September, 2021

Third Coast Capital Advisors served as exclusive financial advisor to AFC Industries, a portfolio company of Bertram Capital Management, in its acquisition of Cline Tool.  Our Acquisition Search services included identifying the target and making contact with its owner, as well as providing assistance on valuation, transaction structure and the negotiation and closing of the transaction. This transaction represents the seventh acquisition that we have sourced and closed for AFC and is a good example of our ability to identify and execute proprietary, strategic add-on acquisitions for private equity portfolio companies.  

Cline Tool, based in Newton, Iowa, is one of the largest custom tool manufacturers in the United States offering 360 degree total solutions including in-house engineering, project management, integrated supply and tool reconditioning services.  The company is also a full-line distributor of cutting tools and manufacturing supplies representing some of the world’s most respected brands.  The company is headquartered in Newton, Iowa, and has facilities in Houston, Texas, Rockford, Illinois, Indianapolis, Indiana and Fletcher, North Carolina.

AFC Industries, based in Fairfield, Ohio, is a united group of companies providing supply chain management expertise in support of original equipment manufacturers (OEM’s) and their assembly plants.AFC is a value-added provide of fastening and other assembly components (C-Items), specializing in “Point-of-Use-Delivery”, vendor managed inventory systems.The company supports a diverse industry base of manufacturers that include medical, rail, solar energy, defense, automotive, fluid handling, food equipment, lighting, and many other industries.