{{short description|American manufacturer of building materials and household hardware}}

{{Infobox company | name = Hillman Solutions Corp. | logo = | logo_upright = <!-- default = 1 --> | logo_alt = | logo_caption = | type = Public | traded_as = {{NASDAQ|HLMN}} | ISIN = US4316361090 | industry = hardware | predecessors = Sun Distributors, Sunsource | founded = {{Start date and age|1964}} in Cincinnati, Ohio | founder = Max W. Hillman | defunct = <!-- {{End date|YYYY|MM|DD}} --> | fate = | successor = <!-- or: | successors = --> | hq_location_city = Forest Park, Ohio | hq_location_country = USA | area_served = Canada, Mexico, USA | key_people = Jon Michael Adinolfi <br>{{small|(Chairman, President & Chief Executive Officer)}} | products = | owner = <!-- or: | owners = --> | num_employees = | num_employees_year = <!-- Year of num_employees data (if known) --> | parent = | website = {{URL|https://hillmangroup.com/}} }}

'''Hillman Solutions '''is an American hardware manufacturing, distribution and consumer fabrication services company.

== History ==

Hillman was acquired in 1982 by Sun Distributors, L.P., a Philadelphia-based diversified industrial supply and services company founded in 1975. For many years, Hillman Faster was one of many operating divisions and the only one focused on retail merchandising. The two other divisions of Sun sold maintenance and power fluid products and inventory management services to industrial customers, and glass products and services to construction and retail buyers.<ref name=":0">{{cite report |url=https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/807396/0000950109-96-001816.txt |title=Annual Report Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 For the fiscal year ended December 31, 1995 |date=1995-12-31 |publisher= |page= |docket= |quote= |author-link= |access-date=}}</ref>

Sun Distributors changed its name to Sunsource Inc. in early 1996.<ref>{{cite report |url=https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/807396/0000950109-96-003054.txt |title=Quarterly Report Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 For the quarterly period ended March 31, 1996 |date=1996-03-31 |publisher= |page= |docket= |quote= |author-link= |access-date=}}</ref> Over the years the company divested of many of its divisions. In 1994 the Dorman automotive repair parts unit was sold to competitor R&B Inc. for $43.3 million.<ref>{{Cite news |date=1994-10-06 |title=Company Briefs |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1994/10/06/business/company-briefs-452769.html |access-date=2023-03-05 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> The Harding Glass Company, with $118 million in annual sales, was sold to Mexico's Vitro SA.<ref>{{Cite news |last= |first= |date=2000-01-11 |title=Mexican-U.S. Glass Deal |language=en |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2000/01/11/business/mexican-us-glass-deal.html |access-date=2023-03-05 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref>

Solidifying its focal shift from industrial to retail customers in 1999, Sunsource financed its Axxess key cutting acquisitions (see below) by selling off two fastener units, Kar Products and A&H Bolt and Nut Company, to Glencoe Capital,<ref>{{Cite news |last= |first= |date=2000-02-11 |title=Sunsource Says it Is Selling Majority Stake in Two Units |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2000/02/11/business/company-news-sunsource-says-it-is-selling-majority-stake-in-two-units.html |access-date=2023-03-05 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> which sold them on to Barnes Group in 2003.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Barnes Group Acquires Kar Products and A&H Bolt and Nut Company |url=https://www.lexpert.ca/big-deals/barnes-group-acquires-kar-products-and-ah-bolt-and-nut-company/345230 |access-date=2023-03-05 |website=www.lexpert.ca |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite news |last= |first= |date=1999-10-29 |title=Sunsource Will Acquire Axxess Technologies |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1999/10/29/business/company-news-sunsource-will-acquire-axxess-technologies.html |access-date=2023-03-05 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref>

Sunsource changed its name to The Hillman Companies, Inc. in March 2002 after a majority stake in the company was acquired by Allied Capital Corporation. Two years later, Code Hennessy & Simmons acquired control of Hillman.

