Recent News and Announcements from Centre Partners
Leading Middle Market Private Equity Firm Partners with Veteran Management Team to Acquire Specialty Manufacturer of Highly Engineered Components
NEW YORK, July 25 /PRNewswire/ — Centre Partners Management LLC today announced that it has completed the acquisition of substantially all of the assets of Dekko Technologies, Inc. and the stock of Pent Technologies, Inc. (collectively, “Group Dekko”). The investments were completed in partnership with key members of Group Dekko’s senior management team and through a newly formed entity, Group Dekko Holdings, Inc.
Founded in 1952, Group Dekko is a leading provider of highly engineered electrical, wire, plastic and metal subcomponents, finished products, fixtures and related assemblies for the office furniture, transportation, lighting, appliance, medical device and consumer product end markets. Utilizing over 190 active, pending, and provisional patents, Group Dekko has a broad range of manufacturing and assembly capabilities, including metal forming, stamping, powder coating, plastic molding and extrusion, product assembly, and built to order, highly customized products. The company is headquartered in Kendallville, Indiana.
Centre Partners is a leading middle market private equity firm with offices in New York, Los Angeles and Dallas. Centre Partners’ managing directors have invested over $3 billion of equity capital in more than 80 businesses in the past 20 years. Centre is investing in Group Dekko through its fourth fund, Centre IV, which has approximately $780 million of committed capital.
“We are excited about our new partnership with the Group Dekko management team and our acquisition of a company with such a long track record of success,” said Robert Bergmann, managing director at Centre Partners. “We look forward to working together to build on the company’s strong existing reputation and rich heritage as we grow.”
Group Dekko Chief Executive Officer Steven Hankins said, “Our senior management and employees are excited to have Centre Partners as our business and financial partner. Centre Partners shares our commitment to superior quality and innovation, as well as attentive service for customers and employees alike. We look forward to working with them to drive the continued growth and success of Group Dekko.”
Consistent with Centre Partners’ philosophy of investing alongside management teams who have or desire a meaningful economic stake in the future success of their businesses, Group Dekko’s senior management team will continue to hold a significant investment in the company.
Group Dekko was advised in this transaction by Charles Heiny, a partner at Fort Wayne, Indiana based law firm Haller & Colvin and Mark Filippell, a managing director at Cleveland, Ohio based investment banking firm Western Reserve Partners.
Centre Partners was advised by Mark Thierfelder, a partner in the New York office of O’Melveny & Myers.
Senior financing for the transaction was provided by JPMorganChase and Dymas Capital, while mezzanine financing was provided by Blackstone Mezzanine Partners II.
About Group Dekko
Group Dekko was founded in 1952 by Chester “Chet” Dekko and Lyall Morrill. Over the last 50 years Group Dekko has become a leading provider of highly engineered electrical, wire, plastic and metal subcomponents, finished products, fixtures and related assemblies for the office furniture, transportation, lighting, appliance, medical device and consumer product end markets. Today, Group Dekko is headquartered in Kendallville, Indiana and employs approximately 1,500 people in 30 modern facilities located in Northeast Indiana, Iowa, Alabama, Texas and Mexico. Additional information about Group Dekko is available at www.dekko.com.
About Centre Partners
Centre Partners, founded in 1986, is a leading private equity firm with a middle market focus that seeks to make acquisitions and equity investments alongside management teams who have or desire a mean