Category: Investments
Colfax Creek Leads the Acquisition of Dial Tool Industries
BIRMINGHAM, MI – Colfax Creek Capital, in partnership with management, acquired Dial Tool Industries (Dial Tool) from its founding family.
Based in Addison, Illinois, Dial Tool is a full-service provider in the manufacturing industry, offering metal stampings, injection and insert molding, and assembly. Dial Tool can provide turn-key solutions from prototype through production, a business paradigm which increases customer satisfaction, reduces client supply base, and increases efficiencies.
“Dial Tool is recognized as an industry leader in its field and has developed solid, long-lasting relationships with its customers,” said Jason Duzan of Colfax Creek. “With its strong family culture, Dial Tool has crafted a unique niche of producing small part stampings and insert molding in the Midwest. The Pagliuzza family was a pleasure to work with, and we look forward to continuing Dial Tool’s prosperity with the business’s next generation of leadership.”
Steve and Mario Pagliuzza of Dial Tool, remarked, “Dial Tool Industries has been a family-owned organization for over 68 years. When choosing a buyer to carry on our legacy, we wanted to find a buyer that would meet our principles, employee concerns, customer relations, growth, and management style. After interviewing many firms, we concluded Colfax Creek was a great fit. Jason’s business expertise, philosophy, and professionalism met our criteria. We are pleased and proud to have selected him.”
Colfax Creek is a private investment firm that takes a long-term approach to invest in smaller middle-market companies. The firm invests in consumer product, service, and industrial companies in the Great Lake States. The key to Colfax Creek’s investment success is to combine its investing expertise in collaboration with operating executives to build businesses for the long term. Colfax Creek is based in Birmingham, MI. For more information, visit www.colfaxcreek.com.
Founded in 1955, Dial Tool Industries (Dial Tool) is a full-service provider in the manufacturing industry, including metal stampings, injection and insert molding, and assembly. We can provide turn-key solutions from prototype through production to meet the demands of automotive. This unique paradigm increases customer satisfaction, reduces supply base, and increases efficiencies. Dial Tool is located in Addison, Illinois, and is ISO 9001:2015 and IATF 16949:2016 compliant. For more information, visit www.dialtool.com.
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Colfax Creek Leads the Acquisition of Traverse City Products
BIRMINGHAM, MI – Colfax Creek Capital in partnership with management acquired Traverse City Products (“TCP”) from its founders.
Based in Traverse City, Michigan, TCP is a premier supplier of custom roll formed and stamped metal products with particular expertise in manufacturing glass hardware components including window sashes, lift plates, sunroof reinforcements, and decorative trim. Founded in 1982, TCP has developed its reputation as the go-to resource for complex glass hardware and sunroof solutions with critical product content on nearly 30 automotive platforms across six OEMs. The investment by Colfax Creek enabled the current owners to completely exit the business. The current management team will continue to operate the business with the guidance of an operationally focused board of advisors.
“TCP is recognized as an industry leader in its field and has developed solid, long-lasting relationships with its customers,” said Jason Duzan, of Colfax Creek. “The company’s robust material processing capabilities present substantial opportunities for diversification and growth. We are excited to partner with the TCP management team, in conjunction with CGCF,to accelerate the company’s momentum.”
Based in Birmingham, Michigan, and founded by Jason Duzan, Colfax Creek is a private investment firm that takes a long-term approach to invest in “smaller” middle-market companies. Colfax Creek invests in consumer product, service and industrial companies. The key to Colfax Creek’s investment success is to combine its investing expertise in collaboration with operating executives to build businesses for the long-term.
Herman Thomas, President and Founder of TCP, remarked, “For nearly 40 years, we have worked to build a business based on exceptional quality and supported by a great management team. In recent years, we guided the current management team to develop the expertise to position the business for the next owner. We believe Colfax Creek and Jason is the best partner to work with the team and take TCP to the next level.”
Colfax Creek is a private investment firm that takes a long-term approach to invest in smaller middle-market companies. The firm invests in consumer product, service, and industrial companies in the Great Lake States. We prefer to support existing management in control investments, but we will support limited management transitions. Colfax Creek is based in Birmingham, MI. For more information visit: www.colfaxcreek.com.
