According to a report from the Wall Street Journal (WSJ), Caliber Collision Centers and its 157 stores have been put up for sale. Interested buyers include private-equity firms such as Berkshire Partners LLC and Blackstone Group LP.
WSJ said the sales process was almost over and new owners could be announced soon.
Caliber was acquired by Onex Corp. in 2008 for $170 million and is likely to sell now for more than $500 million. Its most recent shop acquisition was nine Global Collision locations in Denver, Colo.
At a Sherwin-Williams A-Plus Vison Group event last December, Rex Green of BB&T Capital characterized the collision industry as a “star perfomer” in the investment world over the
last few years, opening the eyes of Wall Street and large equity
groups. A couple reasons for that, he said, was an increase in miles
driven and new cars sold. He also called the broader automotive aftermarket an “absolute winner”
from an investor standpoint over the last 10 years.
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