LAI International, a portfolio company of RLJ Equity Partners, has acquired Zak Incorporated, a contract manufacturer of components used in the power generation, specialty metals, and oil & gas industries.
“RLJ Equity Partners is delighted to support LAI’s acquisition of Zak,” said RLJ Equity Partners’ T. Otey Smith. “With its strong customer base in key end markets, Zak helps to further expand the LAI brand as well as our service offerings throughout the industry.”
Zak is a contract manufacturer of components used in the power generation, specialty metals, and oil & gas industries. The company utilizes its large, state-of-the-art, precision machining and welding capabilities to serve customers in the United States and abroad. Zak was founded in 1937 by Alexander Zak and was originally a job shop to serve the local textile industry in Troy, NY. Today, the company is headquartered near Albany in Green Island, NY (www.zakinc.com).
“Zak is a trusted brand in our industry,” said Patrick “PJ” Gruetzmacher, CEO and President of LAI International. “Their ability to provide economically manufactured parts with superior speed and quality which meet or exceed their customers’ expectations is accomplished by applying the principles of employee development, advanced technology investment, and by using the principles of continuous improvement.”
LAI International, acquired by RLJ Equity Partners in 2012, is a manufacturer of precision engineered components and assemblies for a variety of industries, including aerospace & defense, healthcare and power generation. LAI specializes in technologies such as waterjet, laser, and electrical discharge machining. LAI’s products are often mission-critical and found on platforms and programs used by aerospace and utility companies and the US Department of Defense. With the acquisition of Zak, LAI now has manufacturing facilities in Tempe, AZ; Fridley, MN; Westminster, MD; Scarborough, ME; and Green Island, NY. LAI is headquartered in Phoenix (www.laico.com).
RLJ Equity Partners invests from $15 million to $30 million in companies valued between $50 million and $250 million. Target companies will have operating profits greater than $7 million and operating margins greater than 10%. Sectors of interest include aerospace & defense; auto & transportation; business services; consumer retail; general industrial; and media & telecom. RLJ Equity Partners was founded in 2006 by Robert L. Johnson in partnership with The Carlyle Group. The firm is headquartered in Bethesda, MD (www.rljequitypartners.com).
2014 PEPD • Private Equity’s Leading News Magazine • 10-23-14
