M&A Deal Summary

Brightstar Capital Partners Acquires WW Williams

On January 30, 2025, private equity firm Brightstar Capital Partners acquired automotive company WW Williams from One Equity Partners

Acquisition Highlights
  • This is Brightstar Capital Partners’ 4th transaction in the Automotive sector.
  • This is Brightstar Capital Partners’ 18th transaction in the United States.
  • This is Brightstar Capital Partners’ 1st transaction in Ohio.

M&A Deal Summary

Date 2025-01-30
Target WW Williams
Sector Automotive
Buyer(s) Brightstar Capital Partners
Sellers(s) One Equity Partners
Deal Type Secondary Buyout
Advisor(s) Baird (Financial)
Milbank (Legal)

Target

WW Williams

Dublin, Ohio, United States
WW Williams provides aftermarket parts and services to the commercial vehicle and equipment markets operating across the US. The company represents major original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and provides a full range of products, parts, and services focused on keeping customers’ vehicles and equipment in operation and minimizing downtime. WW Williams was founded in 1912 and is based in Dublin, Ohio.

Search 214,107 Deals Now

SEARCH BY

  • Buyer Type (PE or Strategic)
  • Deal Size ($10M to $10B+)
  • Sector (60 Sectors)
  • Deal Type
  • Geography
  • & More

Try Free

Buyer(S) 1

Buyer
DESCRIPTION

Brightstar Capital Partners is a middle-market private equity firm focused on partnering with closely held and family-owned companies. Sectors of interest include business services, consumer products/services, and industrials. Brightstar Capital Partners was established in 2015 and is based in New York City.


DEAL STATS #
Overall 19 of 21
Sector: Automotive M&A 4 of 4
Type: Secondary Buyout M&A Deals 7 of 7
State: Ohio M&A 1 of 2
Country: United States M&A 18 of 20
Year: 2025 M&A 2 of 4
PREVIOUS DEAL
DATE TARGET DEAL TYPE VALUE
2025-01-28 Amerit Fleet Solutions

Walnut Creek, California, United States

Amerit Fleet Solutions provides repair and maintenance services for vehicle fleet owners and operators across North America, operating via a collection of mobile repair units, branch locations, and on-site customer locations. Amerit Fleet Solutions was founded in 2010 and is based in Walnut Creek, California.

Sell -
FOLLOWING DEAL
DATE TARGET DEAL TYPE VALUE
2025-06-04 KZF Design

Cincinnati, Ohio, United States

KZF Design is a full-service architecture, engineering, and design firm that provides innovative and sustainable solutions to public and private sector clients. KZF Design was founded in 1956 and is based in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Buy -

Seller(S) 1

SELLER

One Equity Partners

New York, New York, United States

Investor Investor Investor Investor Investor


Category Private Equity Firm
Founded 2001
PE ASSETS 10.0B USD
Size Mega
Type Sector Agnostic
DESCRIPTION

One Equity Partners (OEP) is a private equity firm that targets buyout and growth capital investments in North America, Europe, and Asia. OEP prefers to be the lead investor and typically commits $30 to $150 million per transaction. Sectors of interest include industrial products/services, consumer, retail, chemicals, media, communications, and healthcare. One Equity Partners was formed in 2001 and spun out of JP Morgan Chase in 2015. One Equity Partners is based in New York, New York.


DEAL STATS #
Overall 64 of 67
Sector: Automotive M&A 2 of 2
Type: Secondary Buyout M&A Deals 10 of 11
State: Ohio M&A 3 of 3
Country: United States M&A 43 of 45
Year: 2025 M&A 1 of 4
PREVIOUS DEAL
DATE TARGET DEAL TYPE VALUE
2024-11-05 Dragonfly Financial Technologies

Naples, Florida, United States

Dragonfly Financial Technologies is a digital business banking and cash management solutions provider. Dragonfly Financial Technologies is based in Naples, Florida.

Sell -
FOLLOWING DEAL
DATE TARGET DEAL TYPE VALUE
2025-02-18 Wheeler Fleet Solutions

Somerset, Pennsylvania, United States

Wheeler Fleet Solutions is an online wholesale distributor of truck parts. The Company supply heavy, medium, and light-duty parts online. Wheeler Fleet Solutions was formed in 1960 and is headquartered in Somerset, Pennsylvania.

Buy $230M