Graham Enters 2020 – The Year of Perfect Sight – With Clear Vision

Graham Partners, a private investment firm targeting technology-driven advanced manufacturing companies, is pleased to announce that it acquired three platform companies and completed five add-on acquisitions this past year. Two of the three platform acquisitions were sourced on a proprietary basis and all three companies are benefiting from strong underlying conversions trends with significant advanced manufacturing know-how.

Most recently, Graham invested in Gatekeeper Systems, Inc. (“Gatekeeper”), a leading provider of asset-based, integrated loss prevention technology solutions serving blue-chip retail customers globally. An increase in organized retail crime, in conjunction with lighter penalties for shoplifting and a rise in non-confrontation policies at retailers, among other industry tailwinds, has led to greater merchandise theft levels. Gatekeeper’s intelligent anti-theft solutions offer retailers innovative, smart cart technologies that minimize loss and reduce asset and labor expenditures. The company’s solution is underpenetrated today and is rapidly growing as it fulfills market demand for a technology that reduces theft and minimizes risk associated with physical confrontation of potential shoplifters, while keeping unpaid merchandise in the store.

Additionally, Graham Partners invested in VPET USA, LLC (“VPET”), a provider of plastic containers primarily used to package food and beverage products. VPET is benefiting from multiple conversion-driven growth catalysts, including brand proliferation in the food and beverage industry, growth in the direct-to-consumer and e-commerce channels, and the continued conversion to PET for wide-mouth packaging. The company is able to provide innovative PET packaging solutions with short lead times, giving its customers a speed to market advantage.

Graham Partners also invested in Damping Technologies, Inc. (“DTI”), an advanced materials science company focused on engineered aerospace vibration and noise control applications primarily serving the aerospace, defense, and space end markets. DTI is benefiting from the conversion toward composite materials in aircraft manufacturing and is favorably positioned due to its proprietary database of polymer material formulations, wide range of customized testing capabilities, extensive technical expertise, market-leading product offering, and engineering capabilities.

In addition to platform acquisitions, Graham has been active in completing synergistic and transformative add-ons to expand selected platform companies’ reach and capabilities. In January, Acme Cryogenics, Inc. acquired substantially all of the assets of Cryogenic Experts, Inc., a leading, niche cryogenic product designer and manufacturer specializing in industrial vaporizers and other related products. In February, Medbio, LLC acquired AIM Plastics, Inc., a founder-owned medical device component manufacturer offering full-service injection molding and in-house tooling capabilities to high-growth therapeutic areas within the healthcare sector. In April, Graham completed its fourth investment in the thermoformed packaging space, James L. Villa, Inc. This add-on, in combination with previous investments in EasyPak, LLC, Tray-Pak Corporation, and Nuconic Packaging, LLC, supports Graham Partners’ strategy to build a nationwide, top tier, mid-sized packaging provider. Closing out the year, Graham Partners completed two additional add-on acquisitions in November 2019. Advanced Barrier Extrusions, LLC acquired the business of Flexographic Packaging Company and Myers Emergency Power Systems, LLC acquired the business of Low Voltage Systems, Inc..

Steven Graham, CEO of Graham Partners, states, “2019 has been a very exciting and busy year for us. In particular, our proprietary sourcing efforts, on both the platform and add-on acquisition front, continue to yield strong results.”