13 Nov 2025
Investcorp, a leading global alternative investment firm, today announced that it has acquired Kanawha Scales & Systems (“KSS”) from American Equipment Holdings (“AEH”), a portfolio company of Rotunda Capital Partners. KSS is a leading provider of mission-critical calibration, maintenance, and repair services for complex industrial weighing systems and automated control solutions in the United States. Growing regulatory requirements and the increasing adoption of automation are driving strong demand for KSS’s offerings across a wide range of end markets.
As part of the transaction, KSS will be creating an Employee Ownership Plan (EOP), granting all employees with at least one year of service shares in the business at no cost. The landmark KSS EOP is the first of its kind for the weighing and scales industry backed by a financial sponsor and is structured to achieve 100% employee participation, including those from acquired companies, once a year of full-time tenure is achieved.
Headquartered in Poca, West Virginia, KSS was founded in 1954 and is a recognized leader in the weighing and automation industries. Proudly delivering superior service, KSS supports customers nationwide through a robust network of certified branches across the Midwest, Northeast and Southern US. The Company provides expert service, calibration, and replacement products for a wide range of instruments and scales, along with heavy-duty scale test equipment, automated truck and rail loadout systems, batching and filling systems, and a broad array of customized automated industrial solutions.
Amit Gaind, Senior Managing Director of North America Private Equity at Investcorp, said: “KSS operates in the large, growing, and highly fragmented U.S. weighing calibration market, which is driven by regulatory requirements and demands support from highly trained technicians ‒ an area where we bring deep expertise. KSS has built an industry-leading reputation by exceeding the expectations of its customers and its vendors while providing a compelling value proposition to its employees. We believe Investcorp’s deep experience supporting technician-centric, branch-based companies like KSS, as well as implementing employee ownership programs, will enable us to immediately add value and help accelerate the company’s growth.”
Enrique Casafont, Managing Director of North America Private Equity at Investcorp, said: “KSS is well positioned to serve a large and growing installed base, driven by expanding industrial footprints and rising demand for regulatory-driven testing, inspection, and certification. As a leader in weighing solutions, KSS has outpaced peers by delivering superior value and aims to build on its reputation as an employer and acquirer of choice to attract top talent and accelerate growth through strategic M&A.”
Chris Carsten, CEO of KSS, said: “We are excited to partner with Investcorp as we embark on the next phase of our growth as an independent company. Investcorp truly understands our business, the secular tailwinds driving our industry, and how employee talent and expertise drive value. Furthermore, we believe that our Employee Ownership Plan will give us a competitive advantage in the markets we serve. Lastly, we are grateful for the support of our colleagues at AEH and Rotunda and thank them for their partnership over the last three years.”
KSS represents the eleventh investment from Investcorp North American Private Equity Fund I, L.P. This investment fits the core strategy of helping middle market service businesses in North America accelerate growth.
Investcorp’s North America Private Equity group has been investing in North American mid-market businesses for over 40 years and has completed more than 75 transactions, deploying more than $22 billion in transaction value since inception.
Lincoln International served as financial advisor and Benesch, Friedlander, Coplan & Aronoff LLP served as legal counsel for KSS on the transaction. Stifel served as financial advisor and Gibson, Dunn, & Crutcher LLP served as legal counsel for Investcorp.