Shorehill has acquired Estex Manufacturing, a privately-held manufacturer specializing in industrial sewn products for utility, airline, and military applications including safety and protective gear, tool storage products, high-visibility apparel, and protective covers.
Estex’s utility and electrical safety products include lineman tool buckets for carrying tools, arc protection blankets to shield workers from electrical hazards, and high-visibility protective vests and sleeves.
Estex also offers custom industrial sewn products, including heavy-duty tool bags made from canvas, nylon, or vinyl, custom equipment covers for machinery and tools, and industrial-grade securing straps and harnesses.
In the airline sector, Estex manufactures baggage cart curtains to protect luggage, aircraft loading bridge solutions for safe passenger boarding, and ramp safety products such as reflective markers and tool bags.
Founded in 1900 by Henry Estes as the Estes Manufacturing Company, Estex began as a producer of horse and buggy accessories, including collars, saddles, and bridles. In the 1940s, the company pivoted to the power utility sector, repurposing its feed bags into lineman tool buckets. Today, the company produces more than 4,000 SKUs and is led by President Mike Scott, with headquarters located southwest of Atlanta in Fairburn, Georgia.
“Shorehill is thrilled to partner with Mike Scott and the rest of the Estex team,” said Robert Jackson, a managing director at Shorehill Capital. “This partnership reflects our commitment to collaborating with management teams to achieve shared success. Together, we are enhancing manufacturing capacity, improving efficiency, and working to accelerate growth.”
Chicago-based Shorehill Capital makes control investments in North American middle-market companies with EBITDA ranging from $3 million to $15 million and enterprise values between $20 million and $150 million. The firm focuses on engineered industrial products, industrial services, and value-added distribution.
In November 2023, Shorehill Capital held a final, oversubscribed closing of its second fund, Shorehill Private Equity II LP, with $260 million in capital commitments, exceeding its $250 million target. The firm was founded in 2013 by its managing partners Brian Simmons and Dave Hawkins, both former senior executives of CHS Capital.
Financing for this acquisition was provided by Fidus Investment Corporation.
© 2025 Private Equity Professional | February 28, 2025
LongRange Capital has agreed to acquire US Synthetic from publicly traded ChampionX Corporation.
“By investing in US Synthetic, we’re not just backing a technology leader, we’re also supporting a company that has built a strong culture and reputation in its industry through a relentless focus on its customers’ needs for nearly 50 years,” said Bob Berlin, the managing partner at LongRange. “We look forward to partnering with Rob Galloway and the US Synthetic team to build upon their track record of delivering innovative material technology solutions to the energy industry and broader industrial end-markets.”
Now based in Canaccord Genuity’s New York City office, Mr. Murphy will cover a range of A&D sectors, including aerospace services, machining and engines, defense products, communications and intelligence, defense technology, and security products and services. His focus will be on client development and transaction execution for aerospace, defense, and security companies, particularly those commercializing emerging technology applications.
Universal Pure, a portfolio company of Aurora Capital Partners, has acquired the high-pressure processing (HPP) assets of Dora’s Naturals.
“We are very excited to welcome and continue the tradition of high-quality service to Dora’s HPP customers. We are also eager to enhance our HPP capacity within the Northeast region of the United States,” said Frank Jimenez, the CEO of Universal Pure.
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