AZZ Inc. has acquired Aquilex Specialty Repair & Overhaul, a unit of Aquilex Holding, for $250 million. The transaction closed April 1. Aquilex SRO is majority owned by Centerbridge Partners. Norcross, Ga.-based Aquilex SRO provides maintenance, repair, and overhaul services to the nuclear, fossil power, refining, chemical processing, pulp and paper, and waste-to-energy industries. Houlihan Lokey advised Aquilex SRO.

U.S. private equity firm Centerbridge Partners is interested in the 315 UK branches being sold by state-backed Royal Bank of Scotland, writes Reuters. Sky News, which first reported the interest, said Centerbridge had joined forces with another buyout firm – Corsair Capital – in recent weeks, but that it was unclear whether the duo would make a formal offer for the branch network, writes Reuters.

Final bids for Smart & Final, which is backed by Apollo Global Management, are due later this month, sources tell peHUB. Centerbridge Partners and Ares Management are still vying for the grocery retailer, persons say. Smart & Final could go for $700-$900 mln.

Centerbridge Partners has closed its buy of Cardinal Logistics Management. Financial terms weren’t announced. Concord, N.C.-based Cardinal provides dedicated transportation services, including specialized equipment and handling, and integrated technology. PRESS RELEASE Cardinal Logistics Management Inc. (“Cardinal” or the “Company”), a national provider of Dedicated and Delivery domestic transportation services, today announced the acquisition of Cardinal [...]

In connection with a previously announced agreement to acquire P.F. Chang’s China Bistro, New York-based private equity firm Centerbridge Partners, in concert with P.F. Chang, announced today that Wok Acquisition Corp. has extended the expiration of its tender offer to acquire all of the outstanding shares of P.F. Chang’s common stock for $51.50 net per [...]

Palladium Equity Partners may finally get to exit Taco Bueno after seven years.

Casual dining chain Houlihan’s Restaurants Inc is in talks with private equity firms and other restaurant companies to sell itself in a deal that could fetch nearly $100 million

The week’s top PE-deal involves shoes.

Several private equity firms have lined up to invest in mortgage providers and servicers in recent weeks, suggesting more firms are eager to get back into a much maligned sector as it staggers out of the Great Recession,Buyouts reports in its March 26 edition. In less than a week, between March 9 and March 14, [...]

Aquilex Holdings said Friday that it has financially restructured its debt and is now majority owned by Centerbridge Partners. Also, Aquilex CEO and President Bill Varner is retiring while Donovan Boyd was named chairman of the board. Rothschild provided financial advice to Aquilex, while Alvarez & Marsal was restructuring advisor. Aquilex provides maintenance, repair and industrial cleaning solutions to the energy industry.