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Home > BizTimes Daily > Archives > January 4, 2007
Milwaukee private equity group acquires Plover manufacturer
Published January 4, 2007 - BizTimes Daily
Lakeview Equity Partners LLC, a Milwaukee-based private equity fund, has announced the acquisition of Automatan Inc. of Plover, Wis.
Automatan is a manufacturer of lithographic labeling equipment sold to the corrugated packaging industry worldwide.
"Automatan has achieved excellent brand recognition through its superior technology, product performance and customer service," said W. Kent Velde, president of Lakeview Equity Partners. "With the trend toward large-format labeling in product displays and in-store advertising, Automatan's products make it possible to add high-quality graphics to corrugated packaging."
A partner in the acquisition, Kevin Widder, will serve as the new president and chief executive officer of Automatan. Widder, who has more than 20 years of experience in the capital equipment industry, was previously president of Sheboygan-based Pemco.
"We're very excited about this acquisition," Widder said. "Automatan is a great company with a terrific reputation in the industry. The new management understands Automatan's market and its customers, and Lakeview Equity Partners has the financial capacity and strategic resources to support the company and bring it to the next level."
Widder said Automatan's current sales, customer service and manufacturing team would be retained. He also said there will be no immediate changes in the company's product line, which includes singleface, lithographic and pattern laminators; load turners and jogger/aerators; and an ink quality control system.
This is the fourth transaction by Lakeview Equity Partners during 2006. The company has also invested in: 5 Alarm Fire and Safety Equipment, Fort Atkinson, Wis.; Firehouse Animal Health Centers, Denver, Colo.; and LS Research, Cedarburg, Wis.
