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Pacific Avenue Capital Partners Completes Acquisition of U.S. Power Chain Hoist and Chain Business from Columbus McKinnon and Launches New Standalone Company, Stuart Rush
Pacific Avenue Capital Partners Completes Acquisition of U.S. Power Chain Hoist and Chain Business from Columbus McKinnon and Launches New Standalone Company, Stuart Rush
LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESS Newswire / March 4, 2026 / Pacific Avenue Capital Partners ("Pacific Avenue"), a Los Angeles-headquartered private equity firm focused on complex corporate carve-outs and other operationally intensive situations in the middle market, today announced that an affiliate has completed the acquisition of Columbus McKinnon Corporation's ("Columbus McKinnon", NASDAQ:CMCO) U.S. based power chain hoist and chain business (the "Company"), including its associated international sales support functions.
Upon the closing of the transaction, the business will move forward under the name Stuart Rush, representing a new chapter built on decades of engineering excellence, award-winning products, and trusted customer relationships. The name Stuart Rush speaks to the business's heritage and connection between its two original manufacturing sites in Damascus, Virginia and Lexington, Tennessee. These two locations have long worked hand-in-hand to develop a portfolio of highly regarded brands including Lodestar® and Lodestar ET™, Budgit®, Chester®, Coffing® (including the JLC and EC lines), Cyclone®, CM Puller®, Powerstar®, Prostar®, Valustar®, Shopstar®, ShopAir™, the innovative BatteryStar®, and Herc-Alloy® chain solutions with strong positions across industrial, construction, defense, and entertainment end markets.
Stuart Rush operates a primary manufacturing and engineering facility in Damascus, Virginia, a vertically integrated chain manufacturing facility in Lexington, Tennessee, and a leased training and production facility in Rock Lititz, Pennsylvania serving its Lodestar® brand and entertainment customers. In connection with the acquisition, the Company will open a new location near Chester in the United Kingdom to better serve the UK, European, and Asia-Pacific markets, while investing growth capital to expand capacity and capabilities in Damascus. Its products are widely recognized for reliability, safety, and performance in mission-critical lifting applications.
As it transitions to a standalone business, Stuart Rush will operate with a renewed strategic and operational focus, prioritizing its employees and customers in the power chain hoist and chain markets. With support from Pacific Avenue, Stuart Rush plans to increase investment in product innovation, supply chain resilience, and customer service.
"We are excited to welcome Stuart Rush into the Pacific Avenue portfolio in Fund I," said Chris Sznewajs, Founder and Managing Partner of Pacific Avenue Capital Partners. "Our ability to be a solutions provider to Columbus McKinnon was a difference maker in this complex carve out. Pacific Avenue prides itself on working with corporate sellers to address the most complex transactions, and this is a great example of that. Stuart Rush reflects the powerful connection between its market-leading hoist and chain platforms. These brands have supported customers in critical industries for decades, and we look forward to investing behind innovation, operational excellence, and customer partnership as Stuart Rush grows as an independent enterprise."
About Pacific Avenue Capital Partners
Pacific Avenue Capital Partners is a global private equity firm, headquartered in Los Angeles with offices in Paris, France. The firm is focused on corporate divestitures and other complex situations in the middle market. Pacific Avenue has extensive M&A and operations experience, allowing the firm to navigate complex transactions and unlock value through operational improvement, capital investment, and accelerated growth. Pacific Avenue takes a collaborative approach in partnering with strong management teams to drive lasting and strategic change while assisting businesses in reaching their full potential. Pacific Avenue has approximately $3.8 billion of Assets Under Management (AUM) as of September 30, 2025. The members of the Pacific Avenue team have closed over 120 transactions, including over 50 corporate divestitures, across a multitude of industries throughout their combined careers. For more information, please visit https://pacificavenuecapital.com/.
About Columbus McKinnon
Columbus McKinnon Corporation (NASDAQ:CMCO) is a leading designer, manufacturer, and marketer of intelligent motion solutions for material handling. Through a portfolio of well-known brands, Columbus McKinnon helps customers improve efficiency, safety, and performance in demanding industrial and commercial applications worldwide. For more information, visit www.columbusmckinnon.com.
Chris Baddon
Managing Director
[email protected]
SOURCE: Pacific Avenue Capital Partners
View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire
F.Leblanc--SMC
