MOSCOW (MRC) -- Private equity firm
Graham Partners has bought its fourth U.S.-based thermoforming company with the
acquisition of James L. Villa Inc., of Oldsmar, Fla., said Canplastics.
The
terms of the deal have not been disclosed. The James L. Villa purchase comes on
the heels of Graham Partners’ acquisition of platform company EasyPak near the
end of 2017 and subsequent purchases of Tray-Pak Corp. and Nuconic Packaging
LLC.
In a statement, Newtown Square, Pa.-based Graham Partners said that
it considers thermoformed packaging to be an “attractive niche market” that is
benefiting from increasing consumer demand for sustainable packaging options and
freshly prepared, on-the-go meals.
Founded in 1979, James L. Villa is a
third-generation family owned and operated business that specializes in custom
thermoformed and injection molded packaging for fresh food products in
supermarkets.
The addition of that business will enable EasyPak to
strategically expand into the southeast while providing additional customization
capabilities and scale to EasyPak’s business, Graham Partners said. "James L.
Villa boasts an impressive roster of loyal, long-term customers in the grocery
channel,” said Dave Furstoss, CEO of EasyPak. “We are excited to partner with
the business to expand our thermoformed platform presence in the southeast. We
initially acquired EasyPak with the intention to build a top-tier mid-sized
thermoformer. With three subsequent complementary acquisitions completed to
date, we are well on our way to achieving this vision." |