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Archives for May 28, 2025

Gemspring Carves Out Goodyear Chemical for $650 Million

May 28, 2025 by John McNulty

Gemspring Capital Management has agreed to acquire Goodyear Chemical, the polymer chemicals division of publicly traded Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company, for $650 million in cash.

Akron-headquartered Goodyear Chemical is a producer of synthetic rubber and polymer-based chemical products—polybutadiene rubber, polyisoprene rubber, styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR), acetone, and hydroquinone—used by companies in the tire manufacturing, medical devices, adhesives, sporting goods, thermoset plastics, and food packaging sectors.

Source: Goodyear Chemical

Gemspring’s acquisition of Goodyear Chemical includes operating plants in Houston and Beaumont, Texas, as well as a research and development center in Akron, Ohio. Detailed financial information on Goodyear Chemical is not publicly available, but in 2023, it was reported that the division had annual sales of approximately $1 billion, split evenly between external customers and Goodyear itself.

Tesham Gor, a Gemspring Executive Advisor, is expected to become CEO of the business upon the closing of the transaction, which is anticipated by the end of the fourth quarter.

“We are excited to advance Goodyear Chemical’s industry positioning by leveraging our strategic, financial, and industry expertise to continue delivering world-class elastomer technologies and engineered solutions to our customers,” said Mr. Gor. “As a standalone entity, the business will be well positioned to accelerate product development, expand its relationships with existing and new customers globally, deliver sustainable solutions, continue to invest in its people, and drive growth and innovation through commercial, technical, and operational excellence.”

Goodyear, headquartered in Akron, Ohio, is one of the world’s largest tire companies. It employs about 64,000 people and manufactures products in 47 facilities across 21 countries.

“We look forward to unlocking the full potential of Goodyear Chemical as a standalone business and supporting its next chapter of growth and innovation,” said Mathew Wallace, a managing director at Gemspring. “Goodyear Chemical is an industry leader, underpinned by deep customer relationships, a mission-critical product portfolio, a track record of innovation, and incredibly talented employees. We are grateful to the Goodyear team who have driven the success of the business to date and are committed to working closely with Goodyear to ensure a smooth transition for associates, customers, and suppliers.”

Gemspring, based in Westport, Connecticut, invests in companies with revenues of up to $500 million and focuses on sectors including aerospace and defense, business and consumer services, financial and insurance services, industrial services, software and tech-enabled services, healthcare services, and specialty manufacturing.

In January 2023, Gemspring closed two funds: Gemspring Capital Fund III LP, its third buyout fund, at $1.7 billion, and Gemspring Growth Solutions Fund I LP, its first non-control investment fund, at an oversubscribed $400 million. With these closings, the firm now manages $3.4 billion in capital.

Piper Sandler served as the financial advisor to Goodyear on this transaction.

© 2025 Private Equity Professional | May 29, 2025

Filed Under: New Platform, Transactions

Quiet Professionals Acquired by McNally Capital

May 28, 2025 by John McNulty

McNally Capital has acquired Quiet Professionals, a provider of technology and intelligence services to the U.S. national security sector. Co-investing in the transaction was Nio Advisors.

Quiet Professionals’ specialized services include data analytics, geospatial intelligence, cybersecurity, cloud computing, and open-source intelligence. The company’s customers include defense and special operations clients operating in various branches of the U.S. military and intelligence agencies, notably the U.S. Marine Corps, which awarded Quiet Professionals a $64 million contract in 2024 for intelligence system support. Quiet Professionals was founded in 2013 by CEO Andy Wilson and is headquartered in Tampa, Florida.

“McNally Capital’s investment is a game-changer for Quiet Professionals,” said Mr. Wilson. “We chose McNally because they understand our mission and have a proven track record of scaling companies like ours. With McNally’s support, we’ll be able to invest more in our people, products, and R&D and deliver even greater value to our customers and partners. My team of quiet professionals is ready and excited to take the company to new heights, continuing our unwavering support to those who protect our nation.”

