Littlejohn & Co. announced today that it has made an investment in Howard Berger Company, a designer, marketer, and supplier of branded and private label hardware and houseware-related products to retailers and wholesalers in North America.
Howard Berger Company sells 13,500 products covering 25 product categories to retailers, discount stores, home centers, wholesalers, drug and food chains, catalog companies, municipalities, and hardware stores worldwide. Products include hardware and housewares, cleaning products, tools, plumbing supplies, seasonal products, automotive care accessories, and pest control products. The company was founded in 1971 and is base in Cranbury, NJ (www.hberger.com).
“Over the past 40-plus years, the Berger family has built an exciting company with a leading reputation and this investment marks an important milestone to support the company’s next phase of growth,” said Jim Brower, CEO of Howard Berger Company. “We look forward to working with the Littlejohn team who will help us to skillfully guide the company forward.”
Littlejohn & Co. makes control and non-control investments in middle-market companies that are undergoing a fundamental change in capital structure, strategy, operations or growth. The firm is currently investing from Littlejohn Fund IV which has over $1.3 billion in capital commitments. Littlejohn & Co. is based in Greenwich, CT (www.littlejohnllc.com).
“Howard Berger Company operates with a highly diversified business model and by further penetrating current channels and leveraging its extensive customer base we can continue the company’s growth momentum. We also expect to help identify acquisitions that will add new customers and channels, or significantly extend existing product lines,” said Steven Raich, a Managing Director of Littlejohn.
