Deal Alert

01 Jul: DuPont To Acquire Donatelle Plastics

DuPont de Nemours, Inc. (NYSE:DD) announced on June 25 that it will acquire Donatelle Plastics, a well-established medtech contract manufacturer based in New Brighton, MN. No terms were announced. The transaction is expected to close later this year. Though Dupont has long supplied branded materials such as Tyvek™ to the medtech industry, the purchase of Donatelle reinforces their expansion into medtech contract manufacturing. Last year DuPont acquired Spectrum Plastics Group, supplementing their contract manufacturing work with Liveo™ silicone products, originally a Dow Corning product line. DuPont’s strategy of building out contract manufacturing to complement its global position in specialty materials bears watching. For more information please visit: https://www.dupont.com/news/dupont-to-acquire-donatelle-plastics-incorporated.html Please contact tfreeman@asfreeman.com with questions and comments. A. S. Freeman Advisors was not involved in this transaction. We are reporting the deal as a point of interest to our clients and colleagues.

31 Jul: Deal Alert: Biomerics Acquires Berg Manufacturing

Dear Colleague, I am pleased to announce the acquisition of Berg Manufacturing by Biomerics NLE. The Berg transaction notably extends Biomerics’ micromachining capabilities. A.S. Freeman Advisors advised Biomerics on the transaction. You can read the entire press release here. For more information on the medical device supply chain M&A market, please contact me at tfreeman@asfreeman.com or (917) 868-0772. Best regards, Tony Freeman

18 Apr: Cadence, Inc. to be acquired by Kohlberg & Company

      Cadence, Inc., a medical device contract manufacturer has agreed to be acquired by the private equity firm Kohlberg & Company. Terms were not announced. Cadence had its origins in edged and pointed instruments and expanded to full contract manufacturing with the addition of assembly and additional metal working facilities. The company’s 2017 revenues were $96.7 million with $20 million in EBITDA. Kohlberg’s strategy has been to acquire platform companies with an eye to the acquisition of additional bolt-on acquisitions.

12 Apr: NN, Inc. to acquire Paragon for $375 million

      On April 6, 2018 NN, Inc. (NASDAQ:NNBR) announced that it would acquire Paragon Medical for $375 million cash. Indiana-based Paragon, a major orthopedic contract manufacturer, had 2017 revenues of $141 million and EBITDA of $24 million. The offer values Paragon at 15.6 times EBITDA on a nominal basis. NN stated that the multiple is best viewed as 9.3X because of significant Year 1 cost synergies including $7.8 million in Day 1 synergies. Details of the synergies were not presented. NN has been an active acquirer of medical device supply chain companies. In 2015 NN bought Precision Engineered Products (PEP), a diversified manufacturer notable for its medical focus. In 2017 NN acquired DRT Medical, an orthopedic machiner. It also acquired Bridgemedica, a device design company, in February 2018. While the Paragon deal multiple may appear high, there is a strategic rationale for NN’s actions. NN’s historic portfolio of industrial businesses have tended to be slower growth and lower potential profitability than medical suppliers. Last summer NN sold its precision bearing company for $375 million, cash still on the books as of year-end 2017. While NN may have paid a premium for Paragon, the move fits with their strategy of swapping businesses with a limited future for medical contractors. In that strategy NN joins Danaher, Teleflex, TE Connectivity, and ITW as American manufacturers changing direction and using significant resources to do so. For detailed information on the transaction please view NN’s presentation: http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=110673&p=irol-Agreement Please contact Tony Freeman at tfreeman@asfreeman.com or (917) 868-0772 with comments and questions.