Levine Leichtman Capital Partners, LLC’s Post

*** Exciting News Acquisition News *** A. O. Smith Corporation Expands West Coast Presence! 🥳 In a game-changing move, A.O. Smith Corp. has acquired Water Tec of Tucson, a renowned water treatment company, fortifying its presence on the West Coast! Founded in 1967, Water Tec, a family-owned business, has been providing top-tier water-treatment equipment in Tucson and Las Vegas. Now, under the A.O. Smith umbrella, they're set to reach new heights! This strategic acquisition complements A.O. Smith's growing water-treatment business in North America, joining the ranks of recent additions like Atlantic Filter and Master Water Corporation. Kevin J. Wheeler, A.O. Smith's CEO, remarked, "Water Tec aligns perfectly with our values and commitment to quality. Together, we'll continue delivering innovative water solutions that make a real impact." Leigh DeGrave, owner and president of Water Tec, shared her excitement, stating, "Our family legacy will thrive with A.O. Smith's global expertise and resources. This acquisition opens doors to new markets we couldn't have accessed otherwise." Notably, the DeGrave family will remain at the helm of Water Tec, ensuring a seamless transition and continued excellence. 🤝 Stay tuned for the next chapter in water treatment innovation! 💦🚀 #waterindustry #watertreatment #innovation #acquistions #expansion

Which states saw the most #waterdeals from investor-owned utilities in 2023? By far, Texas has been the most competitive state for investor-owned utility deal flow, hosting nearly a quarter (or 38 deals) of all approved transactions during 2023. Leading IOUs such as Central States, Undine, SouthWest Water, and San Jose Water, accounted for over half of all acquisitions in Texas last year. Mississippi, Louisiana, Arizona, and Missouri also saw significant IOU deal flow this past year. Arizona and North Carolina saw notable increases in deal flow from previous years. More takeaways available in Bluefield's Private Water Quarterly: https://hubs.ly/Q02jV7bX0 #PrivateWater #WaterMA #FairMarketValue #IOU #DealFlow #ClimatePressure #ESG

Watts Water Technologies (WTS) excels in plumbing and water filtration, boasting record Q1 sales, operating earnings, and EPS, prompting an upgraded full-year outlook for 2024 by CEO Robert J. Pagano Jr. Recent acquisitions—Bradley Corporation, Josam Company, and Enware—are smoothly integrated, poised to drive revenue growth and expand market share into new territories. The $303 million Bradley acquisition is particularly impactful, offering synergistic growth opportunities. WTS's strong balance sheet and robust cash flow support strategic investments, shareholder returns, and long-term execution. Bullish on WTS above $184.00-$185.00, targeting $315.00-$320.00. #Plumbing #WaterFiltration #WTS #StockMarket

No two deals will face the same obstacles on their path to close. If you own a manufacturing business, and you're contemplating an exit, be prepared to share with potential acquirers: *the ways your business can grow and what it will require to grow *the downside risks of your business *your capex history and bad debt *customer/vendor concentration *how your business has prepared for the Fourth Industrial Revolution *key employees *etc... This is just a sampling of the topics you'll need to be prepared to discuss with a potential partner. Take the time to meet with a trusted M&A advisor before you open discussions with a buyer. You can only make one first impression. It doesn't take much to turn off a professional buyer. Congratulations Cascade Corporation, Loron and the talented teams working behind the scenes to make this deal happen.

Throughout 2023, five impressive members of the #BLGAlumni community were put in the spotlight as part of the BLG Alumni Spotlight series. From discussions on the advancement of legal technology, to changes in attitudes around sustainability in the oilfield sector, the insights they shared about their careers at BLG and beyond are a must-read. https://lnkd.in/gNpYCay2

♻️ Turning trash into treasure. It appears that JR Richards & Sons has attracted some serious interest from some big Private Equity suitors. It’s reported that EQT Group and Mercury Capital Investments are very interested with NBIOs having been submitted. Mercury Capital Investments knows the Aussie waste space pretty well with its acquisition or Re.Group and Polytrade. EQT Group seems to have a soft spot for Australia with the group being the bidder in the VetPartners Australia and New Zealand deal. Given the sheer numbers for JR Richards & Sons, $24m in earnings, 36 of 73 council contracts with a reported 95% retention rate and 150 vehicles it should be no surprise that bids are coming thick and fast. Pending who acquires I would expect other smaller waste operators who may hold regional or rural contracts to see it as an opportunity to bolt on. I would expect the M&A space to gain some momentum in the lower market should this deal get away. One to watch. #corporateadvisory #corporatelaw #acquisition #sme #waste

Oldcastle is expanding into digital water through partnerships and acquisitions. “Oldcastle’s FIDO partnership is the latest manifestation of its digital strategy, which includes embedding data and digital solutions in its internal operations and external product offerings.” #digitalwater 3 key takeaways: - Oldcastle’s recent maneuvers to expand into digital water stand out relative to its traditional competitors in the network infrastructure market - Market opportunities in leak detection are shifting - Oldcastle has made other notable digital initiatives in recent years (Hydro International, CRH and Fivetran) New Research Note for Digital Water Clients: https://hubs.ly/Q021hx460 Oldcastle Infrastructure, FIDO Tech , Aclara, Aliaxis, AMERICAN Cast Iron Pipe Company, APX10™, Aquarius Spectrum, CRH, Echologics, Emerald Technology Ventures, EPCOR, Fivetran, Hubbell Incorporated, Hydro International, i2O, Kando, Landis+Gyr, LoRa Alliance, McWane Plant & Industrial, Microsoft, Mueller Water Products, NWG (Northumbrian Water Group), Saint-Gobain, Senet, SenRa, SKion Water GmbH, Thames Water, Trimble Inc., United Utilities, VODA.ai

The water industry closed out 2023 with 340 deals according to Bluefield. While the number of water M&A deals has dropped off a bit over the last few years, there were still several notable billion-dollar deals closed in 2023. A few of them include: Xylem acquiring Evoqua Water Technologies, and Solenis acquiring Diversey. #WaterMA From 2020 to 2021, there was a large rise in water M&A deals due to a number of factors including, "a focus on environmental, social, and governance (ESG) practices, federal infrastructure legislation, and available investment capital." - Bluefield's President & CEO Reese Tisdale. The first half of 2023 saw a decline in water deals because of market "externalities including recession concerns, rising cost of capital, and general economic uncertainty." https://hubs.ly/Q02gQMjd0 Keep up to date on water deal flow through our Water M&A/Company Strategies service: https://hubs.ly/Q02gQpJm0 Want to be notified about the most recent water deals straight to your inbox? Sign up for Bluefield's (complimentary) weekly newsletter: https://hubs.ly/Q02gQqDb0 Smart Water Magazine 💧

Thanks to all who tuned into the insightful Investor Presentation last night where CEO Cedric Simonet discussed Altona's diversification strategy and #copper projects update. You can now catch up on the full presentation on YouTube ⬇️🎥 https://lnkd.in/ekBggQAJ #REE #InvestorMeet

How our team at Macfarlan Capital Partners creates virtuous cycles of mutual benefit with our operating partners!