April 11, 2019 Updated 4/11/2019
James L. Villa Inc. James L. Villa Inc. calls itself the “party platter people” and supplies grocery story chains with packaging for deli, seafood, bakery and other items.
Graham Partners is once again expanding its thermoforming business with yet another acquisition.
This time, the private investment firm is buying James L. Villa Inc., a Florida-based company with thermoforming and injection molding.
Villa, based in Oldsmar, Fla., will become part of Graham’s EasyPak LLC operations.
Graham sees EasyPak as a platform company to build a mid-sized thermoforming company. Previous acquisitions already rolled into the EasyPak brand including Tray-Pak Corp. and Nuconic Packaging LLC.
Villa is a 40-year-old thermoformer that makes products using polystyrene and polycarbonate. Before Graham’s involvement, the company was a third-generation, family-owned operation.
On its website, the company calls itself “The Party Platter People.” Villa serves the deli, bakery, seafood and produce markets.
Adam Piatkowski is managing principal at Newtown Square, Pa.-based Graham Partners. He said Villa “adds new capabilities and products as well as numerous fast-growing customers.”
“James L. Villa boasts an impressive roster of loyal, long-term customers in the grocery channel. We are excited to partner with the business to expand our thermoformed platform presence in the Southeast,” EasyPak CEO Dave Furstoss said in a statement.
Tray-Pak, of Reading, Pa., was acquired in December 2017, not long after Graham’s initial thermoforming purchase of EasyPak of Leominster, Mass. Nuconic, of Vernon, Calif., was added in August 2018.
“We initially acquired EasyPak with the intention to build a top tier mid-sized thermoformer. With three subsequent complementary acquisitions completed to date, we are well on our way to achieving this vision,” Graham Partners CEO Steven Graham said in a statement.
Graham Partners is an off-shoot of business empire created by Donald Graham, a member of the Plastics Hall of Fame and well-known entrepreneur in the industry.
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