NEWS & UPDATES
CHICAGO, IL/ San Antonio, TX (February 2008) Houlihan Smith & Company, Inc. acted as exclusive buy-side advisor for The Shade Group Inc. ("TSG") in its acquisition of TRICO-USA, Inc. (TRICO)., as announced by Charles Botchway, Group Managing Director and Vice Chairman of Houlihan. The transaction was led by Houlihan Managing Director Sylvester Gbewonyo. Terms of the deal were not released.
TSG designs and builds cable-tensioned outdoor shade canopies for protection from the sun, heat, hail, snow and rain. The Company's canopy shade structures protect aircraft, automobiles, RVs, buses, boats, materials, and animals throughout the Sun Belt, the Hail Belt, the Deep South and Southern California.
This acquisition of TRICO, coupled with the earlier asset purchase of BPI International, is a major milestone in the creation of a national shade structure company. The company expects to add several complementary companies to their base over the next two years to achieve further operating, marketing, and distribution efficiencies.
TRICO designs, manufactures, and sells quality shade structures and hail protection structures. Their unique carports, canopies, awnings, sun gazebos and shade sails represent the highest quality available. They provide protection from sun and hail damage. TRICO was founded by a group of three independent shade providers with combined experience of more than 26 years. The group has grown to be a leading designer and manufacturer of mid-sized fabric tension membrane structures. Incorporated in Texas under the name of TRICO USA Inc, they chose the brand name Velarium to represent the finest shade solutions on the market.
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