The private equity firm Oak Hill Capital Partners bought Hillman for $815 million in 2010<ref>{{Cite web |last=Hammond |first=Ed |date=2014-05-13 |title=Oak Hill Capital puts Hillman up for sale |url=https://www.ft.com/content/cd10e5b0-db07-11e3-9a27-00144feabdc0 |access-date=2023-03-05 |website=Financial Times}}</ref> and resold a controlling majority to CCMP Capital Advisors $1.46 billion in 2014.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2014-05-19 |title=CCMP Acquires Hillman Cos. From Oak Hill for $1.46B |language=en |work=Wall Street Journal |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/DJFLBO0020140519ea5jnqz8i |access-date=2023-03-05 |issn=0099-9660}}</ref>

The company went public on NASDAQ in 2021. The relisting was effected through a merger with a special-purpose acquisition company, Landcadia III, in 2021.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |last=Whiteman |first=Lou |date=2023-03-01 |title=Why Hillman Solutions Stock Is Down Today |url=https://www.fool.com/investing/2023/03/01/why-hillman-solutions-stock-is-down-today/ |access-date=2023-03-04 |website=The Motley Fool |language=}}</ref><ref name=":3">{{Cite web |date=2021-04-19 |title=Hillman Acquires OZCO Building Products |url=https://ir.hillmangroup.com/news/detail/74/hillman-acquires-ozco-building-products |access-date=2023-03-05 |website=Hillman Solutions Corp. |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last1=Tse |first1=Crystal |last2=Tan |first2=Gillian |date=2021-01-24 |title=Hillman Is Said to Reach Deal With Tilman Fertitta's Landcadia SPAC |language=en |work=Bloomberg |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-01-25/hillman-is-said-to-reach-deal-with-fertitta-s-landcadia-spac |access-date=2023-03-05}}</ref> The "blank check" company that Hillman merged into was one of a series of Landcadia entities led by Tilman Fertitta. CCMP retained a sizeable stake in Hillman at the time of the SPAC and is gradually selling out of its position.<ref name=":2" />

=== Acquisitions === Hillman's pace of acquisitions accelerated into a private-equity fueled rollup as the company expanded into new segments adjacent to its original building hardware product line through corporate acquisitions.

==== Key cutting ==== While the still part of the Sun conglomerate, Hillman acquired the retail division of Curtis Industries of Eastlake, Ohio, in 1995.<ref>{{Cite news |date=1995-11-09 |title=COMPANY NEWS |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1995/11/09/business/company-news-022888.html |access-date=2023-03-05 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> Curtis manufactured primarily key blanks and key cutting machines, with a focus on car dealerships and "home centers". Curtis made approximately $17 million in retail sales annually.<ref name=":0" />

In 2000, the Sunsource parent acquired Axxess Technologies Inc. The Tempe-based company manufactured key duplication and identification-engraving vending systems. The purchase was expressly linked to the divestiture of the Kar and A&H industrial divisions.<ref name=":1" />

==== Metal stock ==== In January 2006 Hillman acquired the metal sheets and shapes business, as well as the brand name, of The SteelWorks Corporation based Denver, Colorado.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Hillman Companies Acquires The Steelworks |url=https://mergr.com/the-hillman-companies-acquires-the-steelworks |access-date=2023-03-05 |website=mergr}}</ref> Other product lines of the Denver, Colorado-based company were rebranded Acme Manufacturing Company.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Our Story |url=https://www.acmemfgco.com/about-acme-manufacturing/ |access-date=2023-03-05 |website=Acme Manufacturing Co. |language=en-US}}</ref>

==== Fastener distributors ==== In December 2007 Hillman acquired All Points Industries, distributor based in Pompano Beach, Florida and focused on hurricane protection fasteners.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Hillman Group Acquires All Points Industries |url=https://www.globalfastenernews.com/hillman-group-acquires-all-points-industries-global-fastener-news-usa/ |access-date=2023-03-05 |website=Global Fastener News |language=en}}</ref>

Hillman acquired Serv-A-Lite, another distributor of fasteners and related hardware. Serv-A-lite was established in 1979 and based in East Moline, Illinois. The Servalite trademark is now applied to some electric lamp hardware.

