Nautic Partners Announces Acquisition of Aurora Plastics in Partnership With Management

PROVIDENCE, R.I.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nautic Partners, LLC (“Nautic”) is pleased to announce that it has completed the acquisition of Aurora Plastics (“Aurora”), in partnership with management.

Founded in 1997 and headquartered in Streetsboro, Ohio, Aurora Plastics is a leading producer of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and other customized polymer compounds for customers across North America. Aurora is known for providing high-quality polymers, industry-leading service, and customized solutions. The company offers a broad range of products, all delivered with special attention to consistency and reliability, and designed to meet specific customer needs through a collective exchange. Aurora’s compounds are used in a variety of end products including applications in building & construction, industrial, and consumer. In addition to its Streetsboro production facility, the company has manufacturing facilities in North Carolina, Quebec, Massachusetts, and Texas.

Darrell Hughes, CEO of Aurora, said, “The mission at Aurora Plastics remains the same: we want to be our customers’ first choice in polymer compounds. With Nautic as our new partner, we believe we will benefit from their strong record of creating value with teams just like ours. We look forward to continued innovation and providing the best in service to all our customers.”

Chris Pierce, a Managing Director of Nautic, said, “Aurora is led by an experienced management team that has accelerated the business’ growth trajectory over recent years. We are thrilled to partner with them to support the company’s next phase of innovation and growth, as well as to pursue acquisitions in Aurora’s fragmented market. Additionally, we’re excited to add another investment to our specialty chemicals and materials portfolio within Nautic’s Industrials group.”

Sean Wieland, a Managing Director of Nautic, continued, “Aurora is a leader in its market and offers its customer base a strong value proposition rooted in engineering and innovation, strong customer service, rapid turnaround times, and a focus on highly customized formulations with flexible lot sizes. The strength of this value proposition has led to above-market organic growth and market share gains in recent years. We believe the company has significant runway to continue to provide value to its customers in existing and adjacent markets, and we are excited to work with management on those efforts.”

McDermott Will & Emery LLP represented Nautic in the transaction and Antares Capital LP and Carlyle Global Credit led the financing for the transaction. William Blair & Company LLC and Reed Smith LLP advised Aurora.

About Aurora
Aurora Plastics, LLC is a leader in polyvinyl chloride (PVC) compounds and has over 20 years of experience producing high-quality PVC, TPE, and customized alloy compounds for customers across North America. For more information, please visit www.auroraplastics.com.

About Nautic
Nautic is a middle-market private equity firm that focuses on three industries: healthcare, industrials, and services. Nautic has completed over 140 platform transactions throughout its 35-plus year history. Nautic's strategy is to partner with management teams to accelerate the growth trajectory of its portfolio companies via add-on acquisitions, targeted operating initiatives, and increased management team depth. Nautic generally makes equity investments of $50 million or more. For more information, please visit www.nautic.com.