Great opportunities begin with great partnerships

Our Approach

We see value where others don't

A business is far more than its financial statements. It is people with families and futures and, so often, untapped potential. As the investment arm of multi-billion dollar global manufacturing and engineering consulting firm Barry-Wehmiller, BW Forsyth Partners blends Barry-Wehmiller’s unparalleled legacy of value creation and people-centric culture development with keen private equity investing experience to help companies realize their true potential.

Since 2009 we have completed 40 acquisitions and currently operate four companies in the capital and component equipment and insurance services sectors. In each business, we deployed operational improvements and strategy development without compromising the autonomy, strategic vision and entrepreneurial spirit of their leadership teams. With every company we acquire, our goal is to buy, build and keep on building, alongside the talented people who make the business possible. Because companies don’t create value; people do.

We are patient investors who are deeply committed to long-term value creation, the implementation of sustainable business strategies, and continued investment in and development of people and culture.  Our goal is to successfully operate our companies indefinitely.

Our balance of private equity investing experience and the deep operational expertise and people-centric culture provided by Barry-Wehmiller uniquely positions us to help our companies and team members to thrive.

We take an active, hands-on approach to partnering with our companies, acting as a resource to the leadership teams in the development and implementation of their strategies for growth, value creation and the development of a sustainable, people-centric business model.

Our long-term orientation and prudent use of leverage enable us to maintain operational flexibility for our companies throughout the economic cycle. We are free from the traps of short-term decision making and financial engineering to drive returns.

We are trying to put the ‘humanity’ back in investing and prove that we can build companies that sustain decades and represent a source of pride and fulfillment for the people that work in them.

Kyle Chapman, President, Barry-Wehmiller

Our Team

We're passionate about creating lasting positive impact

When you partner with us, you’ll get our investment acumen and Barry-Wehmiller’s deep expertise in building sustainable, people-centric businesses. Plus you’ll feel our trademark culture of caring, collaboration and continuous improvement.

We wanted to transition ownership to someone who would build on the legacy that we’ve created and maintain an unparalleled focus on the Eberl employees along with our adjusters and clients. We are really excited to partner with the Engle Martin and BW Forsyth Partners teams.

Kirk Eberl, Eberl Founder

Our Focus

We target sectors where we know we can add value

Not every deal is the right fit for us. But when we see that our know-how and experience can help companies and their people thrive, we can’t wait to get started.

Within our target industries, we look for partnership opportunities that allow us to leverage the collective resources of our investment professionals, as well as the Barry-Wehmiller team, to create long-term value in our companies. In addition to key, company-specific initiatives, we focus on:

  • Development and implementation of sound business strategies
  • Focus on people-centric leadership initiatives
  • Operational improvements
  • Aggressive yet disciplined acquisition growth.

  • Capital Equipment

    Our capital equipment companies, Machine Solutions (MSI) and Afinitas benefit from Barry- Wehmiller’s vast knowledge and experience gained in our sole capital provider’s 130+ year history of designing, manufacturing, and delivering highly engineered equipment around the globe. 

    We are always on the lookout for add-on acquisitions for MSI and Afinitas, as well as new platforms, with a specific interest in companies that manufacture:

    • Food Processing Equipment
    • Water Treatment Equipment
    • Life Science Consumables
    • Flow Control Equipment
    • Air Purification Equipment
    • This list is non exhaustive**

  • Highly Engineered Components

    We get to see firsthand how mission-critical component manufacturers are driving innovation through the lens of our platform companies. Our vision is to leverage generations of manufacturing expertise with our unique operational playbook to assemble a world-class components platform. We continue to seek new platform opportunities that manufacture highly engineered components for medical and industrial products.

  • Professional Services

    Cor Partners (Cor), our insurance services company has more than 12x’d in revenue under the stewardship we provided in partnership with the leadership team. We understand the complexities business owners face when choosing their vendors and we aim to provide the same level of service we expect when choosing our service providers.

    As we continue to build Cor through add-on acquisitions, we’re also focused on building new professional services platforms, with a specific focus on companies that focus on:

    • Civil/Structural Engineering Services
    • Lab Testing Services
    • Dispute Resolution Services
    • This list is non exhaustive**

Investment Criteria

Financial

  • Revenue: up to $250M
  • EBITDA: between $1-20M (no minimum for add-ons)
  • Enterprise value: up to $200M

Geography

  • North America
  • Europe

Transaction Types

  • Founder and family-owned businesses in transition
  • Management buyouts
  • Corporate divestiture / carve-outs
  • Public to private
  • Distressed or turnaround situations
Joining the Forsyth Team continues to prove itself the right decision. Whether we have looked for support in our sales expansion, supply chain reviews, continuous improvement goals, or operations; Forsyth has brought shared ideas and synergies to the table.

