Bestop, Inc., a portfolio company of Kinderhook Industries, LLC, announced today the acquisition of Kamm Industries, Inc., a leading manufacturer of custom seats, harnesses, storage bags, and accessories for off-road vehicles (e.g., UTV, Jeep, Buggies, etc.). PRP Seats represents the fourth add-on acquisition for Bestop and Kinderhook’s 50th automotive related transaction. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
Based in Louisville, CO, Bestop is the world’s largest manufacturer of soft tops and fabric accessories for Jeep vehicles and the sole supplier of factory soft tops on all Jeep Wranglers since 1986.
Headquartered in Temecula, CA, PRP Seats has been a premier brand name in the off-road market for over 20 years. PRP Seats is best known as the seat-of-choice for UTV’s such as the Polaris RZR and Can-Am Maverick X3. The company also manufactures seats and accessory products for Jeeps, trucks and other off-road vehicles.
“PRP Seats is the premier name in off-road seating and we are thrilled to partner with them,” says John Larson, CEO of Bestop. “The addition of this brand to the Bestop family further positions us as the leading provider of top-of-the-line off-road driving accessories.”
The acquisition follows Bestop acquiring two other premium manufacturing brands in 2016: Baja Designs, widely recognized as “The Scientists of Lighting” for their ground-breaking LED light technologies that are “brighter, bolder, better”; and Tuffy Security Products, the leading manufacturer of heavy duty in-vehicle security boxes, cases and containers.
“Now is the right time to join forces with Bestop as we believe there is a huge opportunity to leverage each other’s strengths,” says PRP Seats Founder and CEO, Aaron Wedeking. “We wanted to align ourselves with a partner that values the premium performance, quality and innovation that PRP Seats is known for, and Bestop was clearly the right choice for that strategy.”
Tom Tuttle, Managing Director of Kinderhook Industries, stated, “We are excited about Bestop adding another premium brand name to its stable of branded products and that PRP Seats has decided to partner with the Bestop and Kinderhook family. We look forward to leveraging the Bestop platform to further accelerate PRP’s growth.”
Monroe Moxness Berg PA served as legal counsel to Bestop.
About Kinderhook Industries:
Kinderhook Industries, LLC is a private investment firm that manages over $2.0 billion of committed capital. We have made in excess of 150 investments and follow-on acquisitions since inception. Kinderhook’s investment philosophy is predicated on matching unique, growth-oriented investment opportunities with exceptional financial expertise and our proprietary network of operating partners. Our focus is on middle market businesses with defensible niche market positioning in the healthcare services, environmental / business services and automotive / light manufacturing sectors. We have a track record of successfully and consistently building industry leaders. In addition, Kinderhook is a licensed Small Business Investment Company (SBIC) with the U.S. Small Business Administration.
For more information, please visit: www.kinderhook.com
About Bestop:
Born in the outdoor haven of Boulder, Colorado, Bestop got its start in 1954 with custom Jeep tops sewn together in a small upholstery shop. From those bootstrap early days, Bestop has grown into the world’s largest manufacturer of soft tops and accessories for Jeep® vehicles, and the sole supplier of factory soft tops on all Jeep Wranglers for more than three decades. Now sixty-four years young, the company has maintained its commitment to providing the highest quality, innovation and durability to the consumer.
For more information, please visit: www.bestop.com
About PRP Seats:
Headquartered in Temecula, CA, PRP Seats has been a premier brand name in the off-road market for over 20 years. PRP Seats offers custom seats, harnesses, storage bags, and accessories for off-road vehicles (e.g., UTV, Jeep, Buggies, etc.) and is best known as the seat-of-choice for UTV’s such as the Polaris RZR and Can-Am Maverick X3.
