Boston-based private equity firm Advent International Corp. has acquired a 25 percent stake in Joinville, Brazil-based Tigre Group with a strategic investment of $262 million (1.35 billion Brazilian reais) to manufacture infrastructure products for the United States and Brazil.
The U.S. is a key market for family-owned Tigre's civil construction and water treatment products, such as PVC plumbing elbows and drain, waste and vent fittings, especially after President Joe Biden signed a $1.2 trillion infrastructure package in November.
Brazil currently represents more than 60 percent of Tigre's net sales.
Founded in 1941, Tigre has a portfolio of 15,000 products manufactured at nine facilities in Brazil and 13 abroad, including three in the United States.
In 2021, Tigre acquired PVC pipe fitting maker Dura Plastic Products Inc., which has a manufacturing operation in Celina, Tenn., and headquarters site in Beaumont, Calif., as part of its international expansion strategy.
Dura injection molds piping components for the residential irrigation, drainage, plumbing, golf, pool and spa markets. It also has warehouses in eight states.
The deal with Advent marks the first time in Tigre's 80-year history that the company founded and controlled by the Hansen family will have a private equity firm as a partner.
Tigre will spend the proceeds on acquiring competitors, adding production lines and building new factories, Tigre Chairman Felipe Hansen, a third-generation member, told Reuters.
The news agency also reports CEO Otto von Sothen expects rising demand for pipe products from the universalization of water and waste services through 2033 as well as new irrigation projects.
Tigre and Advent officials will work together to expand the company's solutions for civil construction, infrastructure and irrigation and its technology to improve water use efficiency, according to a news release about the investment.
The release also says Advent will have the right to appoint two directors to Tigre's board.
"Tigre is a storied company, with a solid growth history, strong management team and clear and ambitious long-term business plan," Patrice Etlin, a managing partner at Advent, said in the release. "It is with great satisfaction that we join the Tigre team to support them in their growth and value creation projects."
For the nine months ended Sept. 30, 2021, Tigre Group had consolidated net revenue of $820,000 (4.2 billion reais) and net income of $98.7 million (508 million reais).