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Private Equity · Profile from Private Equity Research Companion

American Securities (1947 family office → private equity since 1994)

New York–based middle/upper-middle-market private equity firm with roots as the Rosenwald family office (heirs of Sears, Roebuck's Julius Rosenwald). Since converting to a third-party private equity model in 1994, it has focused on industrials, specialty chemicals and materials, building products, healthcare services and business services, supported by an in-house operating "Resources Group." Flagship American Securities Partners VIII closed at its $7.0bn hard cap in 2018. Its record spans big wins (Foundation Building Materials → Lowe's at ~$8.8bn; MPG → American Axle at ~$3.3bn) and high-profile failures (Air Methods' 2023 bankruptcy; regulatory overhang at prison-phone provider GTL/ViaPath).

8 deals and moves analysed

Each one gets a full strategy file in the companion: context, the decision, the financing, what happened, and the lesson.

  1. 2010

    Advanced Drainage Systems

    Secondary Investment and IPO

  2. 2010

    Arizona Chemical

    Secondary Buyout of a Pine-Chemicals Leader

  3. 2011

    Global Tel Link

    Prison Communications Buyout

  4. 2011

    Unifrax

    The "Buy It Back" Secondary Buyout

  5. 2012

    Metaldyne Performance Group

    Auto-Parts Platform Combination

  6. 2012

    Milacron

    Post-Bankruptcy Industrial Buyout and IPO

  7. 2017

    Air Methods

    Take-Private of an Air-Ambulance Operator

  8. 2021

    Foundation Building Materials

    Take-Private and Distribution Roll-Up