Nautic Partners to acquire Vallen North America
Rhode Island-based Nautic Partners LLC has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Vallen Distribution from the Sonepar Group, and in partnership with Vallen management.
The sale is anticipated to close as soon as possible, following regulatory approval. The sale will include all of Vallen’s North American business in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
With a history dating to 1865 and headquartered in Belmont, North Carolina, Vallen is a provider of indirect industrial supplies, covering the vast majority of its customers’ maintenance, repair, operations and production-related needs. The company provides integrated supply solutions and vendor managed inventory, with Vallen associates on-site, bringing local knowledge and expertise to the specific needs of individual customer facilities. Vallen is also a leader in technical services with offerings that include safety equipment inspection, maintenance, certification, and solution design.
“This partnership with Nautic marks an exciting new chapter for Vallen, with a focus on accelerating performance while continuing to provide our customers the excellent service, solutions, and products they expect," said Chuck Delph, CEO of Vallen North America. "We are eager to move forward with Nautic’s support enhancing our strong relationships with customers, suppliers, and our Vallen team.”
Chris Pierce, managing director of Nautic, said, “Vallen is led by CEO Chuck Delph and a deep management team. We are excited about Chuck and the team’s ability to accelerate the business’ growth trajectory in the coming years, and are thrilled to partner with them to support the company’s future efforts. Additionally, we are excited to add another industrial distribution investment to our portfolio, as well as to lean on our prior experience with corporate carveouts to help Vallen successfully transition to a standalone organization.”
Andrew Brewster, senior vice president of Nautic, said, “Vallen is a scaled player with a strong brand name in the industrial distribution market. The company’s value proposition is rooted in technical product knowledge, deep experience with integrated supply services, and excellent customer service. We are excited to support management in carving out the business and executing on their growth plan.”
“Sonepar’s decision to divest Vallen North America was the result of a strategic evaluation regarding the best path forward for Vallen and its associates,” said Philippe Delpech, Sonepar CEO. “Going forward, Sonepar plans to focus on the growth and performance of its core electrical distribution businesses, making significant investments to grow the business organically and through acquisitions, and expand its fully digitalized omnichannel service to customers.”
Nautic is a middle-market private equity firm that focuses on three industries: healthcare, industrials, and
services.
INDUSTRIAL SUPPLY MAGAZINE
The March/April issue of Industrial Supply magazine features an in-depth cover story about Joyce Lansdale and Vallen. Plus, we're featuring articles by contributing writers Dirk Beveridge, Frank Hurtte, and David Kahle, as well as interviews with numerous product and distribution industry experts.
