Blue Wolf Acquires Majority Stake in Leading International Knife Manufacturer with Over 100 Years of Experience
NEW YORK – Blue Wolf Capital Partners LLC (“Blue Wolf”), the New York‐based private equity firm, today announced that an affiliate of Blue Wolf Capital Fund IV, L.P. has acquired a majority stake in TGW (Holdings) Limited (“TGW”), a leading international industrial knife manufacturer.
TGW, which was founded in Sheffield, England in 1908, delivers expert European craftsmanship to OEMs across industries and is widely‐recognized as a global leader within the knife manufacturing field. In 1993, the company established TGW International to expand its business to North American markets. In 2011 TGW opened its manufacturing facility in Indore, India. Today, TGW employs 160 people globally and has offices in Sheffield; Wilder, Kentucky; Chicago, Illinois; and India.
CEO and Chairman Richard Wolstenholme and President Jeff Litmer – who have both helped TGW grow into the successful international business they are now – will transition oversight to TGW’s existing management team, which isled by Steve Corbett in the U.K. and Tim White in the United States.
“Few companies have accomplished more and created a stronger brand within the industrial knives manufacturing space than TGW,” said Michael Ranson, Partner at Blue Wolf. “We are thrilled to welcome TGW into the Blue Wolf family and look forward to working with the team to build on the company’s legacy and continue to grow the business.”
“TGW is excited to embark on this next chapter in our long, storied history and think Blue Wolf will be a great partner in this,” said Steve Corbett, COO of TGW. “We are fortunate enough to have many growth opportunities in our future, and Blue Wolf shares our vision of continuing to grow and evolve as a company. With this new partnership we will continue investing in new products and providing excellent service to our valued customers.”
“Through its exceptional leadership team and dedicated employees, TGW has fostered a culture of knowledge leadership and superior quality, along with a strong track record of results,” said Rick Tattersfield, Operating Partner at Blue Wolf. “The team has developed an extensive network of loyal customers and vendors, with best‐in‐class manufacturing and customer experience, and we are confident that even more success can be realized in the years to come.”
About Blue Wolf Capital Partners
Blue Wolf Capital Partners LLC is a private equity firm that specializes in control investments in middle market companies. Leading by experience, and with a commitment to excellence, Blue Wolf transforms companies strategically, operationally and collaboratively. Blue Wolf manages challenging situations and complex relationships between business, customers, employees, unions, and regulators to build value for stakeholders.
About TGW
TGW has built a quality and service tradition in the industrial machine knife industry, with a legacy that has existed for over 100 years. We boast a unique array of dedicated machines and manufacturing cells to meet the consistent demand of our dynamic customers’ needs with quick turnaround. Our products are carefully crafted under strict quality control using OEM specifications. Most of our knives are available in stock, with high quality materials selected to prolong the life and performance of the product. Our vast inventory allows for same‐day shipping on a large variety of standard knives and products.