Bertram Capital to Acquire EDI, Positioning the Flat Die Manufacturer for Continued Expansion
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CHIPPEWA FALLS, WI, U.S.A., December 22, 2010: Extrusion Dies Industries, LLC (EDI), a leading international supplier of flat extrusion and coating dies, announced today that it has agreed to be acquired by Bertram Capital, a private equity firm based in San Mateo, California. The parties did not disclose the terms of the transaction, which is expected to close on or around December 31, 2010.
Bertram Capital will assume ownership of EDI from a group headed by four investors who engineered a management buyout of the company in 2003. In 2008, three of the investors-Timothy C. Callahan, Christopher W. Curtin, and Ronald J. Kuhnen-assumed board member positions and turned over daily operations to an established management team headed by the fourth owner, John A. Ulcej. He will remain at EDI in a leadership position after the change in ownership.
"The management team that has been key to EDI's success in recent years will stay in place, as will our 240 employees in the U.S., Europe, and Asia," Ulcej said. Core members of the team include four vice presidents: Dennis S. Paradise (sales and marketing), Gary D. Oliver (technology), Gregory J. Raleigh (manufacturing), and Daniel D. Kelm (finance)
The acquisition follows a seven-year period since the management buyout in which EDI expanded at home and overseas, developed successful innovations, acquired two businesses, and experienced growth in annual sales of more than 125%. "EDI is now stronger than ever before in its 40-year history," said Ulcej. "Bertram Capital, with its extensive resources and commitment to helping profitable companies broaden their capabilities, will enable EDI to expand and diversify even more aggressively."
Kevin Yamashita, a Partner at Bertram Capital, added, "We are extremely excited to have the opportunity to work with the EDI team and participate in its future growth. The company is uniquely positioned in the industry through its engineering expertise, quality products, and long-standing customer relationships that are core to its ongoing success."
EDI specializes in building and reworking flat dies, which are shaping tools used by manufacturers to produce plastic film and sheet or to apply coatings onto various substrates. The company has been based in Chippewa Falls, WI since it was founded in 1971 but today sells more than half of its dies in over 50 countries outside the U.S.
EXTRUSION DIES INDUSTRIES, LLC is a leading international supplier of flat dies for sheet, film, extrusion coating, fluid coating, and pelletizing. The company designs and manufactures dies, feedblocks, deckling systems, vacuum boxes, and related equipment. Its subsidiaries include EDI GmbH in Reichshof-Wehnrath, Germany, and EDI China in Shanghai. In the U.S.A., Germany, and China, EDI operates facilities dedicated to reworking its own dies and those built by other suppliers, and it has licensed a fourth rework facility in Japan. Headquartered in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, U.S.A., EDI is focused on supplying the global market. Visit www.extrusiondies.com and www.reworkdies.com. E-mail: sales@extrusiondies.com.
BERTRAM CAPITAL is a private equity investment firm with more than $850 million in capital under management. Founded in 2006, Bertram Capital's mission is to build value for equity holders, employees, customers, and partners by helping profitable companies realize their full potential. Visit www.bertramcapital.com.
Robert J. Martino
Martino Communications Inc.
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Email: bob@martinocommunications.com
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