Consumer Products & Services

Morgan Keegan’s Consumer Products & Services team has a proven track record across the diverse spectrum of the consumer industry, including home furnishings, retail and farm-to-plate food industry experience. Our bankers have deep market knowledge and maintain a continuous dialogue with numerous consumer companies and relevant private equity sponsors.

Case Studies

W.M. Barr

W.M. Barr & Company, Inc. completed the acquisitions of Jasco and Bix from Homax, a portfolio company of Olympus Partners; Trask Research from its founding shareholder; and Goof Off from Valspar Corporation.

Jasco and Bix are branded paint removers and surface preparation products. The acquisition gives W.M. Barr 60% market share in the remover/stripper category and a stronger presence on the West Coast. Trask Research provides superior mold control products to consumers and the mold remediation market and is a leader in the online market that it serves. The Goof Off brand family of products includes a wide assortment of removers, cleaners and specialty products for use in homes, workshops and garages.

Memphis, Tenn.-based W.M. Barr & Company, Inc. is a market leader in heavy-duty cleaning, home improvement and automotive refinishing products. The company sells its products through various home center, hardware and discount stores in the United States and has a track record of successfully acquiring and integrating branded products with its superior marketing and distribution capabilities.

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Houston Harvest

Houston Harvest, Inc., an affiliate of Blackstreet Capital Partners, LP, was acquired by Signature Brands, LLC. Signature Brands, LLC is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Hero AG, based in Lenzburg, Switzerland. The transaction closed on August 22, 2008. Morgan Keegan acted as exclusive financial advisor to Houston Harvest and Blackstreet Capital Partners, LP.

Headquartered in Franklin Park, Ill., Houston Harvest is a leading designer, manufacturer, and distributor of filled popcorn tins and is the only vertically-integrated provider of popcorn tins in the United States. From its 489,000-square foot manufacturing and warehouse facility, the company operates the world’s largest popcorn poppers in addition to five popcorn tin production lines. The company’s product themes include seasonal designs as well as licensed company logos, professional sports teams and a variety of games and toys. Houston Harvest sells its products primarily through mass retail and retail drug channels, including many of the nation’s top retail chains.

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PetFirst Healthcare

PetFirst Healthcare, LLC completed a capital raise to support the company’s growth initiatives. Founded in 2004 and headquartered in Jeffersonville, Ind., PetFirst Healthcare currently offers pet insurance in all 50 states. PetFirst, an innovative leader in pet insurance, offers easy-to-understand lifelong coverage for dogs and cats. PetFirst’s comprehensive coverage, including routine care, is unique in the industry, providing simplified coverage with no per-diagnosis limits and premiums unaffected by age, breed or location. The Family Plan from PetFirst allows owners to insure multiple pets under one policy for a fraction of the cost. PetFirst provides reliable customer service and prompt claims reimbursement to complement its healthcare offering.

“PetFirst was in need of growth capital to fuel its customer acquisition engine and bring its call center operation in-house. The goal was to secure investors that could add value beyond the required capital while allowing the employee-owned and operated business to maintain a majority interest in the company. Morgan Keegan clearly understood PetFirst’s needs and was creative in targeting potential investors in the sweet-spot between VCs and institutional investors – and ultimately executed a successful private placement. Bottom-line: Morgan Keegan delivered exactly what PetFirst wanted.” – Steve Herman, President of PetFirst

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Representative Transactions

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