Founded in 1982, Traverse City Products (“TCP”) has established itself as a premier supplier of custom roll formed and stamped metal products. With its engineering and manufacturing expertise, TCP is uniquely capable to provide a wide array of custom roll forming, stamping and finishing capabilities for the automotive, office furniture, access flooring, conveyor systems, and transportation markets. TCP is located in Traverse City, Michigan and is ISO 9001:2015 compliant. Visit www.tcproducts.net
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Colfax Creek Leads the Recapitalization of Premier Engineered Products
ABINGDON, VA / BIRMINGHAM, MI – Colfax Creek Capital formed Premier Engineered Products, LLC (“Premier”) to recapitalize Appalachian Cast Products (“ACP”) and to integrate the production of Premier Die Casting into its facility in Abingdon, VA.
Premier Engineered will be led by Mike Ryan as President and CEO in conjunction with the existing ACP management team. “Premier will expand its position in aluminum die casting, while making further investments in new operational capabilities, including value-added machining, to accelerate growth,” Ryan said. “Our focus on operational improvement will benefit our customers as we continue to enhance our cost-effectiveness and delivery in the industry.”
“I am pleased to partner with Mike Ryan and the Premier/ACP team. Mike has been around the die casting business for much of his career and has a good operational team in place at ACP,” said Jason Duzan of Colfax Creek. “We are focused on leveraging ACP’s operational capabilities to serve Premier Die Casting’s customers and to expand machining operations to better serve its existing and new customers. With this recapitalization, we have provided Mike and the team with the capital necessary to expand its operations into further machining and to take advantage of growth opportunities within the industry.”
Mike Ryan, CEO of Premier, added, “Jason Duzan at Colfax Creek has been a long-time business relationship and Premier provided us a terrific opportunity to team up to build a business platform in the aluminum die casting and machining industry. The integration of Premier Die Casting’s customer’s production not only added significant additional sales but also new value-added capabilities to provide our customers. The Premier team and I are realistic about the challenges of the business integration, but we are also excited about the benefits to our expanded customer relationships.”
Colfax Creek is a private investment firm that takes a long-term approach to investing in smaller middle market companies. The firm invests in consumer product, service, and industrial companies in the Great Lake States. We prefer to support existing management in control investments, but we will support limited management transitions. Colfax Creek is based in Birmingham, MI. For more information visit: www.colfaxcreek.com.
About Premier Engineered Products
Premier Engineered Products through its operating subsidiary, Appalachian Cast Products, produces superior die cast parts and tooling, along with metal finishing and CNC machining through state of the art machinery and processes. Specializing in aluminum and zinc alloys, engineers and production staff develop a high pressure die casting process that produces economical parts with reliable quality. The business is headquartered in Abingdon, VA. For more information visit: www.appalachiancast.com.
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Colfax Creek and Rock River Capital Lead the Acquisition of Fluence Automation
CHICAGO, IL / BIRMINGHAM, MI – Colfax Creek Capital and Rock River Capital Partners formed Fluence Automation LLC to acquire the mail and parcel sorting business unit of Bell and Howell. The acquisition included the mail and parcel sorting systems / hardware and related software and service revenue associated with the hardware as well as assets that will be leveraged for growth opportunities in the material handling and e-commerce fulfillment markets.
Colfax Creek and Rock River, along with key members of the management team, partnered with Tecum Capital Partners, Midwest Mezzanine and Wintrust Bank to acquire the business unit. All three partners have significant industry experience and provide a strong and stable capital base that will support the company’s growth objectives.
Fluence Automation will be led by Bell and Howell’s tenured VP and General Manager of Sorting, Mike Swift as President and CEO. “Fluence Automation will expand its position in the mail and parcel sorting market, making further investments in new market segments, including e-commerce, to accelerate growth,” Swift said. “Our automated solutions enable break-through productivity and speed-of-delivery improvements, backed by an outstanding suite of software and world-class customer support.”
“We are pleased to partner with Mike Swift and the Fluence team. Mike has led the business unit since 1999 and has a knowledgeable team in place,” said Ryan Satterfield of Rock River Capital. “We are focused on leveraging Fluence’s leadership position in its core mail processing market to continue to serve the expanding customer base. With this acquisition, we have provided Mike and the team with the capital necessary to take advantage of growth opportunities in the company’s core market as well as growth opportunities in the rapidly expanding material handling market.”
Jason Duzan of Colfax Creek added “that the relationship with our three capital partners is ideal.” “They are not only established middle market company investors, but they bring industry experiences to the company.”
