please visit www.onex.com.
Davis-Standard, LLC announced today a binding agreement to acquire Harrel, Incorporated of Norwalk, Connecticut. Under terms of the agreement, Harrel will move operations to Davis-Standard’s headquarters in Pawcatuck, Connecticut. Davis-Standard will continue to offer the existing Harrel line, and key Harrel employees will remain with the business, including David Madar, Harrel’s President. Madar will join Davis-Standard in a key role to continue customer support for the product line.
“This is a very positive development for Davis-Standard, Harrel, and our joint customer base,” said Jim Murphy, President of Davis-Standard Extrusion Systems. “Harrel is a well-known and respected brand name within the medical products industry. The combination of Davis-Standard and Harrel will enable our joined forces to more effectively support our customers to serve this growing market segment.”
Harrel is best known for world-class technology for producing close tolerance medical tubing. This includes the closed loop TUBETROL® system, which utilizes tight tolerance closed-loop control of both outside diameter and tubing thickness, as well as a fully integrated extrusion line for bump or taper tubing. Most notably, Harrel offers an alternate polymer system that can produce continuous tube with compositions varying from 100 percent of one polymer to 100 percent of another polymer. This system has been especially beneficial in demanding medical tubing applications to create catheter products with unique design features. Davis-Standard will have this technology available for demonstration at its Technical Center in Pawcatuck.
For more information, contact Jim Murphy at (860) 599-1010 or jmurphy@davis-standard.com.
Davis-Standard, LLC announced today the acquisition of Merritt Extruder Corporation of Hamden, Connecticut. Under terms of the agreement, Merritt will move operations to Davis-Standard’s headquarters in Pawcatuck, Connecticut. Davis-Standard will continue to offer the existing Merritt Extruder brand line, and all key Merritt employees will remain with the business, including Sandy Guthrie, president of Merritt Extruder Corporation. Sandy will join Davis-Standard in a key role to continue customer support for the product line.
“This is a very positive development for Davis-Standard, Merritt and our joint customer base,” said Jim Murphy, vice president. “Merritt is a well-known and respected brand name within the industry. The combination of Davis-Standard and Merritt will enable our joined forces to more effectively support our customers.”
For more information, contact Jim Murphy at (860) 599-1010 or jmurphy@davis-standard.com.
The recent joint venture between Davis-Standard and Black Clawson in May created an organization with unparalleled machinery resources, service and technology for converters worldwide. The new company, Davis-Standard, LLC (D-S, LLC) is now the world’s largest U.S.-based supplier of web converting machinery with several leading brands including Black Clawson, Davis-Standard, Egan and ER-WE-PA.
According to D-S, LLC executive vice presidents Mark Panozzo and Hassan Helmy, the company’s extensive capabilities will be focused on delivering the best value possible so that customers can achieve an excellent return on investment from their converting equipment. “The merger will enable us to enhance what are already the best brands in the converting equipment industry by combining our technology, manufacturing and service resources,” said Panozzo.
Helmy added, “Our strong global presence will allow us to place more emphasis on regional markets including additional electrical, controls and mechanical services. We will also continue providing customers with strong technical advantages through our R&D centers in the U.S. and Germany. Our goal is to maximize our efficiencies in customer proposals, manufacturing and engineering so we can offer customers the best products at the best value in the industry.”
D-S, LLC supplies a full range of equipment for blown and cast film, extrusion coating and laminating, liquid coating and laminating, unwinding and winding, extruders, round and flat dies, and control systems. Major markets served include food and medical packaging, pressure sensitive tapes and labels, coated industrial and consumer products and films for packaging, personal hygiene and agricultural applications.
In addition to machinery capabilities, D-S, LLC has one of the most developed customer service networks with three R&D centers, sales offices and 24/7 service personnel around the world.