Western Reserve Partners believes that access to international purchasers, sellers and investors is fundamental to maximizing value for our clients. This is why we are members of M&A International Inc., the premier international alliance of investment banking firms. M&A International’s 40 members have more than 500 professionals working in 37 countries, giving the alliance unparalleled international resources and access to purchasers, sellers and investors. During 2007 alone, M&A International’s members completed more than 380 transactions collectively worth $21 billion.
Collaboration with M&A International enhances Western Reserve Partners’ direct experience and contacts to effectively execute cross-border transactions for our U.S. clients. Our partners have completed more than 25 corporate finance transactions involving non-U.S. companies, primarily from Europe and Asia. For more information on M&A International, please visit http://www.mergers.net.
Two of our managing directors have worked as expatriate executives, providing them direct understanding of the nuances of international business practices:
Mark A. Filippell served as Assistant to the General Manager of Comau Spa, a leading factory automation company in Torino, Italy. Earlier, he was a McKinsey & Company associate in Mexico City, Mexico and Düsseldorf, Germany. He speaks Italian and Spanish.
Ralph M. Della Ratta served as General Manager of American Fletcher National Bank in Luxembourg. He was also General Manager of American Fletcher Banque Suisse, S.A. in Geneva, Switzerland, and General Manager of the International Banking Division of American Fletcher National Bank (currently part of JP Morgan Chase & Co.). He speaks French.
Below is a list of international transactions our executives have completed:
| Client/Company |
Business |
Transaction |
|
30% Interest in Comau, Spa (Torino, Italy) owned by Allied Corporation (Morristown, NJ) |
Leading European designer and manufacturer of machine tools, assembly machines, automation equipment and robotics |
Sold to: FIAT Spa (Torino, Italy) |
Addison Products Company and
-WeatherKing Corporation
(Addison, MI) |
Manufacturers and marketers of residential unitary heating and cooling equipment |
Sold to: Rheem Manufacturing (New York, NY) Subsidiary of Paloma Ltd. (Tokyo, Japan) |
Airflow Research and Manufacturing Corp.
(Watertown, MA) |
Engineering and manufacturing of ultra-high efficiency automotive fans |
Sold to: Robert Bosch, GmbH (Stuttgart, Germany) |
|
Bankruptcy Estate of AL Tech Specialty Steel Corp. (Dunkirk, NY) |
Processor of stainless steel billets into long products. |
Sold to: Atlas Steel Inc. (Welland, Ontario, Canada)
|
Bock Products, Inc.
(Elkhart, IN) |
Leading manufacturer of heavy duty rectangular structural tubing. |
Sold to: Bull Moose Tube Co. Subsidiary (St. Louis, MO), of Caparo Industries Plc., (London, England) |
Brunswick Technologies Inc.
(Brunswick, ME)
|
Leading manufacturer of stitchbonded engineered composite reinforced fabrics made from fiberglass, carbon and other fibers |
Sold to: Saint-Gobain
(Paris, France) |
Claymont Steel Holdings, Inc.
(Claymont, DE) |
Steel mini-mill specializing in heavy gauge ferrous-plate |
Sold to: Evraz Group S.A.
(Moscow, Russia)
(Fairness Opinion)
|
|
Commercial and Industrial Wiring Device Business (Ponce, Puerto Rico) of General Electric Lighting Co. Subsidiary (East Cleveland, OH), of General Electric Company (Fairfield, CT) |
Manufacturer of electrical outlets and wiring devices |
Sold to: Pass & Seymour Legrand (Paris, France) |
Earthrite Products Line of Magic American Corporation
(Beachwood, OH) |
Formulator and marketer of environmentally safe household cleaning products. |
Sold to: John A. Benckiser GmbH (Ludwigshafen, Germany)
|
|
European Business of Cameron Machinery Division (New Brunswick, NJ) Somerset Technologies Inc. (New Brunswick, NJ) |
Manufactuer of slitting and winding machinery for paper and films |
Sold to: BM Group, Ltd.
