AEP acquires group of aftermarket companies
Continuing its ongoing growth strategy of acquiring non–discretionary aftermarket suppliers in the Powersports Industry, AEP has acquired the C & E group of companies headquartered in Urbandale, Iowa.
The C & E group of companies is best known through its highly recognized brands: Hot Rods, Hot Cams, Cylinder Works, Pivot Works, Bearing Connections, Wrench Rabbit, Fuel Star and Vertex Pistons. C&E’s main product categories are pistons, crankshafts, camshafts, connecting rods, engine cylinders, fuel flow systems and suspension componentry for a wide variety of Powersports applications.
Curt Leaverton, CEO of C & E Group of Companies, stated: “The company will continue its focus and vision of being its customers ‘First Choice’ for critical, highly engineered performance parts for the powersports enthusiasts. The combination of C & E with AEP brings to our global customers accelerated new product development capabilities, a wider array of product offerings and the ability to further meet our distributor’s desire to have fewer, more capable suppliers.”
The entire management and operations team will stay with the combined organization and maintain its locations in Urbandale Iowa and Cadelbosco Sopra Italy.
“We are extremely excited to have Curt Leaverton, Loris Iotti and the entire worldwide team join our ever growing organization,” stated Jim Wisnoski, CEO of AEP Holding, Inc. “The combination of our two successful organizations will enable us to greatly accelerate our ability to further develop critical internal engine and drivetrain componentry for not only the powersports market places but our adjacent specialty vehicle markets that we serve.”
Before this transaction, AEP served the global powersports industry through its brands: All Balls Racing, Winderosa High Performance Gaskets and Arrowhead Powersports; additionally, AEP serves the golf, marine, agricultural, industrial, automotive and outdoor power equipment markets as a leading non-discretionary aftermarket parts supplier.
In September of 2015, AEP partnered with The Riverside Company, a global private equity firm, as part of its recapitalization to support its future growth plans.
