17 November 2014

William Blair and BDA advise on sale of Qualitor to Wellspring Capital Management

a portfolio company of

has been acquired by

2014

William Blair & Company, in conjunction with its strategic partner, Business Development Asia, acted as exclusive financial advisors to Qualitor, Inc., a portfolio company of HCI Equity Partners and Baird Capital, in connection with its sale to Wellspring Capital Management. The transaction closed on October 31, 2014.

Transaction Highlights
Deep sector knowledge: William Blair’s extensive knowledge of the automotive aftermarket sector and experience in marketing brand-focused automotive businesses was crucial in articulating Qualitor’s unique value proposition in the safety focused replacement aftermarket segment.
Global execution expertise: William Blair leveraged its global strategic and financial buyer relationships to clear the market, ensuring a successful sale with the most favorable price and terms.
Trusted guidance: William Blair’s senior deal team was integrally involved in each step of the transaction process and drove an optimized outcome for Qualitor and its investors.

About Qualitor
Qualitor is a leading global supplier of branded components to the large and growing automotive aftermarket. The Company sells two major categories of components: brake hardware and windshield wipers. Qualitor’s products are sold broadly through mass merchandisers, auto parts retailers, warehouse distributors, and new car dealerships. The Company markets and sells its products under some of the best known automotive aftermarket brands, including Michelin, DuPont, and Carlson. www.qualitorinc.com

About HCI Equity Partners
HCI Equity partners with management to invest in growth oriented industrial product and service companies in the lower middle market. www.hciequity.com

About Baird Capital
Baird Capital is a sector-focused venture capital, growth equity and private equity firm focused on businesses across the U.S., Europe and Asia. www.bairdcapital.com

About Wellspring Capital Management
Wellspring Capital Management is a middle-market private equity firm that has approximately $3 billion of private equity capital under management. The firm’s objective is to bring partnership, experience and value creation to each investment. www.wellspringcapital.com

About BDA
Business Development Asia LLC (“BDA”) is a leader in cross-border investment banking. BDA advises on M&A, capital raising, and restructuring. BDA has been consistently owned and managed by the same team since 1996. It has a track record of providing independent advice to blue-chip corporate and financial sponsor clients from North America, Europe and Asia. BDA was named Investment Banking Firm of the Year at the ACG Champion’s Awards in 2014. It is headquartered in New York with offices in London, Bahrain, Mumbai, Ho Chi Minh City, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Beijing, Seoul and Tokyo. BDA formed a partnership with William Blair & Company in 2011. BDA carries out its US securities business through BDA Advisors Inc., a broker-dealer registered with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and a member of FINRA and SIPC. BDA’s UK subsidiary is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). www.bdapartners.com

For more information regarding this transaction, please contact Euan Rellie in New York at +1 212-265-5300.