The Challenge: When LACROIX announced the closure of its Grand Rapids manufacturing plant, more than 110 skilled jobs were at risk. The timeline was brutal – less than 90 days to execute a complex carve-out from a European public company before year-end shutdown.
In the fast-moving world of mergers and acquisitions, few deals test an advisory team’s capabilities quite like the Safari Circuits acquisition of LACROIX’s Grand Rapids facility. This wasn’t just another transaction. It was a race against time to preserve jobs, maintain operations, and execute a complex international carve-out under extraordinary pressure.
DWH’s Strategic Leadership Under Pressure
When Safari Circuits, a subsidiary of Waséyabek (the economic development arm of the Nottawaseppi Huron Band of the Potawatomi Tribe), was presented an opportunity to acquire the distressed LACROIX manufacturing plant, they turned to DWH for strategic guidance. The decision proved transformational.
DWH’s approach combined speed with sophistication. Rather than being overwhelmed by the compressed timeline, the DWH team orchestrated a multi-faceted strategy that simultaneously addressed due diligence, stakeholder management, and integration planning.
Orchestrating Complex Cross-Functional Excellence
One of DWH’s greatest strengths in this transaction was the ability to coordinate and leverage a diverse team of specialists:
- Dickinson Wright for legal diligence and transaction support
- BDO for comprehensive tax analysis
- Huntington Bank for financing solutions
- BLDI for environmental assessment
- Quick Strike for sourcing the deal and relationship management
This team supplemented the already experienced teams of Waséyabek and Safari, who were able to focus on integration and value creation planning.
This collective effort showcases DWH’s ability to bring together businesses from different industry sectors to make this type of acquisition possible. DWH didn’t just manage vendors – we created a seamless ecosystem where each specialist contributed to a unified strategy, ensuring no critical element was overlooked despite the accelerated timeline.
Navigating Unique Transaction Complexities
The Safari-LACROIX deal presented several layers of complexity:
- International Carve-Out — Extracting a North American operation from a European publicly traded company required a nuanced understanding of cross-border regulations, corporate structures, and stakeholder management across multiple jurisdictions.
- Stakeholder Communication Excellence — With employees, customers, and vendors all aware of the pending closure, DWH helped Safari execute a delicate communication strategy. The goal was to maintain operational continuity while building confidence in the transition. This balance required both strategic thinking and tactical execution.
- Operational Integration Foresight — DWH identified the synergies between the Grand Rapids facility and Safari’s existing Otsego operation, recognizing that both plants could perform complementary production tasks. This insight transformed what could have been a simple asset acquisition into a strategic expansion that created risk mitigation for Safari’s customers.
Measurable Impact and Long-Term Value Creation
The results of DWH’s advisory work extend far beyond the successful transaction close:
- Immediate Economic Preservation — By preventing the plant closure, DWH helped preserve 110 high-skilled manufacturing jobs. In an environment where West Michigan manufacturing faces ongoing contraction, this preservation represents significant economic value.
- Growth Catalyst — Rather than simply maintaining the status quo, DWH’s strategic approach enabled growth. The combined operations required hiring 20 additional employees to meet increased customer demand, turning a distressed asset into an engine for job creation. The diligence process also identified opportunities to leverage the systems, processes, and team members at the Grand Rapids facility to improve Safari’s existing operations and capabilities.
- Regional Economic Strengthening — Waséyabek President and CEO Deidra Mitchell noted, the transaction “will further strengthen the Nottawaseppi Huron Band of the Potawatomi Tribe’s economic development efforts and will have a positive economic impact on the entire region.”
Strategic Excellence in Challenging Markets
This acquisition represents DWH’s ability to identify and execute counter-cyclical opportunities. While many advisors avoid distressed situations or compressed timelines, DWH demonstrated that these conditions can create extraordinary value when approached with the right combination of strategic vision, operational expertise, and execution capability.
The Safari-LACROIX transaction was Waséyabek’s second significant deal in 2025, following their earlier acquisition of Great Lakes Warehousing which was also supported by DWH. This pattern demonstrates DWH’s role not just as a transaction advisor, but as a strategic partner capable of supporting sustained, disciplined growth strategies.
The DWH Difference
In a market where many deals fail due to complexity, timeline pressure, or stakeholder management challenges, DWH delivered a seamless transaction that preserved jobs, created growth, and positioned their client for long-term success – all while working within a compressed 90-day window.
Looking Forward
The Safari Circuits-LACROIX acquisition showcases DWH’s unique ability to transform challenging situations into strategic opportunities. Our combination of technical expertise, strategic vision, and execution excellence makes us an ideal partner for companies navigating complex transactions in dynamic markets.
For organizations facing similar challenges, including distressed acquisitions, compressed timelines, or complex carve-outs, this acquisition demonstrates that with the right advisory partner, even the most challenging transactions can deliver exceptional results.
This post was written by Ben Borisch
bborisch@dwhcorp.com | LinkedIn
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