Willis Stein & Partners Mergers and Acquisitions Summary

Private Equity Profile

Willis Stein & Partners’ most common sectors for investment are business services (12%) and media (9%). The Firm’s most common investment types include stake purchase (56%) and buyout (lbo, mbo, mbi) (27%). In total, Willis Stein & Partners has invested in 22 US states. Its largest (disclosed) acquisition occurred in 2000 when it acquired Ziff Davis for $780M.

In the last 3 years, Willis Stein & Partners has exited 1 company. The Firm’s most common exit type is trade sale (39%). Willis Stein & Partners’ largest (disclosed) exit occurred in 1999 when it sold The Petersen Companies Inc for $1.5B.

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M&A Summary

  • M&A Total Activity89
    • M&A Buy Activity42
    • M&A Sell Activity47
  • Total Sectors Invested 22
  • Total Countries Invested 1
  • M&A Buy/Sell Connections 12
  • M&A Advisors 1

Willis Stein & Partners

1033 Skokie Blvd Ste 360,
Northbrook, Illinois 60062
United States
(312) 422-2400
www.willisstein.com
info@willisstein.com

Willis Stein & Partners is a private equity firm focused on investing in growth-oriented, US-based, middle-market companies valued between $30 and $500 million. Prospective investment situations include buyouts, growth capital financings, corporate divestitures, industry consolidations, and generational changes in ownership. Sectors of interest include business services, consumer products and services, healthcare, manufacturing, media, and telecommunications. Willis Stein & Partners was formed in 1994 and is based in Northbrook, Illinois.


Investment Criteria

Sectors of Interest: Apparel/Textiles, Automotive, Business Services, Chemicals, Communications, Consumer Products, Consumer Services, Distribution, Education, Electronics, Financial Services, Food, Healthcare Services, Information Technology, Leisure, Manufacturing, Marketing, Media, Plastics, Publishing, Real Estate, Retail

Target Transaction Types: Buyout (LBO, MBO, MBI), Consolidation, Going Private, Growth Capital, Stake Purchase

Geographic Preferences: East US, Midwest US, South US, West US

Transaction Criteria Min Max
Target Revenue - -
Target EBITDA - -
Investment Size - -
Enterprise Value 30 500
values in millions of USD

M&A Summary

Buy vs Sell

Year ≤ '16 '17 '18 '19 '20 '21 T
Buy (0.0/yr) # 42 - - - - - 42
vol $2.0B $2.0B
Sell (0.6/yr) # 44 2 1 - - - 47
vol $2.9B $2.9B
  89

Most Recent M&A

Company Date Value Type
Education Corporation of America, Inc. 2018-12-01 - Bankruptcy
Birmingham, Alabama · www.ecacolleges.com
VelociTel LLC 2017-12-05 - Add-on Acquisition
Arlington, Virginia · www.velocitel.net
Strategic Materials, Inc. 2017-10-17 - Secondary Buyout
Houston, Texas · www.strategicmaterials.com
Strategic Materials, Inc. 2012-08-29 - Secondary Buyout
Houston, Texas · www.strategicmaterials.com
VelociTel LLC 2012-08-29 - Secondary Buyout
Arlington, Virginia · www.velocitel.net
Education Corporation of America, Inc. 2012-08-29 - Secondary Buyout
Birmingham, Alabama · www.ecacolleges.com
CompuPay, Inc. 2012-05-02 - Merger
Miramar, Florida · www.compupay.com
Roundy's, Inc. 2012-02-08 - IPO
Milwaukee, Wisconsin · www.roundys.com
Roll Coater, Inc. 2011-10-25 245M USD Trade Sale
Indianapolis, Indiana · www.rollcoater.com
Aavid Thermalloy LLC 2011-01-03 - Secondary Buyout
Concord, New Hampshire · www.aavid.com
View All >>

M&A by Sector

Sector Current # Value All-time # Value
Business Services - - 5 (11%) 606M (30%)
Media - - 4 (9%) 780M (39%)
Communications - - 4 (9%) -
Retail - - 3 (7%) 255M (13%)
Food - - 3 (7%) -
Publishing - - 3 (7%) -
Information Technology - - 2 (4%) 205M (10%)
Distribution - - 2 (4%) 70M (3%)
Chemicals - - 2 (4%) -
Education - - 2 (4%) -
Environmental - - 2 (4%) -
Financial Services - - 2 (4%) -
Manufacturing - - 2 (4%) -
Healthcare Services - - 1 (2%) 100M (5%)
Apparel/Textiles - - 1 (2%) -
Automotive - - 1 (2%) -
Consumer Services - - 1 (2%) -
Electrical Equipment - - 1 (2%) -
Electronics - - 1 (2%) -
Leisure - - 1 (2%) -
Marketing - - 1 (2%) -
Real Estate - - 1 (2%) -
Total - - 45 $2.0B

Acquisitions By Geo

State/Country Current # Value All-time # Value
United States - - 45 (100%) 2.0B (100%)
  Florida - - 7 (16%) 205M (10%)
  Illinois - - 6 (13%) -
  New York - - 3 (7%) 850M (42%)
  California - - 3 (7%) 443M (22%)
  Georgia - - 3 (7%) -
  Texas - - 3 (7%) -
  Alabama - - 2 (4%) -
  Wisconsin - - 2 (4%) -
  Virginia - - 2 (4%) -
  Missouri - - 2 (4%) -
  North Carolina - - 1 (2%) 255M (13%)
  Indiana - - 1 (2%) 163M (8%)
  Kentucky - - 1 (2%) 100M (5%)
  Maryland - - 1 (2%) -
  Maine - - 1 (2%) -
  Kansas - - 1 (2%) -
  Colorado - - 1 (2%) -
  Arizona - - 1 (2%) -
  Tennessee - - 1 (2%) -
  New Hampshire - - 1 (2%) -
  Michigan - - 1 (2%) -
Total - - 45 $2.0B

Acquisitions by Deal Type

Type Current # Value All-time # Value
Stake Purchase - - 25 (56%) 513M (25%)
Buyout (LBO, MBO, MBI) - - 12 (27%) 560M (28%)
Secondary Buyout - - 6 (13%) -
Divestiture - - 2 (4%) 943M (47%)
Total - - 45 $2.0B

Exits by Deal Type

Type Total # Value
Trade Sale 20 (43%) 260M (9%)
Secondary Sale 13 (28%) 523M (18%)
Trade Sale - Public Company 5 (11%) 2.0B (70%)
Merger 3 (6%) 77M (3%)
Bankruptcy 3 (6%) -
IPO 3 (6%) -
Total 47 $2.9B

Top M&A Advisors

Financial Deals
Robert W. Baird & Co., Inc.
 1

Deal Values

buy # Total
$100M to $1B 5 $1.8B
< $100M 2 $170M
TOTAL $2.0B
Largest Ziff Davis, Inc.
$780M (2000-04-07)
sell # Total
> $1B 1 $1.5B
$100M to $1B 4 $1.2B
< $100M 3 $160M
TOTAL $2.9B
Largest The Petersen Companies, Inc
$1.5B (1999-01-21)

M&A Connections

Deals
Acquired from
Investor(s)
13%
6 (13%)
Strategic(s)
2%
1 (2%)
Exited to
Investor(s)
26%
12 (26%)
Strategic(s)
15%
7 (15%)

Investor Summary

Size

Large

PE Assets

3.0B USD

Established

1994

Specialist/Generalist

Generalist

Leadership

Christopher Larson

Partner

David Mills

CFO

Alexander Gart

Vice President

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