(January 23, 2006) ─ Rockwood Equity Partners, a private equity investment firm based in New York and Cleveland, is pleased to announce the formation of Artistic Holdings, Inc. (AHI), a company focused on consolidating the fragmented staircase and railing industry. AHI was formed through the recapitalization of Artistic Stairs of Calgary, which then was combined with Rockwood’s existing portfolio company, Staircase & Millwork Company (SMC), of Atlanta.
Rockwood partnered with SMC’s senior management team, Eric Trope and Joseph “JW” Williams, along with Long Point Capital, to complete the acquisition. Rockwood initially recapitalized SMC in December 2004, and in partnership with management has pursued opportunities to grow the company through add-on acquisitions. Rockwood sourced the Artistic acquisition, negotiated exclusivity with the retiring owner/operator, formed AHI and brought in Long Point ─ a private equity firm with an expertise in building products transactions ─ to partner in the financing of AHI. With offices in six key markets and revenues of approximately $50 million, AHI is now North America’s largest turnkey provider of staircase and railing solutions to large and custom homebuilders.
“We are excited to continue our partnership with Eric and JW, and delighted to have selected Long Point Capital as our partner in the transaction,” said Brett R. Keith, Principal of Rockwood. “Since our recapitalization of SMC in December 2004, Eric and JW have delivered on everything we had expected and more. They have now spent nearly five years in the staircase industry, and we believe their leadership will be even more consequential running what is now a much larger organization. Long Point also brings an unmatched degree of expertise in the building products industry, and for that reason, we selected the firm as our partner. The homebuilder market continues to consolidate, and these homebuilders are rationalizing their supply chain at a rapid pace. As the largest direct-to-builder stair and railing company in North America, AHI delivers its customers a level of service and sophistication that is unparalleled.”
JW Williams, President of SMC, said, “Eric and I have enjoyed the working relationship with Rockwood, and are delighted that Rockwood was able to source an acquisition of the size and quality of Artistic. We look forward to continuing the working relationship with Rockwood as we continue to consolidate our industry niche through AHI.”