Huron Capital’s Valentus Specialty Chemicals Platform Completes Fifth Acquisition

Huron Capital today said its ExecFactor platform, Valentus Specialty Chemicals, acquired St. Louis-based US Coatings, Inc. This represents the fifth acquisition for Valentus, which Huron Capital formed in partnership with CEO Ray Chlodney to pursue a buy-and-build investment strategy in the protective coatings sector.

Founded in 2000, US Coatings is a provider of high performance protective maintenance coatings for industrial, petrochemical, and oil and gas facility maintenance applications. The company was purchased in 2013 by Mike Reed, Don Thomas, and Larry LeSeure, who are now partnering with Valentus to leverage the infrastructure, technology and manufacturing capacity Valentus has assembled.

“We see this as mutually beneficial for all involved,” Reed said. “Valentus will have access to the US Coatings research and development lab to help with its new product development. US Coatings will also be able to expand distribution of our existing products with access to the Valentus network.”

“The company has expertise in formulating and technical service as well as a great customer base, which should help broaden Valentus’ product offerings and expand our geographic reach,” said Chlodney.

Mike Beauregard, Senior Partner at Huron Capital, added, “Valentus has now completed five acquisitions since December 2015, which is a credit to the resourcefulness of Ray, Operating Partner Bob Taylor, and the entire team. Valentus is a great example of Huron Capital’s ExecFactor buy-and-build model, where the firm aligns with a seasoned executive and develops a strategic market entry plan to identify and acquire a sustainable platform company. We plan to continue looking for opportunities to further expand the Valentus platform.”