Hillman bought a sizeable Canadian rival distributor H. Paulin for $103 million in February 2013<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Hillman Companies Acquires H. Paulin {{!}} Mergr M&A Deal Summary |url=https://mergr.com/the-hillman-companies-acquires-h.-paulin |access-date=2023-03-05 |website=mergr}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Hillman to acquire H. Paulin & Co. |url=https://www.hbsdealer.com/hardware-stores/hillman-to-acquire-h-paulin-co |access-date=2023-03-05 |website=HBS Dealer |language=en}}</ref>

==== Self-service duplication and engraving ==== Hillman acquired several inventions of Flagstaff, Arizona-based George Lynn Hagen. It acquired outright the TagWorks company, which made automated, self-service pet tag engraving machines, in March 2011.<ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=2011-03-11 |title=Hillman Announces Proposed Acquisition of TagWorks |url=https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/hillman-announces-proposed-acquisition-of-tagworks-117799453.html |access-date=2023-03-05 |website=PR Newswire |language=en}}</ref> Hillman also bought key duplication know-how from KeyWorks-KeyExpress.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2018-02-14 |title=Hillman Group acquires TagWorks |url=https://www.hbsdealer.com/distributorsco-ops/hillman-group-acquires-tagworks |access-date=2023-03-05 |website=HBS Dealer |language=en}}</ref> Hagen had also been at executive in the Axxess company merged into Hillman decades earlier.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-05-07 |title=Obituaries in Phoenix, AZ {{!}} George Lynn Hagen |url=https://azcentral.com/obituaries/par049158 |access-date=2023-03-05 |website=azcentral |publisher=The Arizona Republic |language=en}}</ref>

==== Picture hangers ==== Hillman acquired the consumer brand OOK and certain other assets related to picture hanging hardware from the Micasa Trading Corporation. The transaction was announced in December 2011. Micasa was based in Miami, Florida and had annual revenue of $10 million in the preceding year.<ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |title=Hillman Acquires the OOK Brand Products |url=https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/hillman-acquires-the-ook-brand-products-134864178.html |access-date=2023-03-05 |website=PR Newswire |language=en}}</ref>

==== Roofing and specialty fasteners ==== In November 2017 Hillman acquired Tyler, Texas-based Hargis Industries,<ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=2017-11-27 |title=The Hillman Group Acquires ST Fastening Systems |url=https://www.metalconstructionnews.com/daily-news/the-hillman-group-acquires-st-fastening-systems |access-date=2023-03-04 |website=Metal Construction News |publisher=Modern Trade Communications Inc |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=ST Fastening Systems, Acquired by The Hillman Companies, Inc. on November 8th, 2017 |url=https://mergr.com/hargis-industries-acquired-by-the-hillman-companies |access-date=2023-03-04 |website=Mergr}}</ref> which operates under the umbrella brand ST Fastening Systems and manufactures fasteners and sealing products for principally for metal buildings. ST brands include Deck Plus, MultiVent, Power Pro, Roofjack, SnowTrax, Steelbinder, and Woodbinder.

==== Robotics ==== Hillman acquired the MinuteKey robotic key cutting kiosk manufacturer in 2018,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Hillman completes MinuteKey acquisition |url=https://www.hbsdealer.com/news/hillman-completes-minutekey-acquisition |access-date=2023-03-04 |website=HBS Dealer |language=en}}</ref> and continues to operate the robotics division separately.

==== Wearable products ==== In October 2018 Hillman announced the acquisition of Big Time Products, an Atlanta, Georgia-based manufacturer of gloves and carrying products sold under the brands Firm Grip, AWP, McGuire-Nicholas, Grease Monkey, and Gorilla Grip.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Hillman Companies Acquires MinuteKEY {{!}} Mergr M&A Deal Summary |url=https://mergr.com/the-hillman-companies-acquires-minute-key-holdings |access-date=2023-03-04 |website=mergr.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=About Us |url=https://www.bigtimeproducts.net/about-us/ |access-date=2023-03-04 |website=Big Time Products |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Hillman Completes Acquisition of Big Time Products |url=https://ir.hillmangroup.com/news/detail/52/hillman-completes-acquisition-of-big-time-products |access-date=2023-03-04 |website=Hillman Solutions Corp. |language=en}}</ref>

==== Ornamental connectors ==== In 2021 Hillman acquired OZCO Building Products, a Garland, Texas based manufacturer of ornamental connectors intended for outdoor pergolas, fences and similar applications.<ref name=":3" /><ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-04-26 |title=Hillman Companies Acquire OZCO Building Products |url=https://www.prosalesmagazine.com/news/distributors/hillman-companies-acquire-ozco-building-products_o |access-date=2023-03-04 |website=ProSales |publisher=Zonda Media}}</ref>

== References == {{reflist}}

Category:Companies listed on Nasdaq exchanges Category:Special-purpose acquisition companies Category:Companies based in Cincinnati