One Equity Partners announced that it has signed a definitive agreement for the acquisition of Anvil International, a leading North American manufacturer of high quality pipe fittings and system components, from Mueller Water Products.

Headquartered in Exeter, N.H., Anvil manufactures a comprehensive range of pipe couplings, steel fittings, hangers, channel connections, strut fittings and customized components used in plumbing, mechanical, HVAC, industrial, fire protection, commercial, mining, and oil field infrastructure, and offers related onsite consulting services. The company, which has been operating for more than 150 years, sells Anvil, Beck, Gruvlok, Merit, Catawissa and other branded metal piping products through a network of more than 1,000 distributors in over 4,000 locations in North America.

"Anvil has been the industry leading manufacturer of pipe fittings in North America, and we look forward to building on the business' market position and strong manufacturing capabilities," said J.B. Cherry, senior managing director at One Equity Partners. "This transaction is reflective of our strategy in identifying attractive investment opportunities through carve-outs where we can accelerate further growth with strategic acquisitions that build significant scale."

Anvil's wide range of grooved, cast and forged pipe fittings, struts, valves, and other metal connecting parts are produced at seven manufacturing plants located in Pennsylvania, Texas, Rhode Island, Tennessee and Alabama. Along with its extensive distributor network, the company also operates six distribution centers and sources its products globally.

"Anvil will benefit from One Equity Partners' significant industrial specialty distribution and sector expertise," said Patrick M. Donovan, president and CEO of Anvil International. "We are excited to partner with One Equity Partners as we take Anvil through the next phase of growth to build upon our market leading position and serve our long-standing customers in the U.S. and globally."

Andrew Oliver, managing director at One Equity Partners, added: "The North American pipe fittings and components systems industry is a large and highly fragmented market with attractive characteristics. Anvil will serve as an excellent platform to apply our strategy using transformative combinations to build market-leading companies."