Facilitating Growth Through Acquisition

Founded in 1932, Chase was previously owned by a smaller private equity firm. After completing several tuck-in acquisitions, the prior owner decided to sell Chase because it had achieved its investment objectives and Chase had grown to the point where it needed a deeper-pocketed partner. Sentinel was selected from a small group of potential buyers because of our proven record of growing businesses through acquisitions and the strong relationship formed with management during the sale process.

• To acquire a leading specialty industrial business that could serve as a platform to further consolidate a highly fragmented and underdeveloped industry
• To partner with Chase Doors’ talented and experienced management team, who coinvested meaningfully alongside Sentinel and continued to manage the business

Grew Through Acquisition: Under Sentinel’s ownership, Chase Doors made two add-on acquisitions that transformed the business into the clear market leader.

• In August 2011, Chase Doors acquired Chem-Pruf, the gold standard in corrosion-resistant doors, a segment in which Chase’s brands competed at the lower end of the market. After the acquisition, Chase consolidated its smaller corrosion-resistant door operations in Chem-Pruf’s Texas facility.
• In November 2012, Chase Doors acquired Eliason, the leading provider of impact traffic doors to the restaurant industry. Founded in 1952 and family-owned for more almost 50 years, Eliason had successfully built a dominant position in the restaurant door industry. This transformational acquisition united two complementary businesses and significantly increased the scale of Chase’s operations.

After almost four years, Sentinel and management had integrated two acquisitions, doubled revenue, tripled EBITDA, and achieved the growth objectives established at the outset. In 2014, Sentinel sold Chase Doors to another private equity firm in a successful transaction for Sentinel and its management partners.