Sean Hargett, President & Former Owner

Our Operating Companies

We win only when they win

Our truest measure of success is the fulfillment of the team members inside these businesses.  And that comes from being part of a vibrant business where they feel valued and cared for.  We encourage you to ask them about us - we're proud of what we've accomplished together!

BW Forsyth Partners is showing that a more humanistic and holistic approach can generate returns equal to or even greater than those produced by traditional private equity, without using excessive leverage, market timing, mass layoffs, and other typical financial buyer tactics. It is an approach of building value, not extracting it.

Bob Chapman, Barry-Wehmiller Chairman and CEO

Our Parent Company

Creating value is in our DNA

For more than 30 years, Barry-Wehmiller has tested, refined and improved its successful value creation and culture transformation process on every one of more than 115 businesses they’ve acquired. During that time frame, the company grew from a $20 million business into the diverse $3+ billion global leader it is today. Along the way they figured out the keys to long-term value creation: meaningful work, caring cultures, and the chance to collaborate to achieve something great.

Barry-Wehmiller At-A-Glance

  • Global supplier of manufacturing technology and engineering consulting for the packaging, corrugating, sheeting, and paper-converting industries, with a private investment arm targeting the capital and component equipment and insurance services sectors
    • 12,000+ team members
    • 100+ locations worldwide
    • 28 countries
  • Founded in 1885 in St. Louis, MO
  • Bob Chapman, CEO
  • People-centric culture empowers team members
  • A rich blend of the legacies and capabilities of more than 115 companies
  • Guiding Principle: We measure success by the way we touch the lives of people.
  • 16% compound revenue growth since 1987
I truly enjoy sharing the Barry-Wehmiller story with business owners who are seeking an ownership transition and working with them to develop a shared vision for the future of their people and organization, should they choose to become part of our amazing company.

Casey Sears, Director of Corporate Development

News

BW Forsyth Partners makes strategic minority investment in WalkerHughes Group

Sep 19, 2023, 01:26 by Jennifer Fishering
Growth capital infusion provides opportunity to partner with high-growth, technology-enabled retail insurance brokerage

ST. LOUIS — Sept. 18, 2023 — BW Forsyth Partners LLC, an investment firm with a perpetual, long-term investment horizon and evergreen capital base, has announced a strategic investment in WalkerHughes Group LLC.

Founded in 2008, WalkerHughes is a privately held, founder-led retail insurance brokerage business headquartered in Indianapolis. The company provides commercial lines, personal lines and employee benefits services, with integrated operations and a leading proprietary technology system. WalkerHughes has grown organically and through 25-plus acquisitions of culturally aligned retail agencies in the Midwest.

As part of its strategy to build great businesses through people, BW Forsyth Partners will work with WalkerHughes CEO Ben Schoettmer and his team to grow WalkerHughes into a $1 billion people-centric insurance agency. With the transaction, BW Forsyth Partners has committed significant capital to fund future acquisitions, organic growth initiatives and strong cultural programs, with the goal of further empowering employees, policyholders and communities served by WalkerHughes. All employees of WalkerHughes will continue to operate from their current locations under the leadership of Schoettmer and the company’s current executive team. BW Forsyth Partners will join the WalkerHughes board of directors.

Drew Frailey, Partner at BW Forsyth Partners, said: “Our investment in WalkerHughes is aligned with our differentiated approach to business building through a long-term, people-centric partnership, which we believe creates value for all stakeholders. WalkerHughes brings unique technology to retail insurance, has a great culture and is poised for long-term growth. This investment represents our belief in WalkerHughes’ distinctive approach to serving the insurance distribution market. We are thrilled to begin building a leading people-centric insurance distribution agency with Ben and his team.”

“We are changing the story of insurance through utilization and development of technology, and by putting people and our communities first at WalkerHughes,” said Schoettmer. “BW Forsyth Partners’ people-centric approach, community focus, long-term vision and deep expertise in the insurance market make it an ideal partner to support our growth. We are excited to have BW Forsyth Partners become part of the WalkerHughes story and legacy as we continue expanding our capabilities and geographic footprint.”

Piper Sandler & Co. served as the exclusive financial advisor to WalkerHughes on this transaction, and Barnes & Thornburg LLP served as legal counsel. Thompson Coburn LLP served as legal counsel to BW Forsyth Partners.

 

For more information, visit walkerhughes.com. 


 

Forsyth’s approach truly resonated with the AMS team, given its long-term investment orientation, deep operational expertise and dedicated focus on building businesses both organically and through acquisitions.

Steve Metcalf, AMS SPECTRAL UV President

Connect With Us