California-based metal supplier Reliance Steel & Aluminum is acquiring Merfish United, a master distributor of tubular building products, from middle-market private equity firm, One Equity Partners.
The deal is scheduled to close over the next 60 days, upon receipt of approvals and after typical closing conditions are met. Merfish’s current workforce is expected to be retained after closing. The transaction terms were not revealed.
Through this deal, Merfish will help place Reliance in related, industrial distribution markets with plans to grow further through additional acquisitions.
This acquisition will substantially boost Reliance’s capabilities for copper and plastic products. This contract also adds to Reliance’s plan to purchase growing companies along with efforts to expand beyond traditional metals service centers to related businesses.
Merfish is based in Ipswich, Massachusetts, and supplies to 47 US states with twelve distribution centers. The supplier has a large presence in domestic steel pipe, globally sourced steel pipe, copper tubing, plastic pipe, electrical conduit, and related products to independent wholesale distributor customers.
The distributor works within the steel service center, electrical supply, plumbing, as well as pipe, valve, and fittings markets. For the 12-month period that ended Jun 30, 2021, Merfish reached net sales of about $500mn.