Douglas Corporation (“Douglas”), a leading designer and manufacturer of product identification and user interface products for the automotive, truck, marine, agriculture and construction industries, has been acquired by Aludec USA, Inc., a newly formed subsidiary of Aludec, SA (“Aludec”), a Spanish designer and manufacturer of automotive exterior and interior decorative parts. The transaction enabled Aludec to establish a physical presence in North America, acquire new customer relationships, expand existing customer relationships, obtain Douglas’ proprietary paint-on-chrome capabilities, and market its aluminum and steel capabilities to Douglas’ customers and the NA market. All employees were retained in the transaction.
Founded in 1933 and headquartered in Minneapolis, MN, Douglas is a world-class designer and manufacturer of decorative brand and corporate identity products for markets like agriculture, automotive, construction, heavy truck, lawn & garden, marine, medical, and recreation. Products include OEM badges, emblems, and nameplates; polyurethane decals and domed urocals; membrane switches and graphic overlays; and decorative trim. Vertically integrated operations span design to testing and a range of value-added plastic injection molding and decorating processes in between. Douglas’ proprietary decorating processes include an unmatched breadth and depth of paint-on-chrome capabilities as well as the innovative use of pad printing technologies. www.douglascorp.com
Aludec was founded in Vigo, Spain as an auxiliary company in 1984 dedicated to the production of screen-printed elements. Today, the company is headquartered in Ponte Caldelas and engineers and produces automotive interior and exterior decorative parts meeting the highest industry demands and supplying the world’s car manufacturers. Product examples include badges, emblems, wheel covers, front grills, and sill plates. Customers include FCA (Fiat Chrysler Automobiles), Ford Motor Company, General Motors, Toyota and other OEMs and Tier Ones. The company employs approximately 700 people and operates 7 production plants.
Cascade Partners acted as the exclusive financial advisor to Douglas for this transaction.