Dallas private equity firm Trinity Hunt Partners has acquired a majority stake in a suburban Chicago HVAC distributor and plans to make the business the “foundation” of its new HVAC distribution platform.
Blackhawk Supply, located in Hoffman Estates, Illinois, is a specialty distributor of heating, ventilation and air conditioning parts — with a focus on MRO products — as well as electrical supplies, plumbing parts and building automation systems. The company’s brands — Blackhawk Supply and Midwest Supply — serve contractors, facility operators and end users across the country.
Trinity Hunt officials said that the firm aims to create “a national leader in the highly fragmented HVAC distribution sector.” Terms of its investment were not disclosed.
"There is a tremendous opportunity to scale quickly in this industry, through both M&A and value creation initiatives that drive efficiency across the broader HVAC supply chain,” Trinity Hunt partner Garrett Greer said in a statement. “In partnering with Blackhawk, we believe we have solid groundwork to build upon in growing an industry-leading HVAC distribution platform."
Trinity Hunt also new executives to lead its platform: former American Equipment Supply CEO Troy Vellinga was named to the same role, while Jason Lewis, formerly the vice president of corporate development at TurnPoint Services, was named chief development officer. Both, officials said, have “deep experience in scaling businesses through strategic acquisitions.”
“We will build and operate a best-in-class distribution platform that delivers differentiated value for customers, suppliers and team members, and we have strong conviction in the growth opportunities ahead,” Vellinga said.