(Taunton, England) |
| Hartig Plastics Machinery Division (New Brunswick, NJ) of Somerset Technologies Inc. (New Brunswick, NJ) |
Manufacturer of heavy-duty industrial plastic blow-molding systems. |
Sold to: Battenfeld Fisher GmbH (Meinerzhagen, Germany) |
High Liner Foods Inc.
(Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada) |
Leading processor of branded and private label frozen foods in North America |
Strategic advisory services.
|
I&K Distributors, Inc.
(Delphos, OH) |
Manufacturer, wholesaler and distributor of branded and private label potato salads and other foods. |
Sold to: Chef Solutions, Inc. (Schaumburg, IL) a subsidiary of LSG Lufthansa Service Holding AG (Neu-Isenburg, Germany) |
Johnson Oil Company
(Columbus, IN) |
Owner and operator of 225 convenience stores dba Bigfoot Food Stores |
Sold to: Alimention Couche-Tard Inc. (Laval, Quebec, Canada) |
Liqui-Box Corporation
(Columbus, OH) |
Manufacturer of plastic dispensing and packaging systems for liquids serving the bottled water, beverage, dairy, pharmaceutical, processed food and wine industries |
Sold to: DuPont Canada (Whitby, Ontario, Canada) |
Luntz Corporation
(Canton, OH) |
Recycler of ferrous and non-ferrous scrap metals |
Sold to: Philip Environmental, Inc. (Hamilton, Ontario, Canada) |
National Enterprises Inc.
(Lafayette, IN) |
Manufacturer of prefabricated homes. |
Sold to: Ferrous Inc.
(Toronto, Ontario, Canada) |
Novar Electronics Corporation
(Barberton, OH) |
Designer and manufacturer of proprietary, state-of-the-art security and HVAC control systems |
Sold to: RTZ Corporation PLC (London, England) |
| Owens Illinois Labels, Inc. Subsidiary (Bardstown, KY) of Owens Illinois Corporation (Toledo, OH) |
Integrated producer of labels and substrates. |
Sold to: Fuji Seal Inc. (Tokyo, Japan) |
Reclaimers, Inc.
(Kendallville, IN) |
Recycler of copper wire. |
Sold to: Philip Environmental, Inc. (Hamilton, Ontario, Canada) |
SIFCO Industries, Inc. (Cleveland, OH)
|
Large aerospace portion of turbine engine component repair business and certain related assets. |
Sold to: SR Technics Airfoil Services Limited (Zurich, Switzerland)
|
Simbionix USA Corp.
(Lod, Israel and Cleveland, OH)
|
Leading developer of medical training simulators |
Placement of Series C Preferred Stock
|
SMED International
(Calgary, Alberta, Canada) |
Leading Manufacturer of modular office furniture |
$35,150,000 follow-on offering of common stock |
|
Stein Associates Inc. Subsidiary (Sandusky, OH), of Bettcher Industries (Vermillion, OH) |
Manufacturer of food preparation equipment for fish |
Sold to: Frigoscandia Contracting, AB (Helsingsborg, Sweden) |
|
TeleZapper Product Line of Royal Appliance Mfg. Co. (Glenwillow, OH) |
Anti-telemarketing product line |
Licensed to: VTech Holdings Ltd. (Hong Kong, China) |
Thermagon Inc.
(Cleveland, OH) |
Developer and manufacturer of thermally conductive materials for electronic applications. |
Sold to: The Laird Group PLC (London, England) |
|
-Weltronic/Tecnitron, Inc. Subsidiary (Carol Stream, IL) of Ransburg Corporation (Indianapolis, IN) |
Manufacturer of resistance welding controls. |
Sold to: Nagoya Dengensha Co., Ltd. (Nagoya, Japan) |
Yoder Brothers, Inc.
(Barberton, OH) |
Leading breeder, propagator and marketer of chrysanthemums, perennials, asters, azaleas, hibiscus, gloxinias, lisianthus, poinsettias and pot roses |
Sold certain assets and related intellectual property related to the Company's chrysanthemums and asters product lines to Syngenta AG (Basel, Switzerland)
|