Mike Swift, CEO of Fluence, added, “Colfax Creek and Rock River provide a long-term perspective to investing and are supportive of our growth objectives. We are focused on service and software improvements, product enhancements, international expansion and investment into e-commerce applications. My team and I are highly energized by this acquisition as it further enables us to focus on our existing and new emerging markets in our space.”
Colfax Creek is a private investment firm that takes a long-term approach to investing in smaller middle market companies. The firm invests in consumer product, service, and industrial companies in the Great Lake States. We prefer to support existing management in control investments, but we will support limited management transitions. Colfax Creek is based in Birmingham, MI. For more information visit: www.colfaxcreek.com.
About Rock River Capital
Rock River Capital is a Chicago-based private investment firm focused on investing in growing industrial and services businesses as well as other growth oriented opportunities. We generally prefer to partner with existing management in ownership transition situations and take a long term, patient approach. For more information visit: www.rockrivercp.com.
About Fluence Automation
Fluence Automation is an innovative technology solutions company that is headquartered in Wheeling, IL. Fluence Automation sells mail and parcel sorting systems and owns a portfolio of mail and parcel labeling technologies that are increasingly being adapted for the e-commerce fulfillment market. Fluence provides long-term support and customer care through its robust suite of software focused on vision/recognition and sorting applications and a service support network that is based primarily in the US with operating subsidiaries in the UK and Germany. For more information visit: www.fluenceautomation.com.
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Colfax Creek Leads Recapitalization of Twist and Seal
Finding the right investor makes a difference. Any firm can invest in a company and provide capital, but Colfax Creek invests as a dedicated, long-term partner to drive business growth. That personal touch helped Colfax Creek founder Jason Duzan stand out against the competition in leading a recent recapitalization of Midwest Innovative Products, who does business as Twist and Seal, with the management team.
“After entertaining numerous offers from investment partners, Jason instantly rose to the top,” Twist and Seal founder and CEO Bryan Nooner said. “As a seasoned entrepreneur and founder of Midwest Innovative Products, I was looking for a partner that offered more than just capital. Having a partner that provided access to the appropriate funding was certainly important; however, it was not the key decision-making factor. Having the ‘right fit’ partner that understood both our current and future business needs was actually the critical hurdle that needed to be overcome.”
Colfax Creek’s investment will support Nooner in his vision to grow the Twist and Seal product line into more retailers, expand into new end markets, and introduce new products.
Based in the Chicago suburb of Frankfort, Twist and Seal designs and manufactures patented devices that protect electrical cords from water damage. The device snaps over where two cords plug together or where cords plug into a multi-plug power strip to keep snow, rain, and ice from affecting the connection. Twist and Seal serves a wide range of customers, including homeowners hanging Christmas lights, zoos, industrial operations, entertainment venues, construction sites, and municipalities.
Each Twist and Seal product has gone through rigorous lab testing, has been certified to industry standards and is manufactured in the U.S. Twist and Seal is a three-time recipient of the Most Innovative Product of the Year award at the National Hardware Show. Twist and Seal products can be found at most hardware stores, including Lowe’s, Home Depot, and Walmart.
“I am excited to partner with Bryan Nooner to continue to grow the Twist and Seal business,” Jason said. “I believe Twist and Seal is a real gem that has innovative and unique products, fantastic retail partners and, most importantly, a passionate CEO. Twist and Seal is a good fit for Colfax Creek, as we can leverage my experiences and resources leading investments in numerous consumer products businesses.”
The Colfax Creek Difference
- The Colfax Creek difference starts before a deal has ever been made. Jason shows up at the table with 20 years of private equity experience, a willingness to develop a plan that works well for Colfax Creek and the company, and the drive to create an even better company together.
- “Jason’s straight-forward and insightful demeanor demonstrated a tremendous amount of business acumen along with respect and caring for me and our growing organization,” Nooner said. “I really appreciated the ‘stick-to-it’ intensity level that Jason brought to the due diligence and acquisition process. He has developed a very efficient and thorough acquisition methodology that does not overburden the management team, allowing the company to focus on its operations. From the first meeting to closing, Jason kept his team on task and always followed through with what he said he would do. As a result of our partnership with Jason and his Colfax Creek organization, I am confident that our company is now positioned with the necessary strategic leadership and capital to grow.”
A Friend in the Business
- As a private investment firm, Colfax Creek focuses on “smaller” middle market companies in the Great Lakes states where the team’s expertise can have the most impact and utilizing relationships to find outstanding operating partners and companies.
