Cleveland, OH and Boston, MA – MPE Partners (“MPE” or “Morgenthaler Private Equity”) announced that Appearance Technology Group (“ATG”) has acquired RBL Products and Kwik Paint Products (“RBL Products” or “RBL”). ATG represents the new trademark of the Hi-Tech Industries and 3D Products companies that were acquired by MPE in 2022. RBL Products is a leading supplier of consumable protective plastics, masking films, and paint preparation products utilized by automotive original equipment manufacturers (“OEM”) and paint, body, and equipment (“PBE”) users across the United States and internationally.
MPE and ATG partnered in the transaction with RBL’s founder, Ron Lipson, and its management team. Nathan Iverson, CEO of Appearance Technology Group, said, “We are excited to welcome RBL into the Appearance Technology Group family of brands. As a fellow Detroit-area entrepreneur, I have long admired Ron and what he and his team have built at RBL.”
Ron Lipson, Founder and CEO of RBL, stated, “I am thrilled to partner with the ATG team to support RBL’s continued success through its next phase of growth. I am confident that ATG will serve as an exemplary steward for the RBL brand, its customers, and its employees.”
Rory MacLellan, Vice President at MPE, added, “The combination with RBL further bolsters ATG’s reach across OEM and PBE channels, while adding a highly complementary portfolio of proprietary branded products to ATG’s offering.”
Nathan Iverson further stated, “RBL represents ATG’s second add-on acquisition and reaffirms our commitment to creating the leading provider of branded, consumable vehicle detailing and reconditioning products across professional and do-it-yourself markets. We continue to seek opportunities to partner with leading operators and brands across the car care market to further this goal.”
About RBL Products
Headquartered in Detroit, MI, RBL Products is a leading supplier of consumable protective plastics, masking films, and paint preparation products utilized by automotive original equipment manufacturers and paint, body, and equipment users across North America and international markets. For more information, please visit www.RBLProducts.com.
About Appearance Technology Group
Headquartered in Farmington, MI, Appearance Technology Group is a leading provider of innovative car care accessories, appearance liquids, compounds & polishes, and specialty aerosols. With over 2,500 SKUs sold across ten highly recognized brands, ATG is the preeminent one-stop solution across vehicle detailing, reconditioning, paint, body, and equipment, and OEM markets. For more information, please visit www.AppearanceTG.com.
About MPE Partners
MPE Partners (“MPE” or “Morgenthaler Private Equity”) seeks to be the preferred partner for entrepreneur- and family-owned companies. Based in Cleveland, OH, and Boston, MA, MPE invests in profitable, lower middle market companies with transaction values up to $250 million. MPE has two primary target investment areas: high-value manufacturing and commercial & industrial services. For more information, please visit www.mpepartners.com.