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FORT WORTH, TX - (BUSINESS WIRE)- November 15, 2023 - Operio Group, an emerging holding company building a global body of brands supplying and supporting the solid dose manufacturing industry, has today announced its acquisition of Elizabeth Carbide Die Co. Inc., Elizabeth HATA, and Scheu & Kniss, who are leading manufacturers of tablet tooling, tableting presses, turrets and press parts. This acquisition marks a pivotal moment in Operio Group’s endeavor to become the top provider of solutions for solid dose manufacturers.
“As I look at what Operio Group is quickly becoming, I am more confident than ever that we have the expertise in our group to be able to execute on our vision,” said Alastair Sanderson, CEO of Operio Group. “I feel that for the longest time, manufacturers have been underserved when taking on the challenges of solid dose formulations and production.”
With a legacy dating back to its founding in 1954, Elizabeth has been renowned for delivering powder compaction solutions with exceptional quality. “I'm delighted to announce the incorporation of three of our US plants into the Operio Group family,” said Kenneth Spiegel, President of the Elizabeth companies. “The integration with Operio represents a significant milestone and serves as a catalyst for growth and innovation.”
By joining Operio Group, the Elizabeth companies are poised to incorporate into their plants state-of-the-art manufacturing machinery. This shift towards advanced automation is a result of Elizabeth’s unwavering dedication to customer service, ensuring swift responses and faster deliveries. Elizabeth’s tablet press products will also complement Operio Group’s existing product offerings, ensuring comprehensive tableting solutions across various industries for solid dose manufacturers.
The recent acquisition, Operio Group’s third in 14 months, was facilitated by The DVS Group and Stone Pier Capital Advisors. “We enjoyed collaborating with the Operio Group team to run a process to find another key acquisition to continue the amazing acceleration of Operio Group’s growth,” said Kevin Lindsey, The DVS Group Managing Partner. Charlie Schliebs, a Stone Pier Capital Advisors Managing Director, said “Stone Pier, as sell-side advisors to Elizabeth, teamed up with the DVS Group to bring together two privately held companies with similar values, combining the three US-based units of Elizabeth with the unique and highly successful business model of Operio.”
Operio Group, with its growing portfolio of brands, is steadily establishing its position as the premier partner for solid dose manufacturers, exhibiting their commitment to innovation and excellence in the industry. “By bringing together experts in ingredients, machine spare parts and tooling we are now the only company in the world that is able to support our customers in a holistic way and truly be a partner rather than a vendor,” said Sanderson.
Advisors
The Kansas City-based investment bank, The DVS Group, acted as sole financial advisors to Operio Group, LLC, and Pittsburgh-based Stone Pier Capital Advisors acted as sole financial advisors to the Elizabeth companies. Operio was represented by a team led by Chad Barton of the Dallas Office of Holland & Knight LLP, and the Elizabeth companies were represented by a team led by Jim McLean and Joe McDonough of the Pittsburgh Office of Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney PC.
About Operio Group
Launched in 2022 and started from the seeds of LFA Machines and Vivion Inc., Operio Group was conceived from a simple idea: customers do not need machines or ingredients, they need solutions to make products. Operio has been set up to invest in companies that directly serve the food, beverage, nutraceutical and pharmaceutical manufacturing industries. Aiming to bring together multidisciplinary teams from different sections of the supply chain in the industries that it serves, Operio is able to not just provide products but support people through the consolidated knowledge of their brands. For more information, visit operiogroup.com.
About Elizabeth Carbide Die Co. Inc.
Founded in 1954, Elizabeth Carbide Die Co. Inc. specializes in the engineering and manufacturing of precision steel tooling products (punches and dies) used to compress powder materials into tableted compacts. The largest global market for punches and dies is pharmaceutical and nutritional tablets. Other significant markets include consumer
batteries, candy & confections, automotive airbags, nuclear fuels, and various chemical & catalytic materials. Elizabeth Carbide Die Co. Inc. is the parent operation to three (3) other domestic factories serving similar and diverse industries. For more information, visit eliz.com.
About Elizabeth-HATA
Founded in 1984, Elizabeth-HATA (E-HATA) specializes in sales and servicing rotary tablet presses used to produce tablets (pills) from various powdered materials. The wholly owned subsidiary was founded by collaboration with HATA Iron Works, Kyoto Japan, as exclusive sales and service agent for HATA tablet presses in the Americas and Europe. Later E-HATA expanded its product range by developing a range of economical tablet presses manufactured by its
joint venture company in Ahmedabad, India. For more information, visit eliz.com.
Sheu & Kniss
Scheu & Kniss offers more than 100 years of experience specializing in a wide range of replacement parts, turrets and rebuild-services for all major brands of rotary tablet presses. Scheu & Kniss excels in superior quality products, attractive pricing and fast delivery compared to OEMs and other after-market providers. For more information, visit eliz.com.
Contact
Whittney Hines
Operio Group
682-312-0034