Houlihan Lokey Advises A.H. Harris Construction Supplies

Houlihan Lokey is pleased to announce that A.H. Harris Construction Supplies (A.H. Harris), a portfolio company of Frontenac Company (Frontenac), has been acquired by HD Supply Holdings, Inc. (HD Supply) (NasdaqGS:HDS). The transaction closed on March 5, 2018. Houlihan Lokey served as the financial advisor to A.H. Harris and assisted in initiating, structuring, and negotiating the transaction on its behalf.

A.H. Harris is a leading distributor of specialty construction products and equipment for contractors, construction companies, and government entities in the concrete construction, repair and restoration, road and bridge, rebar and rebar fabrication, waterproofing, and glazing markets. It represents more than 500 manufacturers and in excess of 13,000 products. A.H. Harris has more than 600 experienced team members across more than 50 locations and a multitude of delivery options. The company was founded in 1916 and is headquartered in Hartford, Connecticut.

Frontenac is a leading private equity firm based in Chicago, Illinois. The firm focuses on investing in lower middle-market buyout transactions in the food, industrial, and services industries. Frontenac works in partnership with proven operating leaders, through its executive-centric approach called CEO1ST, to identify, acquire, and build market-leading companies through transformational acquisitions and operational excellence. The firm has built a leading franchise, working with more than 225 owners—almost always families or founders—of mid-sized businesses as they address complex transition issues of liquidity, management enhancement, and growth planning.

HD Supply is one of the largest industrial distributors in North America. The company provides a broad range of products and value-added services to approximately 500,000 customers with leadership positions in the maintenance, repair and operations, and specialty construction sectors. HD Supply operates through approximately 220 branches and 44 distribution centers in the U.S. and Canada. The company’s Construction & Industrial division is the nation’s leading distributor of specialty hardware, tools, and concrete accessories for professional contractors. HD Supply is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia.

Houlihan Lokey's Specialty Distribution team has earned a reputation for working with premier specialty distribution clients, providing superior client service and delivering outstanding results. This transaction highlights our deep sector expertise; affirms our continued success advising within the building products, value-added services, and diverse construction end markets; and demonstrates our ability to achieve superior outcomes for our clients through thoughtful positioning and a tailored M&A sale process.