Stamford, CT, July 2014 – TrueNorth Capital Partners LLC is pleased to announce that its wholly-owned subsidiary, TNCP, LLC acted as exclusive financial advisor to the Technibilt®/Cari-All® group part of Wanzl Metallwartenfabrik GmBH, the largest global shopping manufacturer in the world. Wanzl, based in Leipheim, Germany, continues to strengthen its position in the North American shopping cart market through a number of strategic acquisitions and management enhancements. In 2012 TNCP advised Wanzl in its acquisition of the Technibilt/Cari-All group and the group continues to expand its customer base and further enhance its North American market leadership position. The acquisition of The French Company® will enable Wanzl to provide all aspects of the shopping cart experience: OEM, remanufacturing and in-field service. Additionally, The French Company’s FacilityConnect® division will provide additional diversification into facility services. The newly acquired company will now be called French Company, LLC.

Scott Dahl, CEO of Wanzl North American companies, commented, “The French Company® is an ideal fit for our operations here in North America and we are very pleased to have completed the acquisition. Their high quality services and innovative products, along with their excellent management team, will allow us to provide more comprehensive and effective solutions for our customers, both now and in the future. We look forward to the future growth and success that can be achieved through the many synergies of both companies.”

Tim French, founder and CEO of The French Company®, stated, “We are happy to have Wanzl as our new owner. They have met the high criteria we set for a prospective buyer, including being a market leader, having a history of successful acquisitions, and maintaining a technology focus. Wanzl’s core values and innovative culture aligns very well with The French Company® and we think the future is extremely bright for French Company LLC, the FacilityConnect division, and the clients they serve.”

TrueNorth Managing Directors, Nick Chapman and Dean Miltimore acted as lead bankers for execution on this transaction and complemented the management teams from Wanzl, Technibilt and The French Company® for their hard work and dedication to getting this transaction completed. Dean Miltimore commented that, “…this transaction once again demonstrates the thoughtful, measured strategic steps the Technibilt/Wanzl group uses in approaching markets with its outstanding brand name.”

About TrueNorth Capital Partners LLC:

TrueNorth Capital Partners, LLC www.truenorthcp.com provides corporate advisory services on mergers and acquisitions and restructurings as well as provides valuations and fairness opinions primarily to middle market companies. Capitalizing on the vast international M&A and restructuring backgrounds of the founders, the firm provides sophisticated financial advice to middle market clients. TrueNorth’s professionals have built their careers and reputations serving this market and understanding its intricacies. Their skills have been evidenced in hundreds of assignments and they have completed those assignments while always remaining true to their core principles: unwavering commitment to our clients’ best interests and the highest standard of service. TrueNorth conducts its securities-related business through its wholly owned subsidiary TNCP, LLC, member FINRA/SIPC.

About Wanzl:

Wanzl, a 100 percent family owned company, is headquartered in Leipheim, Germany. Wanzl is the world’s largest manufacturer of shopping carts and other retail systems. Each year, millions of units, in a variety of models, are produced and sold. For decades, the company has continued to develop landmark products for comfortable shopping and selling that have set new standards world-wide. Today, Wanzl has over 4,400 employees in eleven production facilities – in Germany, England, France, the Czech Republic, China and North America. Branches and agencies ensure the company’s close proximity to customers, a goal Wanzl has strived to meet since its founding.

About Technibilt:

Technibilt is North America’s leading manufacturer of shopping carts, with more than 60 years of experience. Technibilt is committed to providing customers with the highest quality products and benchmark customer service. Technibilt joined the Wanzl family of companies in 2012 and is the world leader in shopping cart production, located in Newton, North Carolina.

About The French Company:

The French Company, in business over 40 years and based in Twinsburg, Ohio, provides progressive business solutions to regional as well as Fortune 100/500 companies across the nation. The French Company® provides customized maintenance, repair and cleaning service programs for rolling stock equipment, material handling equipment and shopping carts on a national level. The FacilityConnect® division provides unique facility solutions for retailers, restaurant chains, property management/development companies and other multi-facility organizations and their maintenance service providers, vendors and contractors. National field specialists provide customized facility assessments, site audits, site surveys, and asset tagging/tracking services. The intuitive eView® software application allows facility assessments/audits/surveys across multiple locations. eView® OnLine houses the data connected to pictures, with integrated sorting and report generation capabilities.

Any further inquiries can be directed to TrueNorth at the contact information provided below:

TrueNorth Capital Partners LLC
60 Long Ridge Road
Third Floor, Suite 307
Stamford, CT 06902
203.604.2007