Content about Acquisition

NEW YORK — Blue Wolf Capital Partners LLC, the New York-based private equity firm, won the 2011 Small Market Deal of the Year award from Buyouts Magazinefor its investment in former portfolio company Healthcare Laundry Systems.

An affiliate of Blue Wolf created HLS in November 2008 through the acquisition of the assets of Wheeling, Ill.-based Hospital Laundry Services. Today, HLS is the largest dedicated provider of healthcare laundry services in North America. Blue Wolf sold its interest in HLS to Crothall Services Group in March 2011.

The HLS investment was selected because it represents the compelling transformation of a captive subsidiary to a vibrant and growing independent company.

During the course of Blue Wolf’s ownership, the company more than doubled profitability, increased jobs by 50%, completed the acquisition of Rockford, Ill.-based Northern Illinois Hospital Services, and invested in technology and processes that reduced energy and water usage, as well as improved safety standards.

“Blue Wolf specializes in saving and improving small and mid-sized ‘old economy’ companies,” says Adam Blumenthal, managing partner. “We believe we can offer responsible investment solutions that build strong, profitable businesses while also being mindful of workers’ needs, corporate governance issues and environmental concerns. We are pleased to be recognized for our efforts to rebuild HLS.”

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Swisher Hygiene has acquired the assets and business of Savoy Linen Services, a Connecticut-based linen services company.

Started in 1924, Savoy provides linen rental and laundry services primarily to foodservice customers in the southern New England and greater metro New York City markets. Concurrent with the acquisition, Paul Vazzano, the owner of Savoy, joins Swisher Hygiene and will contribute to the continued growth of its linen services business.

“The acquisition of Savoy is a continuation of our efforts to build upon our existing presence in the linen and dust control markets and expand throughout North America,” says Steven R. Berrard, Swisher Hygiene CEO. “We will be very deliberate in making value-added acquisitions and building additional facilities in order to further expand our linen production capabilities, properly leverage our customer base and create additional cross-selling opportunities for our full-service platform.”

Total consideration paid by Swisher Hygiene included cash and a promissory note that may be converted to a maximum of 171,428 shares of Swisher Hygiene common stock.
 

ALBANY, Ga. — Equinox Chemicals has announced that it has acquired Adco Cleaning Products, based in Sedalia, Mo. Terms of the acquisition were not announced.

Equinox will move Adco’s manufacturing operations to its state-of-the-art manufacturing plant in Albany, according to Yalda Harris, Equinox’s executive vice president for Global Product Management.

Dr. Jim Schreiner, Adco’s chief product technology officer, will also be relocating, she says.

Customer-service and order-taking staff will remain in Sedalia, and there will be no changes to the way customers or distributors order from Adco, Harris adds. The national sales team will remain the same.

Equinox is a specialty chemical manufacturer with specialty research, innovation, product development and commercialization capabilities that reach markets spanning the globe, the company says.

Adco manufactures a comprehensive line of specialty cleaning chemicals and detergents used in dry cleaning, commercial laundry, and janitorial and institutional cleaning applications. It offers more than 300 proprietary products through the Adco and Laidlaw brands.

“This latest acquisition will continue our aggressive strategy to revolutionize and revitalize the laundry, dry cleaning and cleaning chemical industry,” says Mark Grimaldi, CEO of Equinox Chemicals.

Mentor Partners had owned Adco since 2007.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Swisher Hygiene, a provider of essential hygiene and sanitation products and services, reports that it has acquired Go! Hospitality Services, a Georgia-based linen services company.

Go! Hospitality provides linen rental, supply and laundry services throughout the Atlanta metropolitan area and surrounding markets, primarily to customers in the food-and-beverage and hospitality industries.

Concurrent with the acquisition, the founder and president of Go! Hospitality, Michael Brosius, will join Swisher Hygiene and contribute to the continued growth of its linen services business.

“We continue to expand our presence in the linen services industry and the acquisition of Go! Hospitality is a key part of expanding our offering in the Southeast,” says Steven R. Berrard, CEO of Swisher Hygiene. “We are very pleased to be able to cross-sell a complete range of linen services to our existing customers in Georgia and the Carolinas while also being able to offer our hygiene products and services to Go! Hospitality’s growing customer base.”

Total consideration paid by Swisher Hygiene in connection with the acquisition includes $2.85 million in cash, the assumption of certain liabilities, the issuance of 170,940 shares of Swisher Hygiene common stock, and a promissory note that may be converted into common stock.

LAS VEGAS – Brady Industries reports that it has acquired the resort laundry division of southern Nevada commercial laundry service supplier Mission Industries. Terms were not announced.

Joining Brady’s linen division are 884 employees and three processing facilities. The acquisition brings Brady’s workforce to 2,011, making it one of the nation’s largest resort laundry service providers, the company says.

Brady will now process approximately 1 million pounds of laundry per day in its six Las Vegas facilities.

“I am thrilled to welcome Mission Industries to the Brady Industries family,” says Brady Industries CEO Travis Brady. “We believe in Las Vegas, and this acquisition provides us with the people and resources to continue to service our customers into the future.”

Headquartered in Las Vegas since 1947, Brady Industries is a third-generation, family-owned, full-line janitorial supply and commercial laundry services company.

Brady Linen Services was started in 2000 to address the demand for higher quality and service in the evolving Las Vegas market. It expanded steadily from its original 40,000-square-foot plant, opening a second facility in 2006 and a third in 2009.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — With today’s announcement that it has acquired South Florida-based Q Linen Service, Swisher Hygiene Inc., a provider of hygiene and sanitation products and services, has acquired three laundry service companies in three separate deals in the past two weeks.

Q Linen Service serves the Miami market and provides facilities services such as the delivery of linen, bar towels and aprons to the foodservice and hospitality industries. Giuseppe Calderone, one of the owners of Q Linen, has joined Swisher Hygiene.

NEW YORK — An affiliate of Blue Wolf Capital Partners, a New York-based private equity firm, has sold its interest in Healthcare Laundry Systems (HLS), Wheeling, Ill., to Crothall Services Group, according to a Blue Wolf press release. Terms were not disclosed.

A Blue Wolf affiliate created HLS in November 2008 through the acquisition of assets of Wheeling-based Hospital Laundry Systems and Rockford, Ill.-based Northern Illinois Hospital Services, each of which was acquired from a consortium of not-for-profit hospitals.

GARDENA, Calif. — Rotational Molding Inc., a new company owned by two former executives of Rotonics Manufacturing Inc., has purchased Rotonics’ former headquarters plant in Gardena—in a deal set up by founder Sherman McKinniss.

Rotational Molding announced the deal on Dec. 1. Terms were not disclosed.

Heading the new company is Mario Poma, president and CEO, and Douglas Russell, chief financial officer, who both have more than 20 years of experience in rotomolding.

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Regional drycleaning and laundry supply distributor E.J. Thomas Co. has been sold, the company reports. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

The new owners are Randy Zimmerman, who is now responsible for E.J. Thomas’ day-to-day leadership, and Matt Walter, who will provide advice, counsel and strategic direction to the company.

OAK CREEK, Wis. — The sun glistened off the silvery blades of ceremonial shovels as one group after another took turns posing in front of earth-moving equipment at the site of what is to be Crothall Laundry Services’ first built-from-the-ground-up facility.

The groundbreaking ceremony took place Aug. 11, and site preparation for construction of the $13 million plant in this community south of Milwaukee has since begun.

FLOSSMOOR, Ill. — John F. Dobrez Jr., 81, founder and former president of Illinois-based Dober Chemical Corp., died Tuesday at his home.