- Andrew Chidester, an investment banker with Metolius Partners Inc., introduced Jason to Twist and Seal and the opportunity to recapitalize the company. Metolius helps companies find the best solution for their liquidity needs by assisting business owners with raising capital, selling assets, merging, and purchasing other businesses.
- “It was a pleasure working with Colfax Creek on the successful closing of Twist and Seal,” Chidester “Jason and the Colfax Creek team were consummate professionals throughout the transaction process and delivered on the deal terms they initially proposed. Twist and Seal has gained a valuable partner in Colfax Creek, and I expect Twist and Seal to achieve significant success in the near future.”
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Colfax Creek Acquires Tool-Mod
BIRMINGHAM, MI – Colfax Creek Capital (Colfax Creek), a private investment firm focused on “smaller’ middle market companies, has partnered with the principals of Die Life Systems of Minneapolis, MN to launch Tool-Mod. Tool-Mod’s proprietary process extends the useful life of die cast tools when serviced at regular intervals (usually 20,000 to 30,000 cycles). The process will also treat cracks of previously heat checked tools without adding material or changing the dimensions. The tool will exhibit less soldering with better oil retention, better casting fill, and slower gate degradation. Colfax Creek’s investment will support the acquisition of Tool-Mod and the company’s growth initiatives as it expands into regional markets.
“Tool-Mod’s service is been used for years to close up surface cracks and to prolong tooling life which reduces the need for costly tooling replacement,” said Jason Duzan, at Colfax Creek. “I am excited to partner with the principals of Die Life to relaunch the business across the US.”
About Colfax Creek Capital
Colfax Creek Capital takes a long-term approach to investing in “smaller” middle market companies by building relationships with business owners and management teams to focus our capital and resources to create lasting value and a shared purpose. Colfax Creek’s investment focus includes Midwestern companies in consumer product, service and industrial sectors. Colfax Creek is based in Birmingham, MI. For more information visit: www.colfaxcreek.com.
About Tool-Mod
Based in Michigan, Tool-Mod is a tool and die restoration specialist and maintenance service company. With a maintenance program, Tool-Mod’s proprietary process extends the tool’s life up to 35% longer while producing better parts with less scrap. For more information visit: www.tool-mod.com.
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Colfax Creek Acquires GLE in Precision Machining Industry
BIRMINGHAM, MI – Colfax Creek Capital (Colfax Creek), a private investment firm focused on “smaller’ middle market companies, has acquired GLE Precision, LLC (GLE). GLE is a precision manufacturer of tungsten carbide tooling, gauges and product components used in diversified industries, including water jet, computer chip, medical, battery, flow technologies, automotive and others for some of the most recognizable companies in the world such as Johnson & Johnson, Emerson, IBM, and Bosch. GLE is a “make-to-print” manufacturer for tooling, gages and product components that require high finishes, tight tolerances, and high resistance-to-wear properties. Colfax Creek’s investment will support the acquisition of GLE and the company’s growth initiatives as it expands into new end markets.
“GLE is uniquely positioned to work with many of the world’s best manufacturers both in the US and internationally with capabilities of extremely tight tolerances and high finishes that are difficult to find across the globe,” said Jason Duzan, at Colfax Creek. “I am excited to partner with Mr. Bucholz and the management team to reinvigorate the company for future growth.”
Clint Bucholz, president of GLE, added, “Colfax Creek provides a long-term perspective to investing and business to support our growth initiatives, including adding new equipment and processes to better serve new and existing customers.”
About Colfax Creek Capital
Colfax Creek takes a long-term approach to investing in “smaller” middle market companies by building relationships with business owners and management teams to focus our capital and resources to create lasting value and a shared purpose. Colfax Creek’s investment focus includes Midwestern companies in consumer product, service, and industrial sectors. GLE Precision is Colfax Creek’s first control investment and is based in Birmingham, MI. For more information visit: www.colfaxcreek.com.
About GLE Precision
Founded in 1961 and headquartered in Bridgeport, MI, GLE is a niche build-to-print manufacturer of highly-engineered tooling, gauges, and product components used in a broad range of applications where hardness and resistance to abrasive wear are of prime importance. GLE is capable of machining and grinding a wide range of ceramic and carbide products with an emphasis on carbide tooling, carbide components, carbide cylindrical gauges and masters, high-pressure intensifiers, and other special wear parts. For more information visit: www.gle-precision.com.
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