The bidding war for industrial distributor Industrial Distribution Group Inc., Atlanta, GA, continues, but WESCO Distribution Inc., Pittsburgh, PA, has bowed out. At press time (early April 25, 2008), Luther King Capital Management, Fort Worth, TX, had the highest bid with $12.10 per share in cash, or close to $134 million.
Luther King Capital current owns 15 percent of IDG’s stock. The firm presented IDG with an equity financing commitment letter from an LKCM investment fund.
Platinum Equity, the original victor with its offer of $10.30 per share for the distributor, had upped its bid to $11.80 per share in cash in response to WESCO Distribution’s bid of $11.75, or $130 million.
The back and forth comes after IDG agreed in February 2008 to be purchased …