Legal Counsel in Palmer-Donavin’s Diamond Hill Plywood Acquisition
The M+A team at Kegler Brown served as the exclusive buy-side legal counsel to Palmer-Donavin in its acquisition of Diamond Hill Plywood (DHP), a major wholesale distributor of building and construction-related products. Headquartered in Darlington, South Carolina, DHP employs 110 people and operates five distribution centers in Virginia, Tennessee, North Carolina, and South Carolina, serving customers across eight southeastern states and much of the Eastern seaboard. With over a century of experience, Palmer-Donavin has maintained its leadership in building material distribution and door fabrication. The transaction successfully closed on April 7, 2023.
Legal Counsel for the ESOP Sale of an Architectural Firm
In December 2022, Kegler Brown acted as exclusive legal counsel to Berardi & Partners, Inc. in connection with the sale of 100% of the company’s equity to an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (“ESOP”) Trust, and related company reorganization with affiliated companies.
Sale of Ohio-Based IT Support and Services Company
In June 2022, EasyIT, an Ohio-based managed IT support and services company, sold to NetGain Technologies, a multi-state regional IT services and solutions provider. Kegler Brown acted as legal advisor to the seller in all aspects of the transaction.
Sale of East Coast-Based HVAC Distributor
Kegler Brown acted as the legal advisor to System Aire Supply Company/Control Aire Supply Company, a leading East Coast-based heating, ventilation and air conditioning (“HVAC”) distributor in all aspects of its April 2022 sale to Munch’s Supply, an HVAC and plumbing distributor that supplies heating, cooling, and plumbing products to industry contractors throughout North America.
Sale of Funeral Home Business
The M+A team at Kegler Brown advised Schoedinger Funeral and Cremation Service and its affiliated entities in its December 2021 sale to Service Corporation International. Schoedinger Funeral Home, which is based in Columbus and owns and operates 12 funeral homes while employing 180 people, was advised by Kegler Brown on all aspects of the sale transaction to the nation's largest operator of funeral homes, operating 1,458 funeral service locations and 485 cemeteries.
Advising Manufacturer in its Acquisition of Food Processing and Packaging Business
In August 2021, Kegler Brown acted as the legal advisor to J.E. Grote Company, Inc., and its affiliates in all aspects of its acquisition of the Precision Food Innovations Division business from Precision, Inc., a company that specializes in bulk material handling and conveying equipment for the food processing and packaging industries. The Grote Company is a family owned and operated manufacturer of food processing equipment and is the leading manufacturer of slicing and food assembly equipment for companies throughout the world.
Advising Ohio Manufacturer in Investment from Florida Private Equity Firm
In April 2021, Kegler Brown acted as the legal advisor to Abrasive Technology in all aspects of its receipt of a private equity investment from Blue Sea Capital, a private equity firm based in West Palm Beach, that invests in growth-oriented lower-middle-market companies valued up to $250 million. Abrasive Technology, with more than 140 registered patents and trademarks, is a global leader in custom superabrasive grinding wheels and tools.
Sale of Kent Water Sports to Seawall Capital
The M+A team at Kegler Brown advised Kent Water Sports and its related entities in its December 2020 sale to Seawall Capital. Kent Water Sports, a platform of action sports brands with products spanning personal flotation devices, wakeboards, water skis, towable tubes, snowboards, and more, was advised by Kegler Brown on all aspects of the sale transaction to Seawall Capital, which is a middle-market private equity firm focused on making investments in companies with strong connections to their end consumers.
Sale of Ohio-Based Pavement Striping Company
Kegler Brown acted as the legal advisor to Griffin Pavement Striping, a leading provider of road, highway and airport line striping in all aspects of its September 2020 sale to Frontline Road Safety, a portfolio company of The Sterling Group. The Sterling Group is a private equity investment firm that targets controlling interests in basic manufacturing, distribution and industrial services companies. Sterling intends to build Frontline into the leading platform for road safety solutions providers with best-in-class local execution capabilities. Sterling has a long history of partnering with entrepreneurs and management teams to support the growth of their businesses.
Established Automotive Client Expands Portfolio with New Dealership Acquisitions
Kegler Brown served as the exclusive buy-side legal counsel for Germain Automotive Partnership in its acquisition of Michigan-based Spartan Toyota, Wolverine Toyota, and Lexus of Ann Arbor automobile dealerships, along with the related real estate from Spartan Auto Group. Germain Automotive Partnership now owns 16 automobile dealerships across Ohio, Florida, and Michigan. These Michigan acquisitions marked the group's first since it acquired a Lincoln store in Florida in December 2021, as confirmed by the company. In November 2019, Germain Automotive Partnership purchased five dealerships in Columbus from Sonic Automotive Inc. Kegler Brown has been Germain's buy-side counsel for all of its acquisitions since 2019.
