Miller Johnson represents Auxo Investment Partners in the acquisition of SOS Manufacturing
THE TRANSACTION
In March 2023, Auxo Investment Partners completed the acquisition of SOS Manufacturing, a Wisconsin-based manufacturer and supplier of custom wire harnesses and cable assemblies, the fourth company in its wire harness platform.
“Jeff Helminski, co-founder and managing partner of Auxo, said SOS will offer unique functions for the platform, such as capabilities relevant to the supercomputing industry. “There are some things (SOS) does in that space that are quite unique and they’re also — much like the other companies that we’ve partnered with — very good at customizing applications to a customer’s need for some unique aspect of their product that is related to the wire harness and how it either fits into or functions within their product,” Helminski said.
Miller Johnson acted as legal advisor to Auxo Investment Partners. Miller Johnson’s team was led by Hunter Reams, Erik Daly and Max Barnes (M&A) and was assisted by Matt O’Rourke (Employment), Jim Ens (Real Estate) and Loic Dimithe (Finance).
ABOUT SOS MANUFACTURING
(sosmfg.com) Founded in 2001, SOS also specializes in the manufacturing of heavy power cables, cable braiding and custom-designed complex box builds. The company has experienced consistent revenue growth, and the recent push toward domestic reshoring and supply chain reliability has led to increased reliance on manufacturers such as SOS.
“The reshoring trends in industrial production should bode well for this industry with more production coming back from low-cost overseas countries back into America,” Helminski said.
Age demographics among the roughly 1,500 U.S. wire harness companies also present an opportunity for Auxo, as many owners approach retirement age and seek a succession or exit plan, Helminski noted.
“We think this has the potential to be a very significant investment for us,” Helminski said. “We think by building a national platform in this space, we can offer some unique capabilities to customers and to owners of those companies that want to be part of something larger and solve for that succession planning solution many of them are looking for.”
MILLER JOHNSON’S MERGERS AND ACQUISITIONS GROUP
Miller Johnson’s M&A practice group collaborates with clients and their advisors to structure, negotiate and close deals, and to navigate the challenges that can arise in mergers, acquisitions, dispositions, and other business combination or investment transactions.
Miller Johnson is top listed for mergers and acquisitions with U.S. News & World Report’s Best Law Firms and is ranked by Chambers USA. At The M&A Advisor’s national awards and the ACG M&A Deals and Dealmakers regional awards, our attorneys are consistently involved in deals honored as winners and finalists. For further information, please contact Erik Daly at (616) 831-1723 or Hunter Reams at (616) 831-1752.
