Houlihan Lokey Advises Gryphon Investors (3)

Houlihan Lokey is pleased to announce that Gryphon Investors (Gryphon), a middle-market private equity firm, has made a significant investment in Mechanix Wear, a leading designer and manufacturer of high-performance work gloves. The transaction closed on October 1, 2019.

Based in San Francisco, California, Gryphon is a leading private equity firm focused on profitably growing and competitively enhancing middle-market companies in partnership with experienced management teams. The firm has managed more than $4.9 billion of equity investments and capital since 1997. Gryphon V, the firm's latest fund, is targeting equity investments of approximately $100 million to $300 million per portfolio company, including frequent co-investments by its limited partners.

Founded in 1991 by Jim Hale, Mechanix Wear is the leader in automotive, construction, industrial, and tactical hand protection. A globally recognized brand, Mechanix Wear has a reputation for delivering consistently superior performance, quality, and reliability, and has gained a loyal and growing following of passionate consumers. Headquartered in Valencia, California, the company sells its products in more than 20,000 retail store locations across more than 70 countries and through industrial distributors. Working alongside current owner and CEO Michael Hale, who will retain an ownership stake in the company, Gryphon intends to build a leading platform in the Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) sector.

Houlihan Lokey served as financial advisor to Gryphon. The transaction highlights Houlihan Lokey's leading position in the active lifestyle and industrial safety sectors.