M&A Deal Summary

Pfingsten Partners and HarbourVest Partners Acquire Sign-Zone

On May 16, 2017, private equity firms Pfingsten Partners and HarbourVest Partners acquired marketing company Sign-Zone

Acquisition Highlights
  • This is Pfingsten Partners’ 2nd and HarbourVest Partners’ 2nd transaction in the Marketing sector.
  • This is Pfingsten Partners’ 43rd and HarbourVest Partners’ 94th transaction in the United States.
  • This is Pfingsten Partners’ 4th and HarbourVest Partners’ 3rd transaction in Minnesota.

M&A Deal Summary
Date 2017-05-16
Target Sign-Zone
Sector Marketing
Buyer(s) Pfingsten Partners
HarbourVest Partners
Deal Type Buyout (LBO, MBO, MBI)
Advisor(s) Quetico Partners (Financial)

Target

Sign-Zone

Brooklyn Center, Minnesota, United States
Sign-Zone is a manufacturer of wide-format, portable promotional signage and displays under the Showdown Displays, Jansen Display and Promic brand names. Products include table covers, retractable banners, event tents, sail signs, floor displays and other displays. Sign-Zone sells through an extensive network of promotional product distributors, sign shops and printers to end users in various end markets such as education, healthcare, financial services and technology. Sign-Zone was founded in 1999 and is headquartered in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota.

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Buyer(S) 2

Buyer

Pfingsten Partners

Chicago, Illinois, United States

Investor Investor Investor Investor Investor

Category Private Equity Firm
Founded 1989
PE ASSETS 1.3B USD
Size Large
Type Sector Agnostic
DESCRIPTION
Pfingsten's office building at 300 North LaSalle in Chicago.
Pfingsten's office building at 300 North LaSalle in Chicago.

Pfingsten Partners is a private equity firm focused on investments in niche manufacturing, distribution, and business services companies. The Firm targets platform companies headquartered in the US although add-on acquisitions can be located outside the US. Prospective companies typically have revenues of $20 to $150 million and EBITDA of $3 to $12 million. Transaction types include private companies undergoing an ownership transition, corporate divestitures, strategic add-ons, and turnarounds. Pfingsten only invests in situations allowing for control. Pfingsten will not invest in real estate, natural resources, highly regulated businesses, retail, restaurants, early-stage companies, or technology. Pfingsten Partners was formed in 1989 and is based in Chicago, Illinois.

DEAL STATS #
Overall 43 of 56
Sector (Marketing) 2 of 2
Type (Buyout (LBO, MBO, MBI)) 28 of 31
State (Minnesota) 4 of 4
Country (United States) 43 of 56
Year (2017) 1 of 2
PREVIOUS DEAL
DATE TARGET DEAL TYPE VALUE
2017-04-03 ILP Holdings

Sanford, Florida, United States

ILP Holdings is a manufacturer of energy-efficient luminaires and retrofits solutions with over 14 years of experience supporting builders and retrofitters with green building initiatives. The company has developed a wide range of LED products to support commercial, industrial, and outdoor applications focused on energy and maintenance savings. New products like the UFO parking garage fixture and the LANCE retrofit kits demonstrate ILP's ability to deliver performance and value with exceptional aesthetics. ILP Holdings was founded in 2003 and is based in Sanford, Florida.

Sell -
FOLLOWING DEAL
DATE TARGET DEAL TYPE VALUE
2017-10-03 Lumenier

Sarasota, Florida, United States

Lumenier is a designer, manufacturer, and online retailer of drone equipment, components, and replacement parts for racing, consumer, commercial and military applications. Lumenier is based in Sarasota, Florida.

Buy -
Buyer

HarbourVest Partners

Boston, Massachusetts, United States

Investor Investor Investor Investor Investor

Category Private Equity Firm
Founded 1978
PE ASSETS 86.0B USD
Size Mega
Type Sector Agnostic
DESCRIPTION

HarbourVest Partners, LLC is an investment firm that makes investments in new private equity partnerships, acquires secondary interests, and makes direct investments in operating companies. HarbourVest's largest investment area is investments in private equity funds, comprising of approximately 2/3 of HarbourVest's assets. HarbourVest's direct investment group looks for investments in growth oriented businesses at a variety of stages. The Group generally targets co-investments of $5 to $100 million, growth capital financings of $5 to $40 million, or mezzanine commitments of $5 to $20 million. Sectors of interest include software, hardware, data communications, telecommunications, and financial services. HarbourVest was formed in 1997 to assume the business of Hancock Venture Partners which was formed in 1982. HarbourVest Partners is based in Boston, Massachusetts, with additional offices in London, Tokyo, and Hong Kong.

DEAL STATS #
Overall 156 of 223
Sector (Marketing) 2 of 3
Type (Buyout (LBO, MBO, MBI)) 33 of 41
State (Minnesota) 3 of 3
Country (United States) 94 of 134
Year (2017) 4 of 15
PREVIOUS DEAL
DATE TARGET DEAL TYPE VALUE
2017-05-16 Securus Technologies

Dallas, Texas, United States

Securus Technologies is a provider of specialized telecommunications products and services, including security-enhanced call processing, call validation and billing for the corrections communications marketplace. Securus Technologies was founded in 1986 and is based in Dallas, Texas.

Sell -
FOLLOWING DEAL
DATE TARGET DEAL TYPE VALUE
2017-05-19 Polynt

Scanzorosciate, Italy

Polynt engages in the research and development, manufacture, and sale of specific polymer chemical intermediates, catalysts, and compounds. Polynt was founded in 1955 and is based in Scanzorosciate, Italy.

Sell -
Mergr

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