Brown Gibbons Lang & Company Announces Sale of Skill Tool

The investment bank of Brown Gibbons Lang & Company (“BGL”) is pleased to announce that it has completed the sale of Skill Tool & Die Corporation (“Skill”) to Morgenthaler Partners (“Morgenthaler”).

Based in Cleveland and Avon, Ohio, Skill is a technologically advanced designer and manufacturer of complex metal stamping components primarily for the automotive and plumbing fixture markets. In-die sensor technology that monitors for press errors and measures part quality on-the-fly allows the Company to achieve near zero defects, nearly eliminate die crashes and increase press efficiency. As a result, the Company has achieved exceptional quality, productivity and profitability. In addition, Skill is one of the few companies in the world capable of in-die tapping of extrusions.

BGL approached a select group of strategic and financial buyers with existing automotive or metal fabrication investments or interests. Though strategic buyers showed considerable interest in the business, they were unable to match the values of financial buyers. Andrew Petryk, Managing Director & Principal of BGL, indicated that “Morgenthaler’s significant knowledge of the industry, their recent acquisition of MPI International, a leading metal fine-blanking operation, and their ability to develop a creative capital structure made them the ideal acquirer. In addition, their sensitivity to the issues of family owned and operated businesses helped significantly in completing the transactions.”