Houlihan Lokey Advises NEFCO and Bertram Capital

Houlihan Lokey is pleased to announce that NEFCO Holding Company LLC (NEFCO), a portfolio company of Bertram Capital (Bertram), has been acquired by Leonard Green & Partners, L.P. (“LGP” or “Leonard Green”). Houlihan Lokey served as financial advisor to NEFCO and Bertram. This transaction highlights the firm’s deep sector expertise and continued success advising market-leading specialty distributors of technical, mission-critical products to diverse, high-growth end markets.

NEFCO is a family-operated, value-added construction supply company providing a broad range of products and services to professional contractors. With more than 70 locations across the United States, NEFCO provides industry expertise, large local inventories, fast and dependable jobsite delivery, engineering services, and turnkey specialty fabrication and assembly of construction materials—specifically its SHARP® product basket, consisting of strut channel and fittings, hardware and fasteners, concrete anchors, threaded rod, and pipe hangers.

Bertram is a private equity firm targeting investments in lower-middle-market companies. Since its inception in 2006, the firm has raised more than $4.0 billion of capital commitments. In addition to supplying strategic growth capital, Bertram seeks to leverage proprietary processes and services, Bertram High-5sm and Bertram Labs, to empower its portfolio companies to unlock their full business potential. The Bertram High-5sm is an operationally focused value creation strategy, which includes management augmentation, operational initiative implementation, complementary business acquisition, sales and marketing improvements, and leveraging technology and IP. The cornerstone of this strategy is Bertram Labs, its in-house technology team, which aims to drive growth and value through digital marketing, e-commerce, big data and analytics, application development, and internal and external platform optimization. Bertram Capital V focuses on control investments in industrial, business services, and consumer sectors with north of $7.5 million of EBITDA. Bertram Ignite I focuses on control and noncontrol investments in industrial, business services, and consumer sectors with a minimum of $3 million of EBITDA.

Leonard Green is a leading private equity investment firm founded in 1989 and based in Los Angeles. The firm partners with experienced management teams and often with founders to invest in market-leading companies. Since inception, LGP has invested in more than 100 companies in the form of traditional buyouts, going-private transactions, recapitalizations, growth equity, and selective public equity and debt positions. LGP primarily focuses on companies providing services, including consumer, business, and healthcare services, as well as retail, distribution, and industrials.

RELATED: Specialty Distribution, Financial Sponsors Coverage, Mergers & Acquisitions