Hayes Brake Management Buyout

Mequon, US (June 21) – A management buyout of Hayes Brake LLC, a worldwide leader in the design, testing, manufacture and sales of non-automotive custom-engineered brake systems, has created HB Performance Systems, Inc. Although details of the private sale were not disclosed, the company’s current and local nine-member management team has purchased the business with Nautic Partners, a private equity firm, from The Brenlin Group Inc., of Akron, Ohio. The company will continue to design and manufacture custom brake systems for the motorcycle, bicycle, power sports and off-road markets, with plans to expand into related businesses that supply these markets. Among its blue-chip customers are: Arctic Cat, Decathlon, Caterpillar, Giant, Harley-Davidson, John Deere, Kona, Polaris, Simplicity, Specialized, Trek, and Textron. Net revenue for the company was nearly $100 million in 2004 and the company plans to grow in the future as fast as it has in recent years. Since 2000, the company has doubled in size. According to McNally, the decision to rename the company HB Performance Systems, Inc., better reflects the scope of the business, now and in the future. The company is known for highly engineered brakes for extreme environments, but over the past five years, it also has branched into manufacturing a variety of products and accessories.