The Sterling Group has made an investment in Bad Boy, a maker of zero-turn riding lawn mowers and related equipment.
Bad Boy’s products are used in residential and commercial applications and are sold through both independent dealers and specialty outdoor retailers. Bad Boy was founded in 1998 by Phil Pulley and Robert Foster and has over 850,000 square feet of manufacturing facilities in Batesville, Arkansas.
In 2014, Bad Boy spun its off its side-by-side 4×4 utility vehicle line known as the Intimidator to Mr. Foster, and Mr. Pulley became the sole owner of Bad Boy. The Intimidator operation is located adjacent to the Bad Boy facilities in Batesville.
“I am excited to partner with The Sterling Group, as we work together to drive Bad Boy’s continued growth,” said Mr. Pulley.
“Phil and his team have built an incredible product and strong brand resulting in impressive growth over the last twenty years,” said Kent Wallace, a partner at The Sterling Group. “We look forward to partnering with Phil and his team in supporting Bad Boy’s future growth as it continues to deliver leading residential and commercial mowers to its loyal customer base.”
Houston-based The Sterling Group invests in manufacturing, industrial services and distribution companies that have enterprise values from $100 million to $750 million. The firm emphasizes an operational approach in partnership with management teams to grow and improve the companies it acquires. Since its founding in 1982, The Sterling Group has sponsored the buyout of 55 platform companies and numerous add-on acquisitions with a total transaction value of over $10 billion.
Stephens Inc. was the financial advisor to Bad Boy on this transaction.
© 2019 Private Equity Professional | December 12, 2019
