M&A Deal Summary

Tilia Holdings Acquires Universal Pure

On November 27, 2018, private equity firm Tilia Holdings acquired business services company Universal Pure from Graham Partners

Acquisition Highlights
  • This is Tilia Holdings’ 1st transaction in the Business Services sector.
  • This is Tilia Holdings’ 3rd transaction in the United States.
  • This is Tilia Holdings’ 1st transaction in Nebraska.
Investment Fate
  • Universal Pure was sold to a consortium of financial buyers in 2022.

M&A Deal Summary
Date 2018-11-27
Target Universal Pure
Sector Business Services
Buyer(s) Tilia Holdings
Sellers(s) Graham Partners
Deal Type Secondary Buyout

Target

Universal Pure

Lincoln, Nebraska, United States
website
Universal Pure is a provider of outsourced high-pressure processing (HPP), cold storage and pre-HPP and post-HPP value-added services to help food and beverage companies safely bring longer-lasting, cleaner-label products to market. Universal Pure was founded in 2001 and is based in Lincoln, Nebraska.

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Buyer(S) 1

Buyer

Tilia Holdings

Investor Investor Investor Investor Investor

website

Category Private Equity Firm
Founded 2017
Size Small
Type Sector Agnostic
DESCRIPTION

Tilia Holdings is a private equity firm focused on investing in outsourced business-to-business services providers that serve the food industry. Specific areas of interest include companies that offer regulatory compliance, quality, supply chain integrity or food safety services. The Firm targets companies with at least $10 million of revenue and at least $5 million of EBITDA. Tilia Holdings was established in 2017 and is headquartered in Chicago, Illinois.

DEAL STATS #
Overall 4 of 9
Sector (Business Services) 1 of 2
Type (Secondary Buyout) 1 of 5
State (Nebraska) 1 of 1
Country (United States) 3 of 8
Year (2018) 4 of 4
PREVIOUS DEAL
DATE TARGET DEAL TYPE VALUE
2018-06-01 Certified Laboratories

Melville, New York, United States

Certified Laboratories is an operator of an independent laboratory comprised of four nationally recognized laboratories located in New York, Illinois, Southern California, and Northern California. Each of these laboratories has developed its own area of expertise and is an acknowledged leader in the field of food analysis with a wide array of clients from mom and pop startups to national, well-known food companies to the FDA. Certified Laboratories was founded in 1926 and is based in Melville, New York.

Buy -
FOLLOWING DEAL
DATE TARGET DEAL TYPE VALUE
2019-04-05 Proven Partners Group

Elgin, Illinois, United States

Proven Partners Group provides outsourcing and contract manufacturing/packaging capabilities to consumer packagedgoods and food companies. Proven Partners Group was founded in 2004 and is based in Elgin, Illinois.

Buy -

Seller(S) 1

SELLER

Graham Partners

Newtown Square, Pennsylvania, United States

Investor Investor Investor Investor Investor

website

Category Private Equity Firm
Founded 1988
PE ASSETS 5.0B USD
Size Large
Type Sector Agnostic
DESCRIPTION

Graham Partners is a private equity that targets middle market industrial and manufacturing companies. The Firm seeks to invest in businesses based in the US and also consider investments in Canada and Western Europe. Graham Partners focuses on strong growth potential companies with high return on invested capital, led by experienced management teams in revenues between $30 - $500 million and EBITDA between $10 million and $50 million. The firm typically invests between $10 million and $100 million in equity and the balance via debt and can invest higher than $100 million through co-investments. Broad areas of interest include building products, water management, medical products, consumer products, packaged food & beverage, packaging, aerospace/defense, agriculture, capital equipment, energy related products, home and outdoor, sports and leisure, and transportation services. Prospective transaction types include MBOs, recapitalization and growth capital financing. Graham Partners is an affiliate of The Graham Group was formed in 1988 and is based in Newton Square, Pennsylvania.

DEAL STATS #
Overall 26 of 37
Sector (Business Services) 1 of 1
Type (Secondary Buyout) 11 of 15
State (Nebraska) 1 of 1
Country (United States) 24 of 34
Year (2018) 3 of 3
PREVIOUS DEAL
DATE TARGET DEAL TYPE VALUE
2018-10-09 Atlas

Wichita, Kansas, United States

Atlas manufactures flight-critical, complex assemblies on a diverse group of commercial, military and business aircraft, including the 737MAX, F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, Gulfstream G650, and nearly every Textron Aviation aircraft. Atlas has developed a unique set of machining, specialty forming and chemical processing capabilities, supported by automation technology and low-cost manufacturing. This vertical integration allows Atlas to deliver a broad range of complex aircraft assemblies, including complete aircraft doors, escape hatches, wing structures, and flight control assemblies for a growing list of leading aerospace OEMs.

Sell -
FOLLOWING DEAL
DATE TARGET DEAL TYPE VALUE
2018-12-18 Giraffe Foods

Mississauga, Ontario, Canada

Giraffe Foods is a producer of customized sauces, dips, dressings, syrups and beverage concentrates for B2B customers, in the home meal replacement, food service and retail markets. Giraffe Foods was founded in 1997 and is based in Mississauga, Ontario.

Buy -
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