American Plastics Acquires Centrex Plastics & Creative Plastic Concepts
Three-Way Merger Transforms American Plastics into National
Industry Leader in Scale and Innovation
ST. LOUIS–(BUSINESS WIRE)–American Plastics, LLC (“American Plastics”), a leading manufacturer,
importer and distributor of consumer storage and commercial cleaning
products, and a Highview Capital, LLC (“Highview”) and Victory Park
Capital Advisors, LLC (“Victory Park”) portfolio company, today
announced it has acquired Centrex Plastics, LLC (“Centrex”) and Creative
Plastic Concepts (“Creative”).
American Plastics will become one of the only companies in the United
States to achieve national scale in the plastics industry, with a solid
base of blue-chip retail and commercial customers. By combining three
industry leaders, the new American Plastics will also accelerate the
growth of its consumer storage business through innovation and
cutting-edge technology.
The Company will operate across 15 facilities nationwide, including 5
manufacturing plants and 10 distribution centers. The two newly acquired
businesses bring expanded manufacturing resources and industry-leading
product development and technological capabilities, including 3D
printing, in-house engineering teams and all-electric, high-speed
injection molding machines (from 90 to 2000 tons). American Plastics
will be able to provide superior quality throughout the product
lifecycle, from refining a concept to bringing a product to market.
Robert Guerra will remain President and Chief Executive Officer of the
combined company, and Nick Reinhart, owner and President of both Centrex
and Creative, will be named Chief Innovation Officer at American
Plastics and retain an equity stake in the combined company. American
Plastics will utilize all current operations of both Centrex, which
offers a variety of products for home, lawn and garden, and garage and
workshop needs, and Creative, a growing leader in the home and garage
storage category and industry leader in innovation and R&D capabilities.
American Plastics will also maintain both companies’ successful
customer-facing brands, including Centrex’s Commander and Creative’s
Shelves and Shelves West.
Robert Guerra, President and Chief Executive Officer of American
Plastics, said, “This is a transformational transaction for American
Plastics that unites three industry leaders driven by the same
commitment to delivering top-quality products and customer service. Nick
is a true innovator who has established a new level and depth of
partnership driven by technology, and I am thrilled to have him lead our
retail strategy. With the added strength of the Centrex and Creative
brands, American Plastics will be uniquely positioned to accelerate our
sales, establish deeper partnerships with our customers, and acquire
additional customers throughout the country.”
Nick Reinhart, President of Centrex and Creative, said, “We are very
excited to partner with American Plastics, Highview and Victory Park.
Combining Centrex, Creative and American Plastics will create an
experienced and dynamic team, as well as increase our geographical
manufacturing footprint and capacity and provide the capital necessary
to continue accelerating our growth. Our advanced prototyping
technologies, cutting-edge design and engineering team, and
state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities allow us to partner with our
customers to take personalized, high-quality products from concept to
creation in a matter of days. We look forward to continuing to provide
our retail customers with the highest quality, at the best prices, as
part of the American Plastics family.”
Ryan McCarthy, Founder and Senior Portfolio Manager of Highview Capital,
LLC, added, “We greatly respect the business that the Reinharts have
built and the leadership they have demonstrated. Our goal at Highview is
to partner with companies undergoing a transformation to unlock new and
creative growth opportunities. Through this three-way merger, we’re
creating a national powerhouse in the plastics industry with exceptional
scale and a great innovation engine. We look forward to our continued
partnership with the newly expanded American Plastics family and are
excited to continue supporting the company’s growth.”
The combined company will be owned by Highview, Victory Park and Nick
Reinhart. Highview and Victory Park were represented by O'Melveny &
Myers LLP. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
About American Plastics
American Plastics is a leading manufacturer, importer and distributor of
commercial cleaning and consumer storage products. American Plastics
markets its branded products under the Continental Commercial Products,
Contico, Wilen and Fundamentals banners. American Plastics is
headquartered in St. Louis and operates injection molding and
manufacturing facilities in Jefferson City, Mo. and Tiffin, Ohio, with
additional distribution centers in Fontana, Calif. and Toronto. For more
information, please visit www.americanplasticsllc.com.
About Centrex
Centrex Plastics has been a leader in specialized custom plastic
injection molding and plastic products since 2005. The company offers a
variety of products focused on the consumer goods industry, including
products for home, lawn and garden, and garage and workshop needs.
Centrex is headquartered in Findlay, Ohio and markets its products under
numerous brands, including Centrex Commander. For more information,
visit www.centrexplastics.com.
About Creative Plastic Concepts
Creative Plastic Concepts was established in 2014 to introduce a unique
technology-empowered model to design, develop and produce plastic totes,
containers and shelving. Creative partners with customers to develop
plastic products throughout the invention cycle, from refining a product
concept, to building a prototype, to mass producing and bringing
products to consumers. Utilizing cutting-edge technology, including 3D
printing and all-electric, high-speed injection molding machines, and
the strength of their in-house engineering team, Creative supports the
nation’s leading retail chains as they bring new and inventive products
to market. For more information, visit www.creativeplasticconcepts.com.
About Highview Capital, LLC
Highview Capital, LLC is an opportunistic private equity investment
vehicle headquartered in Los Angeles, CA with approximately $500 million
in assets under management. Highview leverages its creative vision and
expertise to partner with management teams of middle-market businesses
undergoing periods of transformation, including turnarounds, growth, or
expansion. For more information, visit www.highviewcp.com.
About Victory Park Capital Advisors, LLC
Victory Park is a privately-held, SEC-registered alternative investment
firm focused on providing privately negotiated debt and opportunistic
equity solutions worldwide. Victory Park finances both emerging and
established businesses in need of liquidity and/or capital structure
reforms with the goal of accelerating value creation and generating
attractive returns. The firm’s offerings leverage broad special
situations and credit structuring expertise, differentiated deal
origination, creative financing capabilities and a deep network of
industry relationships. Victory Park was founded in 2007 and is
headquartered in Chicago with additional offices in New York and Los
Angeles. For more information, visit www.victoryparkcapital.com.
Contacts
Sard Verbinnen & Co
Alyssa Linn / Hayley Fahey
310-201-2040