Custom Equipment, manufacturer of low-level scissor lift brand Hy-Brid, has been acquired by Straford-Cambridge, a small private equity firm based in Plymouth, MI.
Custom Equipment was owned and managed by the Kissinger family, and they retain significant shareholding. Steve and Lynn Kissinger founded the company in 1981 as a small fabrication and welding repair business in West Bend, WI. The company manufactured the first “2-in-1” (or hybrid) scissor lift, originally used in mausoleums, reports say. The Kissingers started manufacturing scissor lifts for the construction and industrial markets in 2004, including the HB-1030 Hy-Brid lift, adding the Richfield, WI headquarters and assembly plant in 2010, and now offer a growing range of scissor lifts worldwide.
Steve and Lynn's son Justin had taken on increasing leadership of the company in recent years.
No details of the transaction have been released. Stratford-Cambridge is known for investing in niche manufacturing companies based in the Midwest, worth between $1 to $5 million. Custom Equipment will be the fifth company in its portfolio which currently includes Fluid Air Controls, Sterling Technologies, Aetna bearings and Speedgrip Chuck.
