Universal Forest acquires $14M company

Universal Forest acquires $14M company

TruGuard Driftwood garage siding. Photo via fb.com

A local manufacturer is extending its reach west.

An affiliate of Universal Forest Products has acquired the operating assets of Northwest Painting and its affiliates, doing business as Northwest Factory Finishes in Bonner, Montana, and as Pacific Northwest Factory Finishes in White City, Oregon.

The move will expand Universal’s capacity to produce value-added siding and trim for customers in its Northwest and Mountain West regions.

Northwest Painting was founded in 1992 in Missoula, Montana, by Britt Fred and supplies pre-painted building materials, including composite lap siding, soffit, panels and trim, to the Western U.S.

The company has manufacturing facilities in Bonner and White City, and anticipated annual sales of about $14 million. Fred, owner and president of Northwest, will remain as president with the company.

“The addition of Northwest further expands our value-added product offerings and allows us to leverage their expertise to other Universal facilities that are involved in pre-finishing,” said Universal CEO Matthew Missad. “We’re fortunate to have Britt and his team join the Universal family of companies. They have built Northwest into a fast-growing company and a respected leader in its markets.”

“We are excited about the many opportunities Universal Forest Products offers Northwest,” Fred said. “Universal’s size, strength and expertise will allow us to reach new markets, grow our business and provide employees with greater career opportunities.”

UFPI is a holding company whose subsidiaries supply wood, wood composite and other products to three robust markets: retail, construction and industrial.

Founded in 1955, the company is headquartered in Grand Rapids and has affiliates throughout North America, Europe, Asia and Australia.