Griffon Corp.'s Ames Subsidiary Buying Hunter Fan Company for $845M

The residential, commercial and industrial fans maker will join the landscaping hand tools brand.

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NEW YORK — Griffon Corporation, through its subsidiary The AMES Companies, Inc., said Dec. 20 it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Hunter Fan Company, a market leader in residential ceiling, commercial and industrial fans, from MidOcean Partners for $845 million, subject to closing adjustments.

“We are excited to add Hunter, the leading U.S. brand of residential ceiling fans, to our family of iconic consumer and professional brands including AMES, True Temper, and ClosetMaid,” said Ronald J. Kramer, Griffon’s Chief Executive Officer. “The acquisition of Hunter, along with the expected sale of Griffon’s Defense Electronics business, marks a repositioning and strengthening of the Griffon portfolio which will further accelerate our growth, increase shareholder value, and is an effective use of our capital.”

Kramer added, “We welcome the Hunter team to the Griffon family. Over the last 135 years, Hunter has earned its reputation for innovation, quality and craftsmanship, and has strong strategic alignment with Griffon's Consumer and Professional Products segment. Hunter complements our portfolio of leading consumer products, and diversifies our channels to market, particularly with Hunter’s success in growing its e-commerce and direct to customer business to almost half of overall sales while maintaining their leading position in the retail channel.”

The acquisition of Hunter will be immediately accretive to earnings and cash flow. In the first full fiscal year of operation, Griffon expects Hunter to contribute $400 million in revenue and $90 million of EBITDA, excluding synergies, resulting in earnings accretion of at least $0.50 per share. Griffon’s purchase price represents an approximate 9.4 times multiple of EBITDA from the first full fiscal year of operation.

The acquisition of Hunter will be financed through cash on hand, availability under Griffon’s revolving credit facility, and through committed debt financing expected to be in the form of a Term Loan B facility. The acquisition of Hunter is subject to customary closing conditions and is expected to close by the end of January 2022.

Griffon Corporation is a diversified management and holding company that conducts business through wholly-owned subsidiaries. Griffon oversees the operations of its subsidiaries, allocates resources among them and manages their capital structures. Griffon provides direction and assistance to its subsidiaries in connection with acquisition and growth opportunities as well as divestitures. In order to further diversify, Griffon also seeks out, evaluates and, when appropriate, will acquire additional businesses that offer potentially attractive returns on capital.

Griffon conducts its operations through two reportable segments:

  • Consumer and Professional Products conducts its operations through The AMES Companies, Inc. (“AMES”). Founded in 1774, AMES is the leading North American manufacturer and a global provider of branded consumer and professional tools and products for home storage and organization, landscaping, and enhancing outdoor lifestyles. CPP sells products globally through a portfolio of leading brands including True Temper, AMES, and ClosetMaid.
  • Home and Building Product conducts its operations through Clopay Corporation (“Clopay”). Founded in 1964, Clopay is the largest manufacturer and marketer of garage doors and rolling steel doors in North America. Residential and commercial sectional garage doors are sold through professional dealers and leading home center retail chains throughout North America under the brands Clopay, Ideal, and Holmes. Rolling steel door and grille products designed for commercial, industrial, institutional, and retail use are sold under the CornellCookson brand.

Classified as a discontinued operation, Defense Electronics conducts its operations through Telephonics, founded in 1933, a globally recognized leading provider of highly sophisticated intelligence, surveillance and communications solutions for defense, aerospace and commercial customers.

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