November 15, 2007 - Modern Distribution Management

November 15, 2007

3M Expands Its PPE Line With Purchase of Aearo

Diversified manufacturer 3M, St. Paul, MN, has agreed to acquire Aearo Technologies Inc., Indianapolis, IN,&nbsp ; for $1.2 billion. Aearo is a supplier in the personal protection industry and manufactures and markets personal protection and energy absorbing products.
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Aearo is owned by funds advised by Permira, a global private equity firm, and company management.
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Aearo will significantly expand 3M's occupational health and environmental safety platform by adding hearing protection as well as eyewear and fall protection product lines to 3M's existing full-line of respiratory products.
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Aearo complements and significantly broadens our core safety and personal protection business, a space which is growing fast and of strategic importance to the ...

3M Expands Its PPE Line With Purchase of Aearo Read More »

Trelleborg Acquires Penn. Seals Distributor

The Trelleborg Group, through the Trelleborg Sealing Solutions business area, has acquired the privately owned seal distributor Sealing Solutions Inc., Colmar, PA, which has about 40 employees and annual sales of SEK 100 M (US$15.8M based on current exchange rates).

Sealing Solutions is a distributor of Trelleborg's and other suppliers'sealing products, primarily to the aerospace industry and industrial OEM companies.
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Sealing Solutions is a well-managed, profitable and growing player that, in combination with our earlier acquisitions this year, will further strengthen our distribution in North America. This acquisition will give us valuable new customer contacts among, for instance, aerospace systems manufacturers, jet engine manufacturers and industrial ...

Trelleborg Acquires Penn. Seals Distributor Read More »

Is the M& A Game Shifting Back Into Strategic Players’ Hands?

It seems the M & A game may be shifting back into strategic players' court. Some recent transactions: 3M is buying PPE supplier Aearo for $1.2 billion, which was partly owned by global private equity firm Permira. Brazos Private Equity Partners is selling industrial master distributor ORS Nasco to a strategic consolidator, United Stationers, for $180 million.
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Rexel is majority-owned by a group of private equity firms, but after it acquires Hagemeyer (assuming the deal for $4.5B will go through), it will sell half the assets to Sonepar, a strategic player, including ...

Is the M& A Game Shifting Back Into Strategic Players’ Hands? Read More »

MAPI Report: Risk of Recession is Rising

The risk of recession is rising, thanks to the recent housing collapse and credit crunch, rising oil prices, slowing employment growth, and lack of consumer confidence, according to a new report.
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The Manufacturers Alliance/MAPI Quarterly Economic Forecast forecasts that inflation-adjusted GDP growth will slow to 2.1 percent in 2007 and to 1.3 percent in 2008. The U.S. economy in the past has experienced a recession from fewer shocks than we are now experiencing," said Daniel J. Meckstroth, Manufacturers Alliance/MAPI chief economist.
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"By itself the housing collapse would probably not cause a recession, but when combined with a credit crunch, falling housing prices, record oil prices, falling corporate profits, low consumer confidence, and decelerating ...

MAPI Report: Risk of Recession is Rising Read More »

United Stationers to Buy ORS Nasco for $180M

United Stationers Inc.'s wholly owned subsidiary, United Stationers Supply Co., Deerfield, IL, has agreed to acquire ORS Nasco Holding Inc., an affiliate of Brazos Private Equity Partners, LLC, for $180 million. ORS Nasco, Muskagee, OK, is a master distributor of industrial supplies, selling exclusively to independent distributors.
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The company has annual sales of $285 million. ORS Nasco offers about 200,000 branded and private-label products from over 600 manufacturers. ORS Nasco sells to more than 10,000 independent distributors in multiple channels, including industrial, MRO (maintenance, repair and operations), safety, construction, welding, and oilfield services.
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ORS Nasco serves its highly diverse customer base through eight distribution centers across ...

United Stationers to Buy ORS Nasco for $180M Read More »

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