CHARLOTTE, NC (April 17, 2024) – BlackArch Partners (“BlackArch”) is pleased to announce that Ballymore Safety Products (the “Company”), a portfolio company of Graycliff Partners (“Graycliff”), has been acquired by One Equity Partners (“OEP”).
Ballymore, headquartered in Coatesville, PA, is a leading designer, manufacturer, assembler and distributor of high cost-of-failure, engineered safety and material handling products that facilitate the movement of people and goods throughout warehouses, factories, last-mile delivery and retail locations throughout North America.The Company offers a broad suite of vertical access and material handling products and services, including rolling safety ladders, lifts, work platforms, fall protection systems, portable loading docks, lift tables, conveyors, stackers and reach tools. The Company’s solutions are trusted in the nation’s leading retail stores and industrial facilities and dramatically enhance safety by engineering away safety hazards, particularly those associated with the access to and movement of goods. The Company operates six facilities in the U.S. and has approximately 270 employees.
“Graycliff’s support and guidance were integral in getting us to where we are today,” said Bill Frame, Ballymore CEO. “The improvements we’ve made to our product offering, talent, branding, and operations have given us the tools to grow into a true market leader and full-scale provider of safety solutions across North America. We look forward to partnering with OEP to achieve this vision.”
Brandon Martindale, Partner at Graycliff, said, “We are proud of all we have accomplished over the last three years, which could not have been done without the hard work and dedication of Bill and the team at Ballymore and their unwavering focus on safety, quality, innovation, and partnership. We believe Ballymore is well positioned to continue its growth trajectory, and we look forward to seeing what the team will achieve with OEP’s support.”
“Companies are increasingly looking for innovative technologies and solutions that ensure worker safety and enhance productivity,” said Steve Lunau, Partner, One Equity Partners. “Ballymore has a longstanding reputation, developed organically and through strategic M&A, for developing and delivering high quality and innovative workplace solutions. This investment exemplifies OEP’s focus on identifying strong businesses with significant growth potential that can serve as a platform for growth through transformational M&A.”
“This industry is experiencing tailwinds from the re-shoring of industrial activity in the U.S. and an increased focus on employee safety for a workforce,” added Mario Ancic, Principal, One Equity Partners. “Together, these dynamics create an opportune market environment to support Ballymore’s growth as companies seek to enhance employee retention, drive productivity, and limit time loss due to injury.”
BlackArch and Fairmount Partners were retained by Ballymore and Graycliff to serve as co-advisors to the Company. The transaction builds upon BlackArch’s expertise and significant momentum in the safety products & services and material handling sectors and is a further example of the firm’s focus on providing unique, tailored M&A advisory services to market-leading businesses.
About Ballymore Safety Products
Ballymore Safety Solutions, since its inception, has been known for making custom access stands, platforms and systems. Today, over 1,800 distributors turn to Ballymore for their conventional and special access needs. Throughout the years, Ballymore's reputation for high quality equipment manufactured in steel, aluminum, and stainless steel has resulted in contracts with major corporations, including household retailers and industrial producers and suppliers. Learn more at www.ballymore.com.
About Graycliff Partners
Graycliff Partners is an investment firm focused on making lower middle market investments, typically in manufacturing, business services and value-added distribution businesses. Through dedicated equity and credit funds, Graycliff provides capital for acquisitions, management buyouts, recapitalizations, growth and expansion. For more information about Graycliff Partners visit www.graycliffpartners.com.
About One Equity Partners
One Equity Partners (“OEP”) is a middle market private equity firm focused on the industrial, healthcare, and technology sectors in North America and Europe. The firm seeks to build market-leading companies by identifying and executing transformative business combinations. OEP is a trusted partner with a differentiated investment process, a broad and senior team, and an established track record generating long-term value for its partners. Since 2001, the firm has completed more than 400 transactions worldwide. OEP, founded in 2001, spun out of JP Morgan in 2015. The firm has offices in New York, Chicago, Frankfurt and Amsterdam. For more information, please visit www.oneequity.com.
About BlackArch Partners
BlackArch is a leading middle-market investment bank offering a full spectrum of advisory services to financial sponsors, private companies and diversified corporations. BlackArch addresses the needs of companies with specialized services that include M&A advisory, strategic advisory and private capital solutions. Headquartered in Charlotte, NC, BlackArch features a total of 10 industry-focused groups that cover all sectors of interest to middle-market investors; BlackArch professionals have closed more than 500 transactions in 16 countries on four continents. Please visit our website, www.blackarchpartners.com, for more details.
About Fairmount Partners
Fairmount Partners is an independent merger and acquisition advisory firm focused on middle-market companies. Fairmount helps its clients complete mergers and acquisitions, raise funds for growth, acquisitions, and liquidity, and design and improve their corporate development strategies. Fairmount’s clients include successful entrepreneurs, private equity-sponsored enterprises, and global public companies. Since 2003, Fairmount has completed more than 290 transactions in 24 countries throughout North and South America, Europe, Asia, and Australia. For more information, please visit www.fairmountpartners.com.
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