Novvia Group Acquires Auberst Inc.

St. Louis, M.O. – November 1, 2022

Global rigid container and life sciences packaging distributor, Novvia Group (“Novvia”), has acquired Auberst Inc. (“Auberst”), a California-based distributor of plastic and metal rigid packaging solutions. Financial terms of the private transaction were not disclosed. Novvia is backed by Kelso & Company (“Kelso”).

Auberst was founded in 2001 and operates out of a 7,500+ square foot facility located in Brea, California. Auberst offers