Genuine Parts Company became the talk of the distribution world in December when it entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Kaman Distribution Group under GPC’s wholly-owned subsidiary, Motion Industries, Inc. The acquisition from private investment firm Littlejohn & Co. has been valued at approximately $1.3 billion in cash, and the transaction is expected to close in the first quarter of 2022.

M&A activity for distributors and manufacturers increased slightly overall, with one company on MDM’s radar reaching deals to acquire more than one entity. Columbus-based Ohio Transmission Corporation agreed to acquire Diversified Pump, TP Pump and Critical Rental Solutions. OTC announced all three acquisitions in the same week.

December M&A

Here are the M&A announcements — primarily involving distributors but also manufacturers that sell through the channel — MDM covered during December (click the headline for more details):

• ABC Supply Acquires Siding Sales — Building materials distributor ABC Supply Co. Inc. of Beloit, Wisconsin, acquired the assets of Kentucky-based Siding Sales Inc.
• AMETEK Acquires Alphasense — Berwyn, Pennsylvania-based manufacturer AMETEK acquired Alphasense, a provider of gas and particulate sensors for use in environmental, health, safety and air quality applications.
• Brady IFS Acquires Janitor’s Warehouse — Brady IFS, a foodservice, janitorial and sanitation distributor with headquarters in Houston and Bell, California, acquired Janitor’s Warehouse, Inc.
• Cook & Boardman Acquires Bass Security — Winston-Salem, North Carolina-based commercial door distributor Cook & Boardman Group acquired Bedford Heights, Ohio-based Bass Security Services, Inc.
• Emerson Acquires Mita-Teknik — In an all-cash deal, Emerson Electric Co. of St. Louis acquired Mita-Teknik, a leader in the control automation business for wind power generation, equipping wind turbines and wind farms with technologies.
• Envoy Solutions Acquires Valley Janitor — Envoy Solutions, the Glenview, Illinois-based holding company that owns and operates North American, WAXIE Sanitary Supply, SWPlus, Southeastern Paper Group and Daycon Products Co., acquired Ohio-based Valley Janitor Supply Company.
• GWS Tool Acquires Carbide — Tavares, Florida-based GWS Toll Group acquired Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin-based Carbide Tools Manufacturing, Inc., a provider of special carbide round tools.
• Imperial Dade Adds Paper & Twine Co. — Food service packaging and janitorial supply distributor Imperial Dade acquired American Paper & Twine, a Nashville-based distributor of janitorial, packaging, food service, safety and office products.
• Genuine Parts to Acquire Kaman Distribution Group Under Motion Subsidiary —Genuine Parts Company (NYSE: GPC) agreed to acquire Kaman Distribution Group under GPC’s wholly-owned subsidiary, Motion Industries, Inc. The acquisition of KDG from private investment firm Littlejohn & Co. is valued at approximately $1.3 billion in cash, according to GPC.
• Kodiak Acquires Shepley Wood Products — Highlands Ranch, Colorado-based Kodiak Building Partners acquired Shepley Wood Products, a company that serves professional builders, architects, designers and homeowners in southern Massachusetts.
• McNaughton-McKay Closes Caniff Acquisition — Madison Heights, Michigan-based electrical product distributor McNaughton-McKay Electric Company finalized its acquisition of Caniff Electric Supply, an independent electrical distributor of construction products in southeast Michigan.
• OTC Acquires Critical Rental Solutions — Ohio Transmission Corporation, a Columbus-based industrial equipment service provider and distributor, acquired Critical Rental Solutions, a national provider of oil-free air and temperature control rental equipment.
• OTC Acquires Diversified Pump —Ohio Transmission Corporation acquired Diversified Pump, a provider of pumps, heat exchangers, gas compressors and service to industrial customers throughout the New England region.
