Bertram Capital buys serial acquirer MCE after 27 deals under Frontenac
What's the deal? Bertram CapitalDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → has acquired Motion & Control Enterprises (MCE)Dealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, an engineered solutions distributor of flow control, motion systems, and rotating equipment, from Chicago private equity firm FrontenacDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →. Terms were not disclosed. It marks Bertram's seventh platform investment in Fund V.
Who is MCE? Headquartered in Zelienople, Pennsylvania, MCE serves more than 25,000 customers from 50 locations across the US, pairing roughly 850 supplier partners with application engineering, vendor-managed inventory, and repair services. Chief executive officer Charley Hale and the existing leadership team remain in place and retain a stake in the company.
Why now? Frontenac formed MCE in 2018 by acquiring RitterTech, then built it through 27 acquisitions. The 2026 run alone added hydraulic repair, electric-motor service, and pump distribution, extending a consolidation push that ran through 2024.
What's the endgame? Bertram, which has raised over $4.0 billion since 2006, says it will scale MCE organically and through more acquisitions, backed by in-house technology team Bertram LabsDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →.
"We have known Charley for many years and are excited to be partnering with him and the MCE team to scale the business, both organically and through acquisitions," said Kevin Yamashita, managing partner at Bertram Capital.
The signal: Industrial distribution remains a fertile ground for private-equity consolidation, with buy-and-build platforms changing hands between sponsors. The deal hands an established consolidator fresh capital for its next phase — though, absent disclosed terms, its scale stays unclear.
Read more: prnewswire.com
Image credit: Motion & Control Enterprises
