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Best Lighting Products, Inc.
Case Study

Initial Business Overview
Provider of private label emergency and exit lighting products to the commercial, industrial and institutional lighting industries
      Footprint     Facilities in Ohio and Dongguan, China
      Products     Designer, manufacturer and value-added distributor of a complete line of LED and incandescent private-label emergency and exit lighting products
      Clients     OEMs, distributors, dealers, contractors and sub-contractors, distributors & builders in US and Canada

Investment Thesis
  • Expand product development, service solutions and geographic distribution
  • Further penetrate existing OEM customers and expand non-OEM business
  • Regulated industry with ongoing building code changes and construction driving demand
  • Invest in management information systems, and improve operating efficiency as first institutional investor
  • Build company-owned facility in China allowing for better quality control and lower costs

Why Granite Bridge Partners?
  • Family seeking financial partner to assist with succession, professionalizing organization and accelerating growth both organically and by acquisition

Compelling Situation
  • Leading outsourced private label manufacturer of non-core lighting products for OEMs
  • Compelling value proposition and turnkey solution for customers
  • Market leader with comprehensive portfolio of products
  • Large and diverse customer base with no customer concentration
  • Regulated industry with increasing barriers to entry
  • Highly profitable, scalable and sustainable business model

Value Creation
Throughout the investment period, the investment team worked with management to drive organic and acquisition-led growth. During this time, Best Lighting:
  • Increased EBITDA 170% from acquisition to exit
  • Greatly expanded product offering (early converter to LED) to entice OEMs to outsource more non-core products
  • Built company-owned scalable Chinese facility which improved quality control, pricing, on-time delivery and enhanced product development.
  • Expanded management team and upgraded management information systems
  • Added highly-respected, former senior level industry executive to the board
  • Utilized third-party manufacturers for lower-margin, commodity-like products
  • Added lighting accessories and expanded distribution channels to product line through two acquisitions
  • Invested in new technology, elevated reporting capabilities and upgraded management

Result
Best Lighting was sold to a private equity fund in July 2015

BLP - Examples of Product Offerings

Company & Transaction Highlights
Sector
Emergency & Exit Lighting

Headquarters
Pataskala, OH

Add-on Companies
Emergency Exit Lighting Products, Inc.
Cost Less Lighting, Inc.
Transaction Type
Control & Recapitalization

Acquisition Date
August 2006

Exit Date
July 2015
 
 
Disclaimer: The track record information relates to portfolios managed by the principals of Granite Bridge Partners LLC (“Granite Bridge”), who were primarily responsible for account performance results, while they were employed by Wafra, Inc. (“Wafra”). Granite Bridge intends to pursue substantially the same or similar strategy that was pursued while the principals were employed by Wafra. As an internal group at Wafra, the track record is related to proprietary portfolios, which maintained an expense structure materially different than the expenses to be charged by Granite Bridge. Any portfolio investments contained herein were selected based on objective non-performance-based criteria and are not meant to be indicative or reflective of the portfolio of any fund or account managed by Granite Bridge. Rather, such case studies are meant to exemplify Granite Bridge’s analysis and execution of its investment strategy. Obviously, not all investments are successful and profitable. As such, the examples contained herein should not be viewed as representative of all investments made by Granite Bridge, but simply as examples of the types of successful investing Granite Bridge strives for. There is no guarantee that any fund managed by Granite Bridge will find similar opportunities or that any similar investments will be included in any such fund’s portfolio.