• OTC Acquires TP Pump —Ohio Transmission Corporation acquired TP Pump, a provider of pump lines for commercial, domestic, municipal, industrial and fire markets in New Mexico and northern Arizona.
• Painters Supply Acquires Specialty Coatings — Painters Supply & Equipment Co. completed an acquisition of Specialty Coatings, Inc, a distributor of paints, coatings and supplies for industrial, marine, architectural and government applications.
• Pearlman Group Acquires Vector Tools — The Pearlman Group, a portfolio company of The Stephens Group, LLC, acquired Advanced Diamond Technologies, Inc., whose trade name is Vector Tools.
• PIP Acquires Bisley Workwear — Latham, New York-based personal protective equipment company Protective Industrial Products, Inc. acquired Bisley Workwear, a provider of work and safety wear based near Sydney, Australia.
• Pipeline Packaging Acquires MidStates — Glenwillow, Ohio-based rigid industrial container distributor Pipeline Packaging acquired MidStates Container Company, a full-line packaging distributor located in St. Louis.
• Pool Corp. Finalizes Porpoise Acquisition — Covington, Louisiana-based Pool Corporation completed its previously announced acquisition of Largo, Florida-based Porpoise Pool & Patio, Inc. and its subsidiaries.
• Private Firm to Acquire Zilliant — B2B price optimization company Zilliant, Inc. agreed to be acquired by Chicago-based private equity investment firm Madison Dearborn Partners, LLC.
• SBP Holdings Acquires Watts — SBP Holdings acquired Watts Steam Store, a sales and repair provider for hydraulic products, and its subsidiaries.
• Solve Acquires Bearings Limited — Solve Industrial Motion Group, a Charlotte, North Carolina-based portfolio company of Audax Private Equity, acquired Bearings Limited, a leading manufacturer of bearings and power transmission components under the Tritan brand.
• Sonepar Will Acquire Richards Electric — Electrical and industrial distributor Sonepar USA, a family-owned subsidiary of the privately held Sonepar Group in South Carolina, reached a deal to acquire Cincinnati-based Richards Electric Supply Company.
• Sonoco Acquiring Ball Metalpack for $1.35B — Hartsville, South Carolina-based Sonoco agreed to acquire Ball Metalpack — a leading manufacturer of sustainable metal packaging for food and household products and the largest aerosol producer in North America.
• Southwire Acquires OBI — Carrollton, Georgia-based Southwire Company, LLC acquired OBI Partners Inc., an Alpharetta, Georgia-based digital solutions provider focused on electric utilities.
• SPX FLOW Acquired for $3.8B — SPX FLOW, Inc., a provider of process solutions for the nutrition, health and industrial markets, agreed to be acquired by Lone Star Funds in an all-cash deal valued at $3.8 billion.
• Sysco Acquiring Coastal Companies — Foodservice distributor Sysco Corp. of Houston agreed to acquire The Coastal Companies, a fresh produce distributor and value-added processer, from Continental Grain Company.
• US LBM Acquires Pro. Builders Supply — US LBM, a building materials distributor based in Buffalo Grove, Illinois, acquired Professional Builders Supply, a “top supplier” of building materials to local, regional and national custom and production builders in North Carolina and South Carolina.
• TriMas Acquires Omega Plastics and TFI — TriMas, a Bloomfield Hills, Michigan-based manufacturer of engineered and applied products, acquired Omega Plastics and TFI Aerospace.
• White Cap Acquires Ram Tool — White Cap Supply Holdings, LLC of Atlanta finalized an agreement to acquire Birmingham, Alabama based Ram Tool Construction Supply Co., LLC.
• Winsupply Acquires H2O Supply Locations — Dayton, Ohio-based distributor Winsupply Inc. acquired both locations of H2O Supply, a wholesale distributor operating in Dallas and Fort Worth, Texas.

Did we miss anything? Please send M&A announcements to [email protected]. We also welcome suggestions for “Behind the Deal,” our occasional series that takes a deep dive into market-shifting moves in wholesale distribution.