Bertram Acquires Bur-Lane
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Bertram Acquires Bur-Lane

burlane nf1Rowmark, a portfolio company of Bertram Capital, has completed the add-on acquisition of Bur-Lane, a distributor of engraving plastic. Rowmark was acquired by Bertram in October 2013 and is the firm’s third platform investment in the plastics industry.

Bur-Lane is a national distributor of engraving plastic and identification accessories and supplies. The company has warehouses in Oklahoma, Florida, California and Pennsylvania that allow the company to serve the entire United States. The company is led by its president Bryan Morris and is headquartered in Oklahoma City, OK (www.bur-lane.com).

Kevin Yamashita nf2“The Morrises have done a tremendous job building a distribution business with national coverage that is recognized for exceptional customer service,” said Kevin Yamashita, Partner at Bertram Capital. “This transaction is a highly complementary add-on for the Rowmark platform, and was one of our top acquisition candidates.”

Bertram Capital invests in middle-market business services, consumer, healthcare, industrial and technology companies that have revenues from $30 million to $250 million and EBITDA of $5 million to $30 million. The firm is located in San Mateo, CA (www.bertramcapital.com). To drive growth and create vale in its portfolio companies, Bertram uses an investment strategy called “High 5” which focuses on five core operating principles—add-on acquisitions, management enhancement, supply chain optimization, sales and marketing improvement, and technology optimization.

jeff drazan nf2“The buy of Bur-Lane showcases Bertram’s High-5 buy-and-build strategy by adding significant scale and synergies to our base business through accretive add-on acquisitions,” said Jeff Drazan, Managing Partner at Bertram Capital. “With this acquisition, and the acquisitions of Johnson Plastics and Laserbits last year, Rowmark is continuing its vertical integration of the channel and manufacturing the highest quality plastic sheet.”

Rowmark (PRNewsFoto/Bertram Capital,Rowmark LLC)

Rowmark manufactures extruded plastic sheet for engraving and specialty applications used in the signage, engraving and awards markets. Rowmark is led by Duane Jebbett, President and CEO.  The company was founded in 1987 and is based in Findlay, OH (www.rowmarkllc.com).

Bur-Lane is presently a distributor of Rowmark’s products. “We have enjoyed a long-term partnership with Bur-Lane, and we are excited to utilize Bur-Lane’s knowledge and capabilities to provide greater proximity, choice and value for our customers,” said Mr. Jebbett. “This acquisition is part of our global strategy to ensure we support our customers with the broadest line of high quality sheet products through our network of Rowmark-owned distribution in conjunction with our dedicated independent distributors.”

Bertram and Rowmark continue to seek additional add-on acquisitions such as manufacturers of engravable materials or personalization products; suppliers of consumable products and accessories; providers of sublimation products and accessories; and manufacturers of marking or digital print equipment.

© 2016 PEPD • Private Equity’s Leading News Magazine • 2-4-16

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