“Partnering with Quiet Professionals as a platform allows and encourages the business to invest significantly in new capabilities and capitalize on supporting the company in the evolving SOF and national security mission as a true mission partner,” said Michael Ember, a principal at McNally Capital. “Our deep experience in the national security sector and history of partnering with founders enabled an ideal partnership with Andy and his team. We look forward to supporting the company and mission with unparalleled placement, access, and capital.”

CEO Andy Wilson will continue to lead the company under McNally ownership. Post-closing, areas of growth for Quiet Professionals include enhanced AI and analytics capabilities, new service lines, and selective acquisitions in adjacent technologies.

McNally Capital, headquartered in Chicago, invests from $15 million to $40 million of control equity in companies that are active in the aerospace and defense, industrial products and services, and business services sectors, and have revenues of at least $25 million and EBITDA of $5 million. The firm is currently investing out of its committed buyout fund, McNally Capital Fund III LP.

The firm was founded in 2008 by Ward McNally, a sixth-generation member of the McNally family, which owned and operated the famed Chicago-based map making company Rand McNally for over 100 years until its sale in 1997.

© 2025 Private Equity Professional | May 29, 2025

Filed Under: New Platform, Transactions

Littlejohn Starts Working on the Railroad

May 28, 2025 by John McNulty

Littlejohn & Co. has acquired RailPros, a provider of outsourced infrastructure services to the rail and utility sectors, from Court Square Capital Partners.

RailPros offers transportation infrastructure services, including outsourced safety, engineering design, project and construction management, permitting and compliance, safety and compliance training, and media production. The company serves Class I freight railroads, state departments of transportation, utilities, and contractors.

Source: RailPros

RailPros, led by CEO Kendall Koff, was founded in 2000 and is headquartered near Dallas in Irving, Texas. The company has personnel across North America, including operations in all 50 U.S. states and Mexico.

“We believe that Littlejohn’s deep resources and expertise in professional and infrastructure services make them the ideal partner for RailPros at this stage in the company’s evolution,” said Mr. Koff. “Littlejohn understands and shares our vision, and we look forward to working with their robust portfolio support resources to accelerate our growth while continuing to provide outstanding service for our clients.”

“We are excited to partner with the RailPros team as they continue to build a leading rail, transportation and utility service platform,” said Michael Kaplan, a managing director at Littlejohn. “RailPros is an industry pioneer, and its North American footprint, comprehensive service offering, and reputation for high quality service, positions it as a valued partner to their long tenured, blue-chip customer base. We look forward to helping RailPros grow organically and through strategic M&A.”

Court Square acquired RailPros in July 2020 from Bow River Capital. During Court Square’s hold period, it completed one add-on acquisition with the purchase of Omega Rail Management, a Nashville-based provider of right-of-way management services on more than 70 rail corridors across over 20 states.

Source: RailPros

“We have greatly enjoyed the partnership with Court Square and their support in executing our strategic goals,” said Mr. Koff. “Over the past five years with Court Square we have fortified the foundation of RailPros while expanding across North America. Through this, RailPros has continued to deliver an excellent service experience to our clients, and we are excited to be ushering in the next phase of growth for RailPros together with the Littlejohn team.”

Greenwich, Connecticut-based Littlejohn invests from $75 million to $500 million of equity in middle-market companies that have EBITDA from $15 million to $125 million. The firm invests across a range of industries including manufacturers, distributors, and service providers.

New York City-based Court Square invests in middle-market companies that have enterprise values of $150 million to $1.5 billion. Sectors of interest include industrial, business services, healthcare, and tech and telecom sectors. Since the firm’s founding in 1979, Court Square has completed over 245 platform investments.

Lincoln International and Piper Sandler & Co. served as financial advisors to RailPros on this transaction.

