CHARLOTTE, NC (November 9, 2022) – BlackArch Partners, LLC (“BlackArch”) is pleased to announce that Realm Companies, LLC (“Realm” or the “Company”), a portfolio company of Great Range Capital (“Great Range”), has been acquired by Kamps Inc. (“Kamps”), a portfolio company of Freeman Spogli & Co. (“Freeman Spogli”).

Based in Newton, Iowa, Realm is a Midwestern pallet platform focused on delivering high-service pallet solutions. Over its 20+ year history, Realm has established itself as a leading provider of new pallets, combo pallets, recycled pallets and custom crates manufactured to customer specification. The Company is a leader in the Midwest, serving a blue-chip customer base that specializes in food & agriculture, building products, packaging and equipment manufacturing. Over the past few years, Realm has focused on expanding its presence in the Iowa market by bolstering their network of manufacturing partners and through the strategic acquisition of another major competitor in the Iowa market.

Chris Barton, Chief Executive Officer of Realm, stated, “At Realm, our customers are always our top priority and when exploring a potential sale, we wanted an investment banking advisor who shared a similar commitment to excellence.  I was extremely impressed with the level of expertise and commitment to their clients that BlackArch displayed in all areas of the transaction.  This was our first opportunity to work together, and I appreciate their dedication to finding the right partner for our company and shareholders.”

Ryan Sprott, Managing Partner, and Philip Scheuerman, Vice President, at Great Range added, “BlackArch has established themselves as a differentiated advisor, with a high degree of knowledge of the pallet industry. We were thoroughly impressed with BlackArch’s industry expertise and high-touch marketing process, as they helped us achieve a great outcome for Realm’s management team, employees and shareholders. We look forward to the opportunity to work together again in the future.”

BlackArch was retained by Realm and Great Range to serve as the Company’s exclusive financial advisor. The transaction furthers BlackArch’s position as an advisor-of-choice for leading pallet solutions providers and its deep experience within the new and recycled pallet sector and is representative of the firm’s focus on providing tailored M&A advisory services to market-leading businesses.

About Realm Companies

Realm Companies, headquartered in Newton, Iowa, is a manufacturer of pallets, crates, mulch and animal bedding.  Since its founding in 1998, Realm has been a true solutions provider, with just-in-time delivery, as well as scalability and flexibility to meet the changing needs of their customer base.  Learn more about Realm and its product offerings at www.realmcompanies.com.

About Great Range Capital

Great Range Capital, a private equity firm based in greater Kansas City, primarily targets equity investments in Midwestern companies with revenues ranging from $20 to $150 million. Please visit the Great Range Capital website at www.greatrangecapital.com to review the firm’s approach and investment portfolio.

About Kamps Inc.

Based in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Kamps Inc. operates as a leading national pallet company with over 400 network locations across the United States.  Utilizing a strategic network of asset-based locations and a growing partner network, Kamps has become one of the largest end-to-end providers of pallets in the United States.  For more information, please visit www.kampspallets.com.

About Freeman Spogli & Co.

Freeman Spogli & Co. is a private equity firm dedicated exclusively to investing in and partnering with management in consumer-related and distribution companies in the United States.  Since its founding in 1983, Freeman Spogli has invested $5.5 billion in 69 portfolio companies with aggregate transaction value of over $27 billion.  Freeman Spogli has offices in Los Angeles and New York.  For more information, please visit www.freemanspogli.com.

About BlackArch Partners

BlackArch Partners 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 12 industry-focused practices that cover all sectors of interest to middle-market investors. BlackArch professionals have closed more than 350 transactions in 16 countries on 4 continents. For more details, please visit www.blackarchpartners.com.

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