St. Francis-based sister companies, painting equipment manufacturer Shur-Line and fastening products manufacturer Bulldog Hardware, have been merged with the retail brands of Cranbury, New Jersey-based World and Main LLC.
Nova Capital Management, parent company of Shur-Line and Bulldog, has acquired World and Main from Littlejohn & Co., and combined its existing consumer brands portfolio companies with the new acquisition.
Shur-Line was founded in 1945 and makes paint application and project products for do-it-yourself consumers. Among its products are roller covers, brushes, paint trays and edging tools. Bull Dog was established in 1883 and makes fastening products including picture hanging accessories, anchors, specialty fasteners, nuts, bolts and screws.
World and Main, which has locations in Cranbury, New Jersey, Chicago, Illinois and Wuxi, China, provides product development, merchandising and global sourcing for distribution to national, regional and independent hardware stores. Its brands include Comfort Zone portable fans and heaters, Bright-Way electrical supplies, Helping Hand housewares, PXpro paint tools, WordLock locks and AquaPlumb faucets and repair parts.
Nova plans to contribute Shur-Line’s manufacturing knowledge to World and Main’s supplier network to drive higher quality and speed. The companies will also share their product development, sourcing, logistics and other expertise with each other.
Mark Rostagno will serve as chief executive officer of the merged firm.
“We are excited to have Mark Rostagno and the very strong management team he has created at Shur-Line/Bulldog for the acquisition of World and Main,” said David Williamson, founder, chairman and managing partner of Nova Capital Management. “We believe his strong operational focus will enable us to add real value to the World and Main business. Equally, we believe we are acquiring a solid business with strong, longstanding customer relationships and talented managers. It is a great combination.”
“The merger of World and Main with the Shur-Line and Bulldog businesses will allow us to accelerate our strategic growth plans by leveraging the combined companies’ sourcing, manufacturing and logistic capabilities and broad customer reach,” Rostagno said. “We look forward to providing our valued customers with an expanded product offering and innovative new products while continuing to deliver the high level of quality and service they require and have come to expect.”
