BAIRD ADVISES A&A MANUFACTURING COMPANY, INC. IN SALE TO PRIVATE INVESTMENT FIRM

Milwaukee, April 5, 2007 – Baird, an employee-owned, international investment banking, wealth management, private equity and asset management firm announced today that it advised New Berlin-based A&A Manufacturing Co. Inc., a leading provider of custom engineered flexible protective covers, in its sale to Audax Group, a Boston-based investment firm.  The terms of the transaction were not disclosed.


 


Founded in 1945, A&A Manufacturing specializes in engineering and manufacturing flexible protective covers for the machine tool industry, including the Gortite® bellows type covers for cylinder rods and shafts, actuating screws, machine ways and linear rails.  The company had previously acquired Milwaukee Protective Covers in 2002, which expanded its product offerings to include Thermic-Weld® Covers, ATD Actuator® Machine Door Openers and Safety Curtains for Welding Cells.


 


Audax Group, a leading investor in middle market companies, purchased A&A Manufacturing, including the Gortite®, Steelflex®, Telaflex®, and Gortrac® brands, based on the company’s strong growth prospects in the custom engineering industry.  Audax’ aim for A&A Manufacturing will be to achieve scale through future add-on acquisitions, as well as grow the company globally. 


 


“The new relationship with Audax will enable us to continue to leverage our strengths and focus on future growth,” said Jim O’Rourke, CEO and President at A&A Manufacturing.


 


“Baird’s capabilities were ideally suited to assist A&A in its search to find a great partner,” said Steven Booth, head of investment banking at Baird and lead banker on the transaction.###


 


 


 


About Baird Investment Banking


Recognized as the “Middle-Market Bank of the Year” for 2006 by Investment Dealers’ Digest, Baird is a leading international investment bank focused on the middle market. More than 115 investment banking professionals in the U.S. and Europe provide corporations with in-depth market knowledge and extensive experience in merger and acquisition and equity financing transactions. Over the past 10 years, Baird has advised on over 630 M&A and financing transactions with a total value of more than $84 billion. Over the past five years, European and transatlantic assignments have accounted for approxi­mately one-third of our M&A transactions. Baird was recognized as the advisor on the middle-market “Equity Financing Deal of the Year” in 2006 by The M&A Advisor, which also honored Baird with two 2005 M&A awards: “U.S. Middle Market Deal of the Year” and “Manufacturing-Industrial Deal of the Year.”


 


About Baird


Baird is an employee-owned, international wealth management, capital markets, private equity and asset management firm with offices in the United States, Europe and Asia. Established in 1919, Baird has nearly 2,200 associates serving the needs of individual, corporate, institutional and municipal clients. Baird oversees and manages client assets of more than $71 billion. Committed to being a great place to work, Baird was recognized as one of the FORTUNE 100 Best Companies to Work For® in 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2007. Baird’s principal operating subsidiaries are Robert W. Baird & Co. in the United States and Robert W. Baird Group Ltd. in Europe. Baird also has an operating subsidiary in Asia supporting Baird’s private equity operations.


For more information, please visit www.rwbaird.com.