Baird Capital’s Eckler Industries Buys T-Bird Sanctuary

Eckler Industries, a portfolio company of Baird Capital Partners, said Tuesday that it has acquired T-Bird Sanctuary. No financial terms were disclosed. As a result of this transaction, T-Bird Sanctuary with be merged with Eckler’s MAC’s Auto Parts division. The new company will be renamed MAC’s Thunderbird Parts. Based in Titusville, Florida, Eckler is a provider of restoration parts and accessories for Chevrolet, Ford, Porsche, and Mercedes vehicles. T-Bird Sanctuary is a provider of restoration components for the Thunderbird market.

PRESS RELEASE

Titusville, FL (PRWEB) July 30, 2013
Eckler Industries, Inc. announced today that it has acquired T-Bird Sanctuary, a leader in the classic Thunderbird restoration parts and accessories market.
T-Bird Sanctuary will be combined with the classic Thunderbird parts currently offered by the MAC’s Auto Parts division of Eckler’s. The combined company will be called MAC’s Thunderbird Parts. MAC’s Auto Parts is the largest supplier of Ford restoration parts and accessories and the combined MAC’s Thunderbird business will have the most comprehensive selection of Thunderbird parts in the industry, covering all production years from 1955 through 1979.
Matt Jordan, Eckler’s CEO, said that with this acquisition Eckler’s is now positioned to bring the company’s proven track record for broad selection, quality, value, and availability to the Thunderbird restoration market. “With the acquisition of T-Bird Sanctuary, we can now ensure that Thunderbird enthusiasts have one place to go for the broadest selection and the best on-hand inventory and technical support. We want to make it easy to find and obtain the parts they need so they can focus on enjoying these incredible cars.” Eckler’s will continue to focus on providing outstanding customer service, both before and after the sale, to give customers the best experience possible.
T-Bird Sanctuary founded in 1966, is the oldest source for Thunderbird parts in the industry. Bob Peters, President of the T-Bird Sanctuary commented “the company is in good hands. Eckler’s resources and capability to stock more parts, invest in more tooling, and offer improved service will be a great asset for our customers.”
Based in Titusville, Florida, Eckler’s is the leader in restoration parts and accessories for Chevrolet, Ford, Porsche, and Mercedes vehicles. Eckler’s offers a broad product line including replacement and restoration parts, “resto-mod” performance upgrade parts, and accessories. The company primarily serves automotive enthusiasts who enjoy restoring classic cars and place importance on maintaining the appearance and performance of their automobiles. In November of 2012, Eckler’s expanded into the Ford arena by purchasing MAC’s Auto Parts. MAC’s was founded in Lockport, NY in 1978 by Douglas MacIntosh as a Ford Model T parts supplier. MAC’s has been selling parts for 1955-1966 Thunderbirds since the late 1990’s and is well known for the quality of its products and for the extensive knowledge of its sales and customer service staff. As a Division of Ecklers, MAC’s is well positioned for this expansion of the T-Bird offering.
Eckler Industries, Inc is owned by Baird Capital Partners, a Chicago-based private equity firm. More information on Baird Capital Partners can be found at http://www.bairdcapitalpartners.com.