One Equity Partners, a middle market private equity firm, announced that its portfolio company, The W.W. Williams Company, LLC has completed the acquisition of Auto Safety House, LLC (ASH), one of the largest vehicle maintenance service and parts provider for trucks, pre-owned and new buses, and other vehicles in the Southwestern U.S. and is the Thomas Built Bus distributor for the State of Arizona.
The company will operate as a brand under the ownership of W.W. Williams, a provider of mechanical repair services and products for commercial trucks, diesel power generators, warehousing, inventory management and logistics services. Financial terms were not disclosed.
Founded in 1941, ASH is one of the largest providers of parts and customized installation services in Arizona. The Phoenix-headquartered Company’s three facilities provide customized “Total Fleet Solutions” for bus and truck equipment service to the majority of Ford, GM, and RAM vehicle dealerships in the region. ASH, which serviced more than 2,500 customers in 2016, also offers mobile services, and serves as a distributor to nearly 30 equipment manufacturers specializing in high-end truck body, parts and equipment that include the Knapheide and Reading brands.
“ASH provided an excellent opportunity to expand W.W. Williams’ relationships with key OEMs in the Southwest, add expertise in retail parts, and bring traditionally outsourced fleet maintenance and repair work in-house,” said Matt Hughes, Director at One Equity Partners. “The complementary offerings make this a perfect addition.”
“ASH and W.W. Williams share many qualities, including culture, a dedication to highly professional service, and strong relationships with our customers,” said John Simmons, Chief Executive Officer of W.W. Williams. “This transaction significantly expands our market share, geographic presence, sales volume, end-to-end specialty service maintenance and repair offerings; and it enhances our ‘bumper to bumper’ customer relationships.”
One Equity Partners acquired a majority equity interest in W.W. Williams in August of last year, investing alongside the Williams family and company’s management team. The investment positioned W.W. Williams to further strengthen its rapidly growing sales and service network, grow its fleet maintenance operations, enhance technical capabilities and reinforce customer service support in existing territories.
“We believe joining W.W. Williams will further enhance our core competencies, including service offerings, sourcing capabilities, and together creates an opportunity to expand the Company’s up-fitting capabilities on a regional and national basis” said Mike Iben, CEO of ASH, who will continue to manage ASH and assume additional responsibilities at the company.
