Tapatío^® is a beloved hot sauce brand that has been bringing a flavorful kick to dishes since 1971. Founded in California by Jose-Luis Saavedra Sr., Tapatío^® is named after the term used to describe someone from Guadalajara, Mexico, reflecting its deep connection to traditional Mexican flavors. Known for its perfect balance of medium heat and rich, tangy flavor, Tapatío® is crafted from a blend of red peppers and spices. It’s a versatile condiment, commonly used to enhance everything from Mexican cuisine to eggs, soups, and more.

Tapatio has built a trusted, authentic brand within the growing hot sauce category. Tapatio’s products have developed a large, loyal following in the Western U.S., where its customers include big-box retailers, supermarkets, restaurant chains, and other retail outlets. With Highlander’s investment and partnership, the Company plans to extend its reach into nascent geographies, broaden its distribution channels, bolster new product development and enter complementary new product categories.

“We are excited to partner with Tapatio, a generational business that is distinguished by a strong, authentic brand in the fast growing hot sauce category. We believe that Tapatio is poised to benefit from several secular trends that are dramatically reshaping consumer food choices, and we look to take advantage of the brand’s significant whitespace opportunity,” said Jeff L. Hull, President and CEO of Highlander Partners.

“It is both a privilege and an immense responsibility for Highlander to be the next steward of the Tapatio brand,” said Jeff Partridge, Partner at Highlander. “We share the Saavedra family’s vision to maintain the brand’s legacy as we carefully and purposefully target opportunities to grow the brand geographically, introduce new flavors and products, and deepen penetration in both the retail and foodservice channels.”

Luis Saavedra Jr., former CEO for Tapatio stated, “Highlander is a perfect fit given their extensive background in the branded Hispanic food category, and we are pleased to have a partner that invests their own capital and takes a long-term strategic approach to growing companies. Tapatio has a strong business with a proud heritage and identity. Highlander shares our vision to maintain this legacy.”

Stout served as exclusive financial advisor to Tapatio on the transaction. J.P. Morgan led the senior financing facilities, and NMP Capital provided both financing and equity in support of the transaction. Katten served as legal advisor to Highlander.

About Highlander Partners
Highlander Partners, L.P. is a Dallas-based private investment firm with more than $3 billion in assets under management. The firm focuses on making investments in businesses in targeted industries in which the principals of the firm have significant operating and investing experience. Highlander Partners employs a buy and build investment approach, creating value by helping companies grow both organically and through acquisitions. Additional information about Highlander at www.highlander-partners.com.

About Tapatío
Tapatío^® is a beloved hot sauce brand that has been bringing a flavorful kick to dishes since 1971. Founded in California by Jose-Luis Saavedra Sr., Tapatío® is named after the term used to describe someone from Guadalajara, Mexico, reflecting its deep connection to traditional Mexican flavors. Known for its perfect balance of medium heat and rich, tangy flavor, Tapatío® is crafted from a blend of red peppers, vinegar, garlic, and spices. It’s a versatile condiment, commonly used to enhance everything from Mexican cuisine to eggs, soups, and more. For more information, visit. For more information, visit www.tapatiohotsauce.com.

The transaction supports NiTEO’s strategic objective of building and growing a portfolio of high efficacy, branded household and automotive products. The Faultless acquisition will expand NiTEO’s Household Products division and further enhance its position as a leading branded products business serving the home care market.

John Rabenhorst, NiTEO CEO and a Highlander Principal, stated, “We are excited to combine such an iconic portfolio of brands into NiTEO to accelerate our success as a leader within household products. Faultless, Niagara, Magic, and Bon Ami are highly recognizable, efficacious products that are top performers in their respective categories. We are looking forward to building upon the 138-year-old heritage of the portfolio and continuing to take these brands to new heights.”

Jeff L. Hull, Highlander President and CEO, said, “This acquisition reconfirms our strategy of executing strategic add-on acquisitions that enhance and expand NiTEO’s existing business and branded product offerings in the home care segment. Building a house of brands within the household category to complement our automotive products will allow us to enhance existing NiTEO relationships and unlock additional revenue opportunities for our existing brands. We are continuing to evaluate M&A opportunities and expect to make additional acquisitions going forward.”

