Ariens Company agrees to sell aftermarket parts business to Arrowhead Engineered Products
Ariens Company of Brillion, Wis., announced November 22 that it has entered into a definitive agreement to sell its aftermarket parts business to Arrowhead Engineered Products Inc. of Blaine, Minn. The aftermarket parts business includes the Stens brand sold directly to independent power equipment dealers, as well as the JThomas Parts brand sold directly to professional landscape contractors. The sale is expected to be completed by the end of 2016. Both companies are privately held, and terms of the agreement were not disclosed.
“This is a strategic decision that allows the company to continue to re-invest in the original equipment manufacturing business,” said Dan Ariens, chairman and CEO of Ariens Company. “We have been enhancing our manufacturing plants with automation technology, and, at the same time, we will continue to invest in R&D capabilities to accelerate the rate of new product introductions.”
The company will also invest in a robust e-commerce platform for its niche outdoor supply brands Gempler’s, AW Direct and Ben Meadows. Ariens Company acquired Stens in 1995 and JThomas in 2008.
“The combination of Arrowhead with the Stens and JThomas organization creates a unique and powerful platform in support of our mission to always be our customers’ first choice for critical replacement parts,” said Arrowhead CEO Jim Wisnoski. “We are excited for the combination of our two organizations, and the shared focus of our combined employees to continue providing exceptional service to our worldwide customers.”
Ariens added, “We appreciate the significant contribution of the employees in Stens and JThomas who have been dedicated to profitably growing this business. Stens has been part of the Ariens family of brands for a long time, and the employees have built a solid reputation for a high level of service and a strong brand in their own right.”
The priority for both companies is ensuring that customers experience a seamless transition, according to Wisnoski and Ariens. “The Ariens Company and the Ariens family gave this a lot of thought and consideration, and feel that the owners of Arrowhead are a close match with Ariens in that we share numerous cultural values and have a high regard for customer relationships,” said Ariens.
Arrowhead Engineered Products is a supplier of non-discretionary, mission-critical, aftermarket replacement parts for a wide variety of motorized vehicles across the powersports, outdoor power equipment, agricultural & industrial, marine, and heavy-duty and automotive end-markets. With distribution and sourcing locations in North America, Europe and Asia, Arrowhead Engineered Products employees service more than 10,000 customers on a daily basis.
