Wynnchurch Capital Exits LPW Group

ROSEMONT, Ill.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Wynnchurch Capital, L.P. (“Wynnchurch”), a leading middle market private equity firm, is pleased to announce the sale of LPW Group Holdings, Inc. (“LPW Group” or the “Company”) to funds managed by Oaktree Capital Management, L.P. (“Oaktree”).

Headquartered in Houston, Texas, LPW Group is a leading designer and manufacturer of specialty valves, actuators, fittings, flanges, and other flow control products that serve mission critical applications across chemical, petrochemical, LNG, refining, renewable, naval, pulp & paper, and other industrial markets. The Company goes to market under leading brands such as Ladish Valves, Penn Machine, and Western Forge & Flange, and has established itself as the industry leader for quick lead times, engineered solutions, comprehensive manufacturing capabilities, and high-quality products.

Greg Gleason, Managing Partner at Wynnchurch, stated, “LPW Group represented an opportunity to create an industry leading flow control platform with a strong legacy of brands, broad portfolio of high-quality, engineered products, and differentiated customer value proposition. It’s a great example of Wynnchurch’s ability to partner with founders and family-owned businesses and drive value creation through acquisitions and operational improvement. We are very proud and appreciative of the management team’s leadership and accomplishments during our ownership period.”

"During our partnership, LPW Group demonstrated strong growth across each segment and strengthened its position as a leader in its core applications and markets," stated Kevin Hanley, Principal at Wynnchurch. “We’re thrilled with the outcome and wish the LPW Group team and Oaktree our best.”

“We are grateful for Wynnchurch’s valuable partnership and substantial support during their ownership. Their assistance in driving business growth, promoting continuous improvement, and the successful identification and integration of acquisitions has been instrumental to our success,” stated Mark S. Bowie, CEO of LPW Group.

Foley & Lardner LLP provided legal advice to Wynnchurch in connection with the transaction and Piper Sandler and BMO served as financial advisors.

About LPW Group:

Headquartered in Houston, Texas, LPW Group is a leading designer and manufacturer of specialty valves, actuators, fittings, flanges, and other flow control products that serve mission critical applications across chemical, petrochemical, LNG, refining, renewable, naval, pulp & paper, and other industrial markets. For more information, please visit: www.lpw-group.com.

About Wynnchurch Capital:

Wynnchurch Capital, L.P., headquartered in the Chicago suburb of Rosemont, Illinois, with an affiliate in Canada, was founded in 1999 and is a leading middle-market private equity investment firm. Wynnchurch’s strategy is to partner with middle market companies in the United States and Canada that possess the potential for substantial growth and profit improvement. Wynnchurch manages a number of private equity funds with $9.2 billion of regulatory assets under management and specializes in recapitalizations, growth capital, management buyouts, corporate carve-outs, and restructurings. For more information, please visit: www.wyn​nchurch.com or follow us on LinkedIn.

About Oaktree:

Oaktree is a leader among global investment managers specializing in alternative investments, with $189 billion in assets under management as of December 31, 2023. The firm emphasizes an opportunistic, value-oriented and risk-controlled approach to investments in credit, private equity, real assets and listed equities. The firm has over 1,200 employees and offices in 22 cities worldwide. For additional information, please visit Oaktree’s website at www.oaktreecapital.com.