Skokie, Ill., May 25, 2016—AEA Investors, a leading global private investment firm, has agreed to purchase Generation Brands, one of America’s prominent lighting and fan companies with its Feiss, LBL Lighting, Monte Carlo Fans, Sea Gull Lighting and Tech Lighting brands, from Quad-C Management, Inc.
According to Generation Brands CEO Josh Weiss, “We’re extremely excited about this transaction. Since 2010, Generation Brands has experienced annual, double-digit sales and profitability growth, and Quad-C has been an incredible partner sharing our unrelenting optimism towards the lighting industry. We’re grateful to have found another fantastic partner in AEA who will enable us to continue to make significant investments in product innovation and growth while taking full advantage of the many changes occurring in our market.”
Generation Brands will also shortly complete a 120,000 square foot expansion to its Skokie headquarters – which will house additional office and production space including 14,000 square feet dedicated to a state-of-the art training facility and product showroom. The additional office space is estimated to be completed late spring with the showroom opening late summer or early fall.
About AEA Investors LP
AEA Investors LP was founded in 1968 by the Rockefeller, Mellon, and Harriman family interests and S.G. Warburg & Co. as a private investment vehicle for a select group of industrial family offices with substantial assets. AEA’s active individual investors (the “Participants”) include an extraordinary network of more than 75 of the world’s leading industrial families, business executives and former government leaders. Today, AEA’s approximately 70 investment professionals operate globally with offices in New York, Connecticut, London, Munich and Shanghai. The firm manages funds that have approximately $10.0 billion of invested and committed capital including the leveraged buyouts of middle market companies and small business companies and mezzanine and senior debt investments. AEA Private Equity invests across four sectors: value added industrial products, specialty chemicals, consumer / retail and services. For more information, go to www.aeainvestors.com.
About Generation Brands
Generation Brands is one of America’s leading companies serving lighting retailers and the electrical wholesale, home improvement and building industries. The company has an outstanding portfolio of residential and commercial lighting fixtures and ceiling fans which provide value to its customers and end-users with superior service, leading edge design and outstanding quality. For more information, go to www.generation-brands.com.