Palladium Equity Partners Supports Portfolio Company Trachte, LLC in Its Acquisition of Parkline Inc.

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May 05, 2023, 08:00 ET

Transaction Creates a Leader in U.S. Protection and Control Buildings Market

NEW YORK, May 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Palladium Equity Partners, LLC (along with its affiliates, "Palladium"), a Certified B Corp and the oldest minority-owned private equity buyout firm with $3 billion in assets under management, today announced that affiliates of the firm have invested in support of the acquisition by its portfolio company Trachte, LLC, a leading provider of highly engineered protection and control buildings with mission critical applications, of Parkline Inc., a premier manufacturer and service provider. The transaction combines the strengths of Trachte and Parkline into a leader in the U.S. protection and control buildings market with broad product offerings and a diversified end-user base.

Trachte has acquired Parkline from Summit Park, which will be rolling equity into the transaction. Palladium Equity Partners acquired Trachte in September 2020.

Trachte's products and services are a critical part of protecting essential controls, equipment, and infrastructure for electric utilities, data centers, and other essential commercial and industrial customers. The transaction assures that the company's customers will have access to industry leading technology, innovative product lines, increased manufacturing capacity, and industry leading service capabilities and expertise.

"Trachte is excited to add the Parkline team, which has already established Parkline as a leading manufacturer and service provider in the data center, electric utility, energy and industrial end markets – sectors that are complementary to Trachte's existing business," said Shawn Smith, Chief Executive Officer of Trachte, LLC. "This transaction is all about growing with our customers and supporting their important priorities, such as upgrading an aging power grid, expanding data centers, and accelerating the buildout of renewable power systems."

The combined Trachte and Parkline will have manufacturing capacity in the Mid-Atlantic and Southwestern U.S., Wisconsin and Northeast Georgia. It will have a strong presence in data centers and energy and power T&D, and serve end users in a broad array of critical industries. The company will offer highly engineered, pre-manufactured protection and control buildings as well as site-built capabilities.

Bill Estep, Parkline's President and CEO, who will continue with the combined business along with other members of the Parkline senior team, said, "Our team is thrilled to join with Trachte and Palladium as we will be able to provide current and new customers with an even wider range of protection and control building, integration and field service offerings to meet their complete needs."

Caleb Clark, a Partner of Palladium Equity Partners, said, "Trachte has experienced strong growth over the past two years driven by multi-generational industry tailwinds, by delivering unmatched product quality and by adapting to serve the needs of its end users. We are pleased to support the Trachte team in their acquisition of Parkline, which will add significant capabilities and enhance its ability to serve a diverse set of customers, helping to advance the company as a leader in the P&CB sector. Since we invested in Trachte in 2020, Parkline has been on our radar as the top candidate to prove out our strategy to grow the business with acquisitions in this highly attractive market."

Stephens Inc. served as financial advisor to Trachte and Palladium Equity Partners, and Livingstone Partners served as financial advisor to Parkline and Summit Park in connection with the transaction. Morrison & Foerster LLP served as legal advisor to Trachte and Palladium, and McGuireWoods LLP acted as legal advisor to Parkline and Summit Park.

About Trachte
Trachte is a leading provider of easy-deployment application-engineered protection and control buildings. Founded in 1919, the company has unparalleled experience in prefabricated structures that provide state-of-the-art environments and protection for its customers' investments in critical equipment and systems such as switchgear, battery systems, servers, and data center hardware that control and protect electrical infrastructure and equipment. Trachte's success is based on continuous technological advancement, quality improvement and mutually beneficial relationships and strategic partnerships with end users, consulting engineers, contractors, OEMs and value-added resellers. Additional information may be found at www.trachteusa.com.

About Parkline
Parkline is a leading manufacturer of highly engineered metal buildings for industrial and commercial applications. Its product portfolio consists of material only, site-erected, pre-erected, and integrated control buildings. The Company operates two strategically located manufacturing facilities in West Virginia and Texas that support customer needs throughout the U.S. Product flexibility is a key differentiator for Parkline, and the company's design and engineering team is capable of customizing floor plans to meet almost any customer specification or requirement. Parkline is headquartered in Eleanor, West Virginia. For more information, visit parkline.com.

About Summit Park
Summit Park is a Charlotte, North Carolina-based private investment firm focused exclusively on the lower middle market. The firm invests across a range of industries, including services, consumer, and industrial growth. The Firm has made over 40 investments in the lower middle market totaling more than $2 billion in total enterprise value. The firm's capital can be used to facilitate a change in ownership, to support expansion and growth, to provide partial liquidity to existing owners, or to support an industry consolidation plan. For more information, visit www.summitparkllc.com.

About Palladium Equity Partners, LLC
Since its founding in 1997, Palladium has invested in more than 200 companies (38 platforms and more than 165 add-ons). With over $3 billion in AUM, the firm focuses primarily on buyout equity investments in the range of $50 million to $150 million. Palladium seeks to acquire and grow companies in partnership with founders and experienced management teams by providing capital and strategic guidance. The partners of the firm have meaningful experience in consumer, services, industrials, and healthcare businesses, with a special focus on companies they believe will benefit from the growth in the U.S. Hispanic population. For more information, visit www.palladiumequity.com.