L Squared Continues Consolidation of the Cutting Tools Sector, Completes Seventh Acquisition in Less than Two Years

The acquisition of Monster Tool Company further strengthens the GWS high-performance cutting tool offering and cements GWS’s nationwide reach with 10 world class facilities and more than 450 employees spanning coast-to-coast

NEWPORT BEACH, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--L Squared Capital Partners (“L Squared”) is pleased to announce that its portfolio company, GWS Tool Group (“GWS” or the “Company”), has acquired Monster Tool Company located in Vista, CA (“Monster”). Monster is the fourth acquisition in 2021 for GWS and the seventh add-on acquisition since L Squared’s platform investment in GWS in September 2019.

Monster Tool is a recognized leader in the manufacturing and distribution of solid round consumable cutting tools with a commitment to innovation and excellence. Second-generation and family owned, Monster operates out of a 40,000 square feet facility in southern California with additional real estate secured for future expansion. Focusing on the pillar sectors of manufacturing – aerospace, automotive, medical, energy, heavy equipment, and die-mold – Monster’s tooling solutions support critical manufacturing of some of the world’s most advanced products.

“The Monster acquisition strengthens the breadth of our offering and geographical footprint to service the needs of any customer in any region of the country,” said Randall Hunt, Partner at L Squared and GWS Board Member. “Our demonstrated commitment to an aggressive M&A strategy has established GWS as the preferred acquirer for high-performance cutting tool companies in North America, a landscape that remains very fragmented.”

The continued expansion of GWS by way of acquisitions and constant investment in world class technology, equipment and most importantly, people, has created an unmatched value proposition for customers operating in advanced machining environments.

“Monster is a best-in-class cutting tool company with a tremendous reputation for producing quality performance cutting tools and delivering them to their customers with the utmost speed and ease,” said Rick McIntyre, GWS’ CEO. “Their added logistics and service expertise are additional areas we will look to integrate into the GWS model to further enhance our service and delivery methods to the betterment of all our end users and partners in distribution.”

About L Squared Capital Partners

L Squared Capital Partners is an investment firm headquartered in Newport Beach, CA that seeks to make long-term investments in leading growth companies that operate in targeted sectors: Education Technology, Tech-Enabled Services & Software, and Industrial Technology & Services. Our unique investor base of family offices enables us to focus on long-term value creation driven by revenue and earnings growth, not financial engineering or market timing. The principals of L Squared have worked together for over a decade and have over 70 years of combined experience investing in growing private companies.

For additional information, please visit www.LSquaredCap.com.

About GWS Tool Group

GWS Tool Group is a US-based, vertically integrated manufacturer of highly engineered custom, standard, and modified standard cutting tools, primarily servicing the aerospace and defense, power generation, automotive and medical sectors. GWS Tool Group has acquired multiple businesses throughout its growth which now serve as the respective manufacturing divisions for the company.

For additional information, please visit www.gwstoolgroup.com

Provided for informational purposes only and is not intended as investment advice or an offer or solicitation with respect to the purchase of any investment. Investing with any investment firm is suitable only for qualified investors that fully understand the risks of such an investment. L Squared Capital Partners is an investment adviser registered with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission. Registration does not imply a certain level of skill or training. Investments with L Squared Capital Partners are only offered in accordance with applicable securities laws.