Sunbelt Modular, a portfolio company of Littlejohn & Co., has acquired Whitley Manufacturing, a manufacturer of commercial modular structures.
Whitley Manufacturing designs and produces permanent modular buildings used in the commercial, education, and government sectors. The company’s product line includes healthcare clinics, classrooms, administrative offices, and customized multi-section buildings. Modular buildings offer cost-effective options with faster time-to-occupancy than traditional construction.
Source: Whitley Manufacturing
Both Whitley and Sunbelt operate in the modular construction industry, which has been gaining greater market acceptance as a scalable alternative to traditional building methods. According to a March 2024 report by McKinsey & Company, modular construction can reduce project timelines by 20–50% and cut costs by up to 20%, depending on project type. The sector is also benefiting from labor shortages in traditional construction, growing demand for speed-to-market, and sustainability requirements.
Whitley is headquartered in South Whitley, Indiana, and operates three additional manufacturing facilities in Indiana, Washington, and Pennsylvania.
Whitley was founded in 1945 by F.R. Bratton in Elkhart, Indiana. The company was acquired by Williams Mobile Offices in 1970 and subsequently purchased in 1993 by its current owner, CEO Simon Dragan, with Drew Welborn as president. Post-closing, Messrs. Dragan and Welborn will continue to lead the company.
The acquisition of Whitley expands Sunbelt’s manufacturing capabilities to 15 facilities nationwide. It marks the company’s twelfth acquisition since its founding and the second under Littlejohn ownership.
“Building Whitley over the last three-plus decades has been a tremendous source of pride,” said Mr. Dragan. “I’m deeply grateful to everyone in the Whitley family who’s been part of that journey. I’ve long admired Sunbelt as a like-minded competitor with a shared commitment to quality and customer service. Their investment in our people and operations makes them the ideal partner for Whitley’s next chapter. I’m excited to stay on as an investor in the combined business and continue supporting its growth and success.”
Sunbelt Modular designs and manufactures permanent and relocatable modular buildings for use in commercial, educational, government, and industrial markets across the United States. The company’s products include custom and standard modular structures such as workforce housing, classrooms, office buildings, and medical clinics.
Source: Sunbelt Modular
Typical Sunbelt customers include public school districts, private construction contractors, government agencies, and utility or energy sector clients requiring fast-deploy infrastructure. In addition to design and manufacturing, Sunbelt provides installation, logistics coordination, and after-market services. Sunbelt, led by CEO Ron Procunier, is headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona, and operates 15 manufacturing facilities across the United States.
“We are thrilled to welcome Whitley Manufacturing to the Sunbelt Modular family of companies,” said Mr. Procunier. “They have a long and well-earned reputation as a premier provider of modular building solutions and are a natural fit for our strategy of delivering high-quality, custom-built structures and white-glove service to our dealer network.”
Littlejohn & Co., based in Greenwich, Connecticut, 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. Littlejohn closed its sixth fund in December 2022 with $3.6 billion of capital commitments.
Sunbelt Modular, a portfolio company of Littlejohn & Co., has acquired Whitley Manufacturing, a manufacturer of commercial modular structures.
