Littlejohn & Co. Announces Acquisition of Henniges Automotive Holdings, Inc.

GREENWICH, Conn., Dec. 1, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- Littlejohn & Co., LLC, a private investment firm based in Greenwich, CT, announced today the acquisition of Henniges Automotive Holdings, Inc., a leading provider of highly engineered sealing and anti-vibration systems for automotive applications from Wynnchurch Capital Partners.

Headquartered outside of Detroit in Farmington Hills, MI, Henniges is a leading manufacturer of a complete line of automotive sealing systems for doors, windows, trunks, lift gates, sunroofs and hoods.  The company also supplies the automotive market with anti-vibration products, encapsulated glass, obstacle detection systems, and other rubber components.  Henniges sells to all major North American and European automotive OEM customers and operates facilities in the United States, Mexico, Canada, Germany, and China. The company has 4,500 associates worldwide.

"The existing management team, lead by CEO Rob DePierre, has done an excellent job building a strong reputation and loyal customers based on intense customer focus and flawless execution," said Brian E. Ramsay, Managing Director of Littlejohn.  "We are pleased with the company's overall momentum and are excited to support continued growth in North America and expansion into Europe, China and other international markets."  

Mr. DePierre said, "Our experienced leadership team at Henniges helped navigate the company and remain profitable through an extremely challenging recession. By focusing on customer satisfaction and continued innovation we are now well positioned for the automotive industry's recovery.  We look forward to working with the Littlejohn team who have invested successfully in the automotive sector and understand this industry."

Michael Kaplan, a Principal at Littlejohn, said, "Henniges is uniquely positioned to grow its footprint to meet customer needs around the world. The Company has the experience and capabilities to deliver products for global platforms in all critical markets."

Littlejohn received legal advise from Pepper Hamilton, LLP.

About Littlejohn & Co., LLC

Littlejohn & Co. is a Greenwich, Connecticut-based control-oriented private equity firm seeking investment opportunities in middle-market companies that are undergoing a fundamental change in capital structure, strategy, operations or growth that can benefit from its operational and strategic approach.  The firm is currently investing from Littlejohn Fund IV, L.P., which has $1.3 billion in capital commitments. For more information, visit www.littlejohnllc.com.

About Wynnchurch Capital Partners

Wynnchurch Capital, headquartered in Rosemont, Illinois, is a private equity investment firm that seeks to partner with middle market companies in the United States and Canada with outstanding management teams and the potential for substantial growth and profit improvement. The firm manages over $1 billion of committed capital.  For more information, visit www.wynnchurch.com.

SOURCE Littlejohn & Co., LLC