W.C. Wood Group of Companies Completes Sale to Red Diamond Capital

Red Diamond Capital, a private equity investment firm based in New York, completed the acquisition of the W.C. Wood Group of Companies, an international manufacturer of chest and upright freezers and refrigerators, and dehumidifiers for the consumer and commercial markets, on January 14, 2008.

Headquartered in Guelph, Ontario, W.C. Wood was controlled by the Wood family since its founding in 1930. The company has three primary appliance production facilities in Guelph; Ottawa, Ohio; and Torreón, México. With annual revenues in excess of $200 million, the company sells branded, private label and licensed product to major retail chains and independent dealers throughout the United States and Canada. In Canada, the company’s Wood’s(®) brand commands the leading share of the freezer market. W.C. Wood also manufactures and markets products under license for several major appliance brands including Whirlpool(®), Maytag(®), and Amana(®). In the commercial segment, the company produces a line of display freezers under the Coldtech(®) brand. W.C. Woods’ President J. David Wood will continue with the company as an integral part of the management and investor team.

Wildeboer Dellelce LLP represented the W.C. Wood group of companies in connection with the transaction with a team that included Chris Partridge, Rob Wortzman and Geoff Cher (Corporate) and Kevin Fritz (Tax).