Crestwood, IL – Crash Champions (“Crash”), a portfolio company of A&M Capital Opportunities (“AMCO”), a middle-market private equity fund that is part of the Alvarez & Marsal Capital (”AMC”) platform, successfully acquired 21 collision repair shops between August 2020 and January 2021, continuing to execute its robust acquisition strategy in both core and adjacent markets.
These acquisitions culminate a year of growth for Crash Champions, which began the year with 13 locations in the Chicago area and surrounding suburbs. Now the fifth largest independent multi-shop operator (“MSO”) in the United States, Crash operates 60 locations with an established presence in seven states: California, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Ohio, and Wisconsin. Crash Champions completed its merger with Pacific Elite, the largest family owned operator of collision repair shops (23 total) in California, back in March 2020.
With its expanded footprint, Crash continues to drive entrenchment of insurance carrier relationships and ongoing DRP additions based on superior service offerings, manufacturer certifications, and equipment. Through these key acquisitions, Crash believes it will also be better positioned to take advantage of the numerous scale benefits of being a larger MSO, including operational efficiencies and cost synergies.
“We look forward to welcoming these exceptional shops — who share our relentless dedication to customer service and operational excellence — under the Crash Champions banner and creating even greater value for our customers, employees, and shareholders,” said Matt Ebert, founder and CEO of Crash Champions.
About Crash Champions:
Crash Champions began in 1999 with a small shop in New Lenox, IL, called New Lenox Auto Body. After over 15 years of owning a small neighborhood collision center, Matt Ebert wanted to bring his vision to towns throughout the Chicagoland area. In 2014, the company’s name was changed to Crash Champions-New Lenox and the brand began to grow. Since 2014, the Crash Champions organization has grown to have numerous collision centers throughout the Chicago market and became a regional leader in collision repair. In 2020, based upon Crash Champions’ historical success, the company began its rapid growth strategy with its first out-of-market acquisition located in Columbus, OH. Today, Crash Champions is the 5th largest collision repair MSO, with 60 total locations across California, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Ohio, and Wisconsin. What makes Crash Champions truly different is its employees – each one embodies everything that it takes to be a true Champion. For more information, visit www.crashchampions.com.
About A&M Capital Opportunities:
A&M Capital Opportunities, with assets under management of $500 million, is AMC’s lower middle-market growth strategy, focused on shared control and structured minority equity investments in North America. AMCO partners with business owners and management teams to help recapitalize and grow businesses, leveraging deep operational capabilities and industry relationships to position them for accelerated long-term growth. We have significant experience with all types of transactions, including growth equity, growth buyouts, recapitalizations, and consolidations of fragmented sectors.
About Alvarez & Marsal Capital:
Alvarez & Marsal Capital is a multi-strategy private equity investment firm with over $3 billion in total assets under management across four funds and three investment strategies. The privately-owned firm is led by a highly experienced investment team, which is augmented by its strategic association with Alvarez & Marsal (“A&M”), one of the largest operationally-focused advisory firms in the world. AMC’s business model combines a focus on middle-market private equity investing with the deep operational expertise, industry knowledge and global corporate relationships of A&M, making it a uniquely attractive partner to management teams, corporates and business owners.
