Wynnchurch Capital Partners has held a first close on its third fund, Wynnchurch Capital Partners III LP, according to an SEC filing. Fund three has a $500 million target, a jump from its $300 million second vehicle. The Chicago-based mid-market private equity firm has gathered $203.72 million in commitments from 30 investors to date. Credit [...]

Wynnchurch Capital Partners III First report: June 26, 2008 Fundraising Snippets the Mid-Market Wynnchurch Capital is pre-marketing its third fund, Wynnchurch Capital Partners III LP., which will seek as much as $150 million more than its last fund, which was $300 million. Latest Update: March 16, 2009 Remains in market. The firm officially filed its [...]

Wynnchurch Capital has completed its acquisition of bankrupt auto parts supplier Proliance International Inc., for $21.5 million. Leveraged financing was provided by The Private Bank.

(Reuters) – Auto parts supplier Proliance International Inc (PLI.A) filed for bankruptcy protection in a Delaware court Thursday and said it agreed to sell all its U.S. assets to Centrum Equities XV LLC for $21.5 million. The company, which makes aftermarket heat exchange and temperature control products, said the sale would be supervised by the [...]

Wynnchurch Capital has agreed to acquire Sencorp, the parent company of Cincinnati-based toolmaker Senco Products. Under terms of the $41 million agreement, Sencorp will file for a pre-packaged Chapter 11 bankruptcy. www.wynnchurch.com

Calyx Transportation Group Inc., a transportation and logistics company majority-owned by Wynnchurch Capital Partners, has made three acquisitions: Totalline Transport, Kreative Carriers Transportation & Logistics Services Inc. and Bransam Logistics Services Inc. No financial terms were disclosed. Each of the acquired companies will become separate operating subsidiaries of Calyx Transportation.

Just over a month into 2009 and we’ve already seen 11 LBO-backed bankruptcies. That’s up over the eight we had this time last year, but nowhere near the massive wave some were predicting.

In fact, the size of these bankruptcies has also been much smaller than expected. The argument remains that mega-buyouts from the ’06 and early ’07 glory days have a few years before their debt matures.

Judging by purchase price, the largest companies to go down are Star Tribune, the newspaper backed by Avista, sugar alternative maker Merisant Worldwide, backed by Pegasus Capital, and Bruno’s Supermarkets, backed by Lone Star Funds. If TPG’s Aleris files in the coming weeks as expected, it would take the prize. TPG purchased the struggling aerospace supplier for $3.3 billion in 2006.

Find the spreadsheet after the jump.

Stephen Welborn has joined Wynnchurch Capital, a Chicago-based mid-market PE firm, as a managing director. He previously was COO of Gateway Marketing International.

Wynnchurch Capital, a Chicago-based middle-market private equity firm, has opened an office in Toronto. It will be run by new managing director Morty White, who previously wan his own consulting practice and, before that, worked for GE Capital.

Michael Teplitsky and Greg Gleason have joined Wynnchurch Capital as a senior associate and associate, respectively. Teplitsky recently received his MBA from the Kellogg School, and previously was an associate with Lime Rock Partners. Gleason previously was a financial analyst in the global industrials group of Houlihan Lokey.   PRESS RELEASE   Wynnchurch Capital is [...]