© 2025 Private Equity Professional | May 28, 2025

Filed Under: New Platform, Transactions

Odyssey’s PIP Acquires Honeywell’s PPE Business

May 28, 2025 by John McNulty

Protective Industrial Products (PIP), a portfolio company of Odyssey Investment Partners, has finalized its $1.3 billion acquisition of the personal protective equipment (PPE) division of publicly traded Honeywell. Odyssey previously acquired PIP from Audax Private Equity in December 2020.

PIP provides a wide array of hand protection products and other consumable PPE. With a catalog of more than 5,000 SKUs, PIP’s offerings include hand and arm, eye, head, hearing, body, and respiratory protection. The company’s hand protection line includes gloves designed for chemical protection, cut resistance, cleanrooms, and food-service handling. Its proprietary brands include G-Tek, Bouton, Ironcat, Assurance, Kut-Gard, CleanTeam, QRP, and Ambi-Dex.

Source: PIP

Founded in 1984, PIP is led by CEO Curt Holtz and is headquartered near Albany in Latham, New York. The company employs over 1,000 people and operates 1.5 million square feet of warehousing space, with 1.3 million square feet located in the United States. PIP also has operations in Canada, Mexico, France, Spain, Australia, and China.

“This acquisition is an exciting moment for PIP and our industry that will enable us to offer more growth opportunities for our valued customers around the world by significantly enhancing our product offerings, geographic reach, and manufacturing capabilities,” said Mr. Holtz. “Over our 40-year history, PIP’s vision of bringing the best in the world to our customers has remained unchanged and this marks another important step. In combining the strengths of both companies, we are passionate about creating an industry leader that is more agile, more innovative, and more capable of providing unmatched expertise and service to help our customers grow.”

Source: PIP

Honeywell’s PPE business, part of its Industrial Automation division, sells a portfolio of safety products used across industrial, construction, energy, utility, and emergency response sectors. Its product lines include respiratory protection such as N95 masks and respirators (North), hearing protection such as disposable earplugs and earmuffs (Howard Leight), electrical safety and arc flash gear (Salisbury), fall protection such as harnesses and lanyards (Miller), chemical-resistant gloves (KCL), head and face protection such as hard hats and helmets (Fibre-Metal), and emergency eyewash systems (Fendall). Customers range from manufacturers and contractors to utility companies and first responders.

The PPE business is led by President Michael Garceau who will continue leading the business and report directly to Mr. Holtz, employs approximately 5,000 people and operates 20 manufacturing facilities and 17 distribution centers across the US, Mexico, Europe, North Africa, Asia Pacific, and China. For the full year 2024, Honeywell estimates that PPE revenues will be $1.1 billion.

“This is an exciting new chapter for our team and our customers,” said Mr. Garceau. “PIP has a long-standing commitment to safety, service, and innovation, and over 40 years of experience delivering best-in-class products to customers by working closely with them to meet their needs. We look forward to integrating the business into PIP’s widely respected culture of entrepreneurship and customer service to expand our impact in the global PPE market.”

“The completion of this transformational acquisition is an important milestone for PIP, its customers and its employees around the world,” said Craig Staub, a senior managing principal at Odyssey. “We are thrilled to support the PIP management team as they build the value of the expanded platform and its world-class brand portfolio.”

Odyssey Investment Partners, based in New York City, makes control investments ranging from $100 million to $300 million in middle-market companies with EBITDA of $20 million to $100 million. The firm specializes in the industrial and business services sectors. In February 2020, Odyssey closed Odyssey Investment Partners Fund VI LP at its hard cap of $3.25 billion.

Honeywell International (NASDAQ: HON) operates across various industries, including aerospace, building technologies, materials, and safety and productivity solutions. Its products include aircraft engines, avionics, climate control systems, specialty chemicals, and industrial safety equipment. The company, founded in 1906 by Mark Honeywell, employs over 100,000 people, generates more than $36 billion in annual revenue, and is headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina.

© 2025 Private Equity Professional | May 29, 2025

Filed Under: Add-on, Transactions

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