Colony Hardware, a portfolio company of AEA Investors since July 2007, has been acquired by Tailwind Capital.
Colony Hardware is a route-based distributor of tools, equipment, fasteners, supplies, safety products, as well as a provider of rental and repair services, to commercial construction and industrial accounts located in the Northeast, Midwest, and Mid-Atlantic regions. The company has over 25,000 SKUs from more than 750 different manufacturers. Colony focuses on small-ticket, just-in-time orders delivered directly to the jobsite. Customers include general contractors, civil contractors, and other subcontractors across multiple building trades. The company is headquartered near New Haven in Orange, CT (www.colonyhardware.com).
Tailwind makes investments of $25 million to $100 million in lower middle market companies with enterprise values of up to $300 million that are active in the healthcare, business and communications services sectors. Since its founding in 2003, Tailwind has invested over $1.2 billion in 31 portfolio companies and has completed over 70 add-on acquisitions. The firm has 31 investment professionals and senior operating executives and is based in New York (www.tailwind.com).
AEA, the seller of Colony, makes equity and debt investments in middle market companies that operate in the following sectors: retail and consumer products, services, specialty chemicals, and value-added industrial products. The firm manages approximately $9 billion of invested and committed capital. AEA was founded in 1968 and is headquartered in New York (www.aeainvestors.com).
BB&T Capital Markets – through its Commercial & Industrial Group – was the exclusive financial advisor to Colony on this transaction. The firm services eleven industry verticals including aerospace, defense & government services; automotive aftermarket; commercial & industrial; financial services; food & agribusiness; logistics & transportation services; healthcare; education; energy; real estate; and retail & consumer. BB&T – the parent of BB&T Capital Markets – is one of the largest financial services holding companies in the US with $210 billion in assets. BB&T is headquartered in Winston-Salem, NC (www.bbtcapitalmarkets.com).
© 2015 PEPD • Private Equity’s Leading News Magazine • 10-29-15