Canaccord Genuity served as exclusive financial advisor to Faultless Brands in the transaction. Monroe Capital LLC provided senior financing facilities and NMP Capital provided mezzanine debt and equity in support of the transaction.

About Faultless Brands
Faultless Brands is a collection of consumer products and brands encompassing fabric care, household cleaning, and commercial laundry products. Made in the USA, the Faultless and Niagara starch brands and Bon Ami Cleanser have rich heritages and remain top sellers in today’s competitive market. Other Faultless brands include Magic and Kleen King. The company was founded in 1887 and is based in Kansas City, Missouri. For more information, visit www.faultlessbrands.com.

About NiTEO
NiTEO is a premier formulator, packager and marketer of highly regarded household and automotive appearance and performance/maintenance chemical brands. These include APF in the car wash category; CarBrite in the professional appearance category; and the Pyroil, Motor Medic and Cyclo brands in the automotive maintenance and performance category, and OZIUM in the household air care category. For more information, visit www.niteoproducts.com.

About Highlander Partners
Highlander Partners, L.P. is a Dallas-based private investment firm with more than $3 billion in assets under management. The firm focuses on making investments in businesses in targeted industries in which the principals of the firm have significant operating and investing experience. Highlander Partners employs a buy and build investment approach, creating value by helping companies grow both organically and through acquisitions. Additional information about Highlander at www.highlander-partners.com.

The transaction supports NiTEO’s strategic objective of building and growing a portfolio of high efficacy, branded household and automotive products. The Folex acquisition will expand NiTEO’s Household Products division and further enhance its position as a leading branded products business serving the home care market.

John Rabenhorst, NiTEO’s CEO, stated, “We believe the addition of FOLEX® in the cleaning products space is highly strategic and complementary to Niteo’s existing home care offerings and gives us access to a strong line of well-regarded products that will bolster Niteo’s breadth in the category. We are excited to leverage the full Niteo portfolio of brands for the benefit of our retail partners and believe there is substantial growth potential within our branded household products portfolio.”

Jeff L. Hull, Highlander President and CEO, said, “The addition of FOLEX® to our growing family of brands further reinforces our strategy to build a leading business composed of category-defining, high efficacy brands in the home care segment. We thank Barrett and Patty Lash for their trust as the next steward of this brand, and we intend to get FOLEX® into the homes of more consumers. We continue to evaluate numerous other potential transactions and expect to close additional acquisitions in the future.”

Monroe Capital LLC provided senior financing facilities and NMP Capital provided mezzanine debt and equity in support of the transaction.

About Folex
Folex, founded in 1966 and based in Tualatin, Oregon, is a leading manufacturer and provider of cleaning products for carpets, fabrics, and hard surfaces. FOLEX® offers a range of products, including instant carpet spot removers, hardwood, laminate, and tile floor cleaners, and stain removers. The company also offers a professional line of cleaning solutions. For more information, visit www.folexcompany.com.

About NiTEO
NiTEO is a premier formulator, packager and marketer of highly regarded household and automotive appearance and performance/maintenance chemical brands. These include APF in the car wash category; CarBrite in the professional appearance category; and the Pyroil, Motor Medic and Cyclo brands in the automotive maintenance and performance category, and OZIUM in the household air care category. For more information, visit www.niteoproducts.com.

About Highlander Partners
Highlander Partners, L.P. is a Dallas-based private investment firm with more than $3 billion in assets under management. The firm focuses on making investments in businesses in targeted industries in which the principals of the firm have significant operating and investing experience. Highlander Partners employs a buy and build investment approach, creating value by helping companies grow both organically and through acquisitions. Additional information about Highlander at www.highlander-partners.com.

Ergobaby’s premium brand portfolio includes three distinct market leaders:

• Ergobaby: The flagship brand that has become synonymous with premium baby carriers;
• Tula: Known for functional carriers featuring expressive prints, inclusive sizing, and artisan craftsmanship; and
  Belly Bandit: A solutions-focused maternity and postpartum brand providing solutions during pregnancy, post-partum recovery and while nursing.

The Company’s comprehensive product line includes ergonomically designed baby carriers, wraps, strollers, bouncers, highchairs, maternity and post-partum support bands and apparel, and feeding, sleep and nursing accessories. The Company’s product line is designed to support parents and babies through every stage of pregnancy and early development.

Jeff L. Hull, President and CEO of Highlander Partners commented, “This acquisition further emphasizes Highlander’s focus on investing in category-leading branded consumer product companies. As the #1 baby carrier brand globally, Ergobaby has tremendous growth opportunities driven by product innovation, market expansion and increased consumer awareness. In addition, we have a strong track record of implementing a “buy and build” approach with our investments and we see significant M&A opportunities that would complement Ergobaby’s parenting solutions portfolio and business strategy to better serve its customers in the broader juvenile products market.”

Jason Frame, CEO of Ergobaby, added, “We are excited about the new partnership with Highlander and will benefit from their expertise within branded consumer products. The management team is energized, and our pipeline is full of new opportunities. Our brands enjoy exceptional consumer awareness, and we are well positioned to continue our historical success in the foreseeable future.”

Robert W. Baird & Co acted as exclusive financial advisor and Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP acted as legal counsel to CODI. Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP acted as legal counsel to Highlander.

About Ergobaby
Founded by a mother in 2003, Ergobaby was built with the belief that there’s magic in every little parenting triumph, even during the not-so-joyful jobs of raising your little one. Through award-winning baby carriers, strollers, bouncers, and more, Ergobaby is committed to providing parents with the foundation to thrive with products that are engineered for comfort and ease. For more information visit www.ergobaby.com.

About Highlander Partners
Highlander Partners, L.P. is a Dallas-based private investment firm with more than $3 billion in assets under management. The firm focuses on making investments in businesses in targeted industries in which the principals of the firm have significant operating and investing experience. Highlander Partners employs a buy and build investment approach, creating value by helping companies grow both organically and through acquisitions. Additional information about Highlander at www.highlander-partners.com.

Highlander acquired the Company in June 2022. McIntosh Group is the parent company of the iconic high-performance and luxury audio brands, McIntosh and Sonus faber. McIntosh, headquartered in Binghamton, New York, was founded in 1949, while Sonus faber, founded in 1983, is headquartered in Vicenza, Italy. The transaction was consummated on November 15, 2024.

The McIntosh Group has been a global leader in high-end audio equipment for decades and today manufactures the world’s finest amplifiers, speakers, turntables and other audio products under several renowned brands that include McIntosh, Sonus faber and Sumiko Phono Cartridges. They are driven by their dedication to quality performance, sophisticated technology, refined design, and artisan manufacturing, and that’s resulted in delivering products known for incomparable design, product quality and consumer experiences.

Jeff L. Hull, President and CEO of Highlander Partners commented, “McIntosh is a legendary American brand, and Sonus faber is the definition of fine art in the audio world. We are honored to have been stewards of these businesses. We are proud of what we accomplished and believe McIntosh and Sonus faber have tremendous growth potential. We are excited to watch these brands reach new heights under Bose’s ownership.”

Hull added, “I would like to thank Dan Pidgeon (CEO, McIntosh Group) and Charlie Randall (President, McIntosh), and the entire team for being incredible partners over our ownership period. Their leadership has allowed the Company to continue to flourish and I wish all of them the best in their next phase of success.”

Katten acted as Highlander’s legal counsel in connection with the transaction and Adacta served as legal and tax advisors in Italy.

About Highlander Partners
Highlander Partners, L.P. is a Dallas-based private investment firm with more than $3 billion in assets under management. The firm focuses on making investments in businesses in targeted industries in which the principals of the firm have significant operating and investing experience. Highlander Partners employs a buy and build investment approach, creating value by helping companies grow both organically and through acquisitions. Additional information about Highlander at www.highlander-partners.com.

February 20, 2024 – Boise, ID – High Point Aerotechnologies (“High Point”), a portfolio company of Highlander Partners, today announced the acquisition of Portland, Oregon-based Flex Force Enterprises (“Flex Force”). Flex Force is a pioneer in drone defeat and countermeasure technologies and makes the widely known Dronebuster counter-unmanned aircraft system (c-UAS) jammer. This strategic acquisition expands High Point’s extensive arsenal of drone mitigation solutions and reinforces its position at the forefront of the rapidly growing drone security market.

Since 2016, Flex Force has delivered innovative drone defense and remote and stabilized weapons solutions for governments around the world. Its novel technologies in robotics, signal processing, and software are used by law enforcement agencies, military organizations, and private security companies globally. The Dronebuster – a compact, lightweight and cost-effective counter-drone tool – is the most widely deployed handheld system in the world and adds another configuration to High Point’s robust product family.

“The acquisition of Flex Force underscores our unwavering commitment to empowering our clients with the full array of cutting-edge technologies, ensuring they defend with confidence,” stated Al White, CEO of High Point. “A variety of layered defense solutions is required to address the drone threats of today and tomorrow, and I am looking forward to what our teams will build together.”

“We are incredibly excited to join forces with High Point,” said Jacob Sullivan, Flex Force Founder and CEO. “U.S. and allied governments have deployed our solutions around the globe for years to defend their most critical assets. As the threat posed by drones expands beyond armed conflict, we look forward to continuing to develop cost-effective and innovative solutions for our partners.”

Ben Slater, Chairman of High Point Aerotechnologies commented, “This acquisition demonstrates our continued commitment to developing a leading presence across the UAS and c-UAS markets. Flex Force, with its highly innovative approach to drone defense and strong partnerships across the military and security industries, will be a key asset to our efforts for years to come.”

Slater added, “As the global field of defense technology continues to accelerate rapidly, we are committed to advancing the capabilities of the United States and its allies with a focus on interoperable, attritable solutions and scaled manufacturing across a growing offering of UAS, c-UAS and software/AI products.”

About High Point Aerotechnologies
High Point Aerotechnologies is a global leader in counter-uncrewed autonomous systems (CUxS) solution development across air, land, and maritime domains. Its innovative physical solutions and DefenseOS open architecture software environment enable operations at machine speed to detect, identify, track and defeat UAS and other conventional and autonomous threats. High Point offers an array of integrated, interoperable solutions to provide fixed, mobile, and distributed CUxS capabilities for civilian, military and critical infrastructure clients. High Point has active solutions deployed in more than 15 countries worldwide. Learn more at highpointaerotech.com.

About Highlander Partners
Highlander Partners, L.P. is a Dallas-based private investment firm with more than $3 billion in assets under management. The firm focuses on making investments in businesses in targeted industries in which the principals of the firm have significant operating and investing experience. Highlander Partners employs a buy and build investment approach, creating value by helping companies grow both organically and through acquisitions. Additional information about Highlander at www.highlander-partners.com.

Founded in 1902, ADM today is one of the world’s largest agricultural supply chain managers and a premier human and animal nutrition provider, offering an unparalleled pantry of ingredients and solutions to meet customer needs for taste, texture, nutrition, and functionality.

Jeff L. Hull, President and CEO of Highlander and FDL board member, stated, “We believe that we accomplished an enormous amount during our ownership tenure and are very happy to see the FDL team become part of ADM, as the combination is a perfect fit and will allow this business to reach another level.”

Rothschild & Co. served as financial advisor and DLA Piper UK LLP as legal counsel for FDL.

About Fuerst Day Lawson (FDL)
FDL, founded in 1884 and headquartered in London, UK, is a formulator, developer and manufacturer of proprietary taste and nutrition ingredient solutions serving food, beverage, confections and other consumer markets. It offers custom flavors, syrups and sauces, fruit preps, juices and juice blends, botanical extracts, bakery ingredients, energy and fortification blends and aroma chemicals, backed by deep applications development expertise. FDL serves a global customer base with operations in Europe, US and Asia. For more information about FDL, please visit www.fdlworld.com.

About Highlander Partners
HHighlander Partners, L.P. is a Dallas-based private investment firm with more than $3 billion in assets under management. The firm focuses on making investments in businesses in targeted industries in which the principals of the firm have significant operating and investing experience. Highlander Partners employs a buy and build investment approach, creating value by helping companies grow both organically and through acquisitions. Additional information about Highlander at www.highlander-partners.com.

Evoko, headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden, is a leading innovator in intuitive technology solutions for workplaces. Its suite of products includes room booking solutions and desk scheduling systems designed to enhance productivity and streamline office operations. These unique and forward-thinking offerings will expand Biamp’s current portfolio and consolidate its status as a comprehensive provider of professional AV solutions.

“We are excited to welcome Evoko to the Biamp family,” said Rashid Skaf, Biamp’s President, CEO, and Co-Chairman. “Evoko is a leader in the scheduling space, and their products are highly regarded by customers around the world. This acquisition will enhance our portfolio of collaboration solutions and provide customers with more comprehensive solutions for managing their meeting spaces by adding room scheduling and more device connectivity options. In addition, Evoko’s innovative desk scheduling system is perfect for helping organizations easily and effectively implement hoteling schemes in their workplace. By enabling this increasingly popular workspace management trend, Evoko stands to revolutionize desk scheduling just as it did with room scheduling years earlier.”

Evoko, based in Stockholm, Sweden, has a strong reputation for its groundbreaking scheduling systems. Evoko’s technology, already found in more than 10,000 organizations worldwide, will enable Biamp’s customers to streamline their scheduling processes, creating an enhanced, unified experience. This acquisition underscores Biamp’s commitment to invest in companies that share its mission to connect people through extraordinary audiovisual experiences.

Evoko will join Biamp as a new product family within the company’s portfolio, with business functions gradually being blended to form a single Biamp business. Customers will continue to receive the same high-quality products, support, and service they have come to expect from both companies. For more information on Biamp, please visit www.biamp.com. For more details about Evoko and their innovative scheduling solutions, please visit https://meetevoko.com.

About Biamp

Biamp is a leading provider of innovative, networked media solutions that connect people through extraordinary audiovisual experiences. The company is recognized worldwide for delivering high-quality products and backing them with a commitment to exceptional customer service.

The award-winning Biamp product suite includes Tesira digital signal processors, Devio conferencing hubs, Modena wireless presentation systems, Impera control systems, Apprimo touch interfaces, Cambridge sound masking solutions, Vocia networked public address and voice communication systems, Desono business audio loudspeakers, and Community performance loudspeakers, among others. Biamp solutions are used in a wide range of applications, including conference rooms, open floor environments, performing arts venues, stadiums, courtrooms, hospitals, transportation hubs, classrooms, retail and hospitality environments, and government facilities. Biamp solutions also enable optimized remote collaboration capabilities.

Founded in 1976, Biamp is headquartered in Beaverton, Oregon, USA, with additional offices around the globe. For more information on Biamp, please visit www.biamp.com.

“We are thrilled to integrate Secretary Miller across our business development efforts,” said Dr. Thomas Strat, CEO of DZYNE Technologies. “His deep experience in the intelligence and defense communities, as well as his proven track record of success in growing and leading high-performing teams, will be invaluable as we continue to scale our business at home and abroad.”

Mr. Miller has served as a member of DZYNE’s Board of Directors since its acquisition by Highlander Partners in January. In his new role, Miller will work closely with the company’s leadership team to further accelerate DZYNE’s growth across the U.S. government. He will additionally bring focus to addressing the increasingly global demand for DZYNE’s technology by identifying and developing select international partnerships.

“I am humbled and excited to join DZYNE at this pivotal moment in the company’s growth,” said Miller. “I just returned from Ukraine and I can assure you – the future of war is autonomous. DZYNE’s low-cost, long endurance solutions are an essential component of our nation’s next-generation autonomous defense needs. I’m thrilled to be working with this dynamic, innovative team of passionate professionals to bring these solutions to market and make a difference for our U.S. and allied government partners. Most importantly, I am entirely aligned with DZYNE’s primary motivation: to benefit the men and women that serve on the front lines and need the very best capabilities America can provide them.”

Ben Slater, Chief Operating Officer of Highlander Partners and Chairman of the Board of DZYNE, commented, “Secretary Miller is a battle tested leader with a deep understanding of the intelligence and defense communities. He’s known the national security business from the mountains of Afghanistan to the streets of Baghdad to the E Ring at the Pentagon to the Oval Office. He is the most experienced national security professional of his generation and is the ideal person to lead DZYNE’s growth efforts as the company continues to rapidly expand and transform the defense industry.”

About DZYNE Technologies
DZYNE Technologies is a technology firm focused on designing and manufacturing a broad range of cutting-edge unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) for the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) and other government agencies. The Company specializes in the rapid design, development, and deployment of advanced autonomous intelligence, reconnaissance, and surveillance (ISR).  Its flagship long-endurance LEAP and ULTRA UAS platforms provide fully automated takeoff to landing flight operations, utilizing hardened GPS navigation and an encrypted satellite-based command and data relay for true global operational access­­. DZYNE Technologies integrates artificial intelligence into its operational aircraft with state-of-the-art payloads and end effects, enabling advanced automated full-motion video and video processing, autonomous navigation, and targeting and tracking capabilities.

About Highlander Partners
Highlander Partners, L.P. is a Dallas-based private investment firm with approximately $3 billion of assets under management. The firm focuses on making investments in businesses in targeted industries in which the principals of the firm have significant operating and investing experience. Highlander Partners uses a buy and build investment approach, creating value by helping companies grow both organically and through acquisitions. For more information, visit www.highlander-partners.com.

Granite has expanded from a frame and utility scaffolding manufacturer to other innovative lines of business, including powered carts and wheelbarrows for numerous industrial, commercial and agricultural applications sold under the Overland Carts trade name. Granite’s “Power Snappy” units set the standard for electric powered mobile scaffold units for acoustic ceiling, sheet rock and electric wiring applications.
DSS CEO Mike Doxey said, “We are thrilled to join forces with Granite Industries. Granite’s products and manufacturing expertise bring another set of product and service offerings to the company to help us realize our vision of providing the best quality and customer service experience in our industry. We have known the Wyse family for some time, and we consider it an honor and privilege to continue their legacy with Granite Industries. Our acquisitions of both Granite in Ohio and C&J Scaffolding in California have significantly expanded both our product offering and geographic footprint”.

Mike Knigin, DSS Chairman and Managing Director at Highlander Partners added, “Granite brings to DSS a wealth of industry expertise, additional engineering capability, geographic expansion into the Midwest and a domestic manufacturing capability that further contributes to DSS’s objective of building the premier engineered solutions provider for its served markets.” Knigin continued, “The Granite acquisition is highly complementary with the DSS enterprise, and we look forward to identifying additional strategic add-on opportunities for this high-growth platform.”

About DSS
Founded in 1999, the DSS Companies have been providing Scaffolding, Shoring, Forming and OEM manufacturing services globally. DSS has grown to be a key provider to the North and South American construction industry, with a direct presence in the UK, Europe and Asia Pacific. DSS prides itself on a commitment to customer service, quality products, and the best possible value for its customers. For more information, visit www.dss.net.

About Highlander Partners
Highlander Partners, L.P. is a Dallas-based private investment firm with approximately $3 billion of assets under management. The firm focuses on making investments in businesses in targeted industries in which the principals of the firm have significant operating and investing experience. Highlander Partners uses a buy and build investment approach, creating value by helping companies grow both organically and through acquisitions. For more information, visit www.highlander-partners.com.