In 1962, Victor Stanley began when two brothers, Stan and Jerry Skalka, started manufacturing innovative, high-quality furnishings in a rented garage. By the 1970s the company had innovated its product line to make outdoor receptacles and classic park benches, to great commercial success. Over decades, Stan and Jerry grew the company into the leading brand for products with the highest quality, innovation, and design in the site amenities space, with products in the USA, Canada, and more than 20 other countries.
Throughout the years, Victor Stanley invested methodically in design capabilities, manufacturing capacity, technology, and leadership to fuel the company’s growth. By 2015, the Skalka brothers had put non-owner executive leadership in charge of running the company.
The Skalkas recognized that Victor Stanley was ready for its next chapter, and the executive leadership in place was eager to continue growing the company to new levels. They recognized a need for an investment banking advisor who had the M&A experience and relationships with buyers to explore multiple strategic avenues. However, they also wanted a boutique advisor who could work closely with their executive team who lacked M&A experience.
The Skalkas interviewed several investment banks and chose SC&H Capital due to our ability to show a clear understanding of Victor Stanley’s strategic value across multiple potential buyer groups, combined with our unwavering commitment to achieving the sellers’ desired outcome of attractive valuation and cultural fit.
SC&H Capital worked intimately with the owners and the executive team to run an M&A process that yielded a wide range of competitive bids.
Ultimately, PlayCore, a private equity-backed manufacturer of commercial playgrounds and site amenities, was selected as the buyer for a variety of factors including cultural fit, an interest in Victor Stanley’s “smart waste” technology, and an appreciation for the globally recognized Victor Stanley brand.
