Benchmark International facilitated the sale of Morgan Wood Products Inc. to the EP Group

Morgan Wood Products, Inc. is a leading broker of pallets based in Columbus, Ohio, serving 41 states and provinces. The COVID crisis fundamentally altered the pallet industry, and Morgan Wood was well-positioned to expand its operations due to the market shift. By 2022 the company had reached the stage where its owner and founder, Luke Reinstetle, saw the benefit of bringing in outside capital and resources to keep its growth moving ahead.

Given its long-term focus on investing, Morgan Woods’ economic resiliency and competitive advantages were highly attractive to the EP Group. With the founder seeking to stay on and continue to run the business for the foreseeable future, EP Group provided the ideal value addition he was seeking.

Benchmark International ran an exhaustive process, reaching out to over 560 potential acquirers. EP Group quickly stood out as an experienced, highly-motivated, founder-focused potential acquirer that would fit well with Benchmark’s client. “The market response was very interesting here. We had a client who successfully navigated the pandemic and post-pandemic turbulence in the logistics markets to grow and strengthen his company. While many potential acquirers attempted to exploit the recency of the company’s resulting growth, the EP Group took the time to dig in and understand the permanency of those changes before taking a position,” said Chirag Patel, the Benchmark Senior Associate who oversaw the bidding process.

 

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“My thanks to the Benchmark International team. The process was far more complex than I ever thought it could be. They were right there every step of the way, not only handling the issues but also walking me through the key points so that I could make the best decision for my employees, family, and customers,” said Luke Reinstetle, founder and CEO of Morgan Wood.

The transaction represents Benchmark International’s fiftieth closing for a US-based client this year. “This was a very rewarding experience for our team. Buyers were so complimentary of Luke and his business across the board. We ended up with a very professional buyer that led to one of the smoothest and lowest-stress closings I can remember. Luke has secured a great partner and future for himself, his company, and his broader community,” offered Michael MacInnes, Benchmark International’s Director on the transaction.

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