Lexmark Carpet Mills

Dec 28, 2018

Capital Completes the Sale of Lexmark Carpet Mills to Tarkett MIAMI – October 1, 2018 – H.I.G. Capital (“H.I.G.”), a leading global private equity investment firm with over $27 billion of equity capital under management, is pleased to announce the closing of the sale of Lexmark Carpet Mills, Inc. (“Lexmark” or the “Company”) to Tarkett S.A. (“Tarkett”), a global leader in flooring and sports surfaces solutions. Founded in 1993 and headquartered in Dalton, GA, Lexmark is a leading producer of broadloom carpet primarily for the hospitality market. Lexmark’s vertically-integrated manufacturing capabilities and state-of-the-art equipment provide numerous competitive advantages, including superior product quality, enhanced customization, and industry leading turnaround times. Lexmark’s proven reputation for service, quality, and flexibility has differentiated the Company as the largest independent operator in the hospitality segment. recapitalized the Company in September 2013 and subsequently completed the strategic add-on acquisition of Northwest Carpets in June 2015. Since then, the Company has made significant investments in management, sales & marketing, design, and manufacturing capabilities and capacity. Paul Cleary, CEO of Lexmark, said “H.I.G. has been a great partner to grow with, as we’ve nearly doubled in size since its investment in 2013. We are now very excited to join Tarkett, with whom we share the same vision and entrepreneurial values, as well as a strong commitment to customer experience. Within the Tarkett group, we will be able to offer a larger choice of products to our customers and partners and provide an even stronger offering.” Richard Stokes, Managing Director of H.I.G., said “We are thrilled to have partnered with such a collaborative and successful management team which did an outstanding job executing on multiple strategic initiatives to enhance Lexmark’s go-to-market strategy and transform the business. The Company generated impressive revenue and EBITDA growth, which resulted in a great outcome for management, H.I.G. and its investors. Looking ahead, partnering with a global leader like Tarkett should be highly beneficial for Lexmark’s customers, employees, and everyone involved. We look forward to the Company’s continued success.” About Lexmark Carpet Mills, Inc. Founded in 1993 and headquartered in Dalton, GA, Lexmark is a leading producer of broadloom carpet primarily for the hospitality market. The Company has a national sales footprint servicing a diversified base of over 5,000 customers, including long-term relationships with prominent hotel flag brands. Lexmark’s vertically-integrated manufacturing capabilities and state-of-the-art equipment provide numerous competitive advantages, including superior product quality, enhanced customization, and industry leading turnaround times. Lexmark’s proven reputation for service, quality, and flexibility has differentiated the Company as the largest independent operator in the hospitality segment. For more information, please visit www.lexmarkcarpet.com . About H.I.G. is a leading global private equity and alternative assets investment firm with over $27 billion of equity capital under management. * Based in Miami, and with offices in New York, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Atlanta in the U.S., as well as international affiliate offices in London, Hamburg, Madrid, Milan, Paris, Bogotá, Mexico City, Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo, H.I.G. specializes in providing both debt and equity capital to small and mid-sized companies, utilizing a flexible and operationally focused / value-added approach: H.I.G.’s equity funds invest in management buyouts, recapitalizations and corporate carve-outs of both profitable as well as underperforming manufacturing and service businesses. H.I.G.’s debt funds invest in senior, unitranche and junior debt financing to companies across the size spectrum, both on a primary (direct origination) basis, as well as in the secondary markets. is also a leading CLO manager, through its WhiteHorse family of vehicles, and manages a publicly traded BDC, WhiteHorse Finance. H.I.G.’s real estate funds invest in value-added properties, which can benefit from improved asset management practices. Since its founding in 1993, H.I.G. has invested in and managed more than 300 companies worldwide. The firm's current portfolio includes more than 100 companies with combined sales in excess of $30 billion. For more information, please refer to the H.I.G. website at www.higcapital.com . * Based on total capital commitments managed by H.I.G. Capital and affiliates.