Whitney Bros. Co. LLC (“Whitney Brothers”) announced that it has been acquired by Empowered Ventures. Whitney Brothers is a manufacturer of high-quality wood furniture and educational products for early learning environments. This transaction is the successful culmination of an initiative led by Peloton Advisory LLC.
Headquartered in Keene, NH and founded in 1904, Whitney Brothers (www.whitneybros.com) is an industry leader in the design and manufacturer of high quality wood furniture for early learning and the institutional child care market. Its sustainably manufactured products are available through educational distributors, dealers, and retailers that sell to schools, childcare centers, Head Start facilities, churches, libraries, and museums in North America and throughout the world. Whitney Brothers has 52 employees, with President Mike Jablonski leading the business since 2015.
“I am thrilled to welcome the entire Whitney Brothers team to Empowered Ventures,” said Empowered Ventures President & CEO, Chris Fredericks. “As an employee-owned holding company, we help business owners by providing a relatively easy buyout process that results in the employees joining our diversified ESOP. We are incredibly grateful to Mike for entrusting us with Whitney Brothers’ future and are excited to partner with him and his team going forward.”
“I am incredibly proud of what my team has accomplished, and so the decision to sell the business was easy,” shared Mike. “In Empowered Ventures, we found a partner that deeply values both our employees and Whitney Brothers’ rich 120-year history. Their commitment to honoring our legacy while investing in our people gives me great confidence in the future of the company. I am looking forward to leading the company into the future and working with the Empowered Ventures team to bring Whitney Brothers to the new heights.”
Joining Empowered Ventures reinforces Whitney Brothers’ commitment to quality and innovation. With the acquisition, Whitney Brothers’ employees join the Empowered Ventures ESOP, which owns 100% of Empowered Ventures and its operating companies. Empowered Ventures brings strategic assistance and resources to support Whitney Brothers’ continued growth and success.
Empowered Ventures (www.empowered.ventures) is an employee-owned holding company based in Carmel, IN. Empowered Ventures helps business owners with succession planning by providing a long-term home for great companies and employees. Empowered Ventures is not a fund, has no outside investors and uses its own capital to fund acquisitions. All employees of companies owned by Empowered Ventures join its employee ownership program.
Peloton Advisory LLC (www.pelotonadvisory.com) provides M&A advisory to highly successful, privately-owned entrepreneurial companies and their owners.
