Hilltop Private Capital (Hilltop), in partnership with KCB Private Equity (KCB) has acquired Spiral Binding (Spiral), a manufacturer and global distributor of a diverse line of print finishing, graphic arts, and presentation equipment, supplies and services, including binding, laminating, paper handling, photo finishing and custom imprint services.
Spiral was founded in 1932, is headquartered in Totowa, NJ and operates six distribution centres nationwide. The existing shareholders of Spiral will remain as substantial investors in the Company and will continue to manage the business. Debt capital was provided by TCF Funding and QS Strategies. Other terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
“Hilltop and KCB took the time to understand the complexities of our business and the capital and operational resources they structured to meet our needs will help Spiral innovate and grow,” says Rob Roth, CEO of Spiral. “We are excited to be working with knowledgeable partners who are supportive of our efforts to enhance Spiral’s industry leadership and performance” echoed Matt Roth, Spiral’s President.
The transaction represents the third investment for Hilltop, which was formed in 2016 by private equity veterans Drew Shea and Kate Lehman. As part of its investment strategy, Hilltop engages in pro-active sector research in the business and industrial products and services sectors to identify areas of opportunity. The attractive dynamics of this segment of the document processing market uncovered by Hilltop, coupled with Spiral’s leading market position, put the Company squarely within Hilltop’s investment focus.
“The Roth’s and the entire Spiral team have built an impressive business. The Company’s national footprint, diverse product and service offering, blue chip customer base and multi-channel go-to-market capabilities are a great platform from which to execute our investment strategy and we are excited to partner with management to do so,” says Kate Lehman. Robert Blair, KCB Managing Director added, “Spiral has demonstrated an ability to maintain its leadership position in its core markets while diversifying into adjacencies to accelerate growth, an exciting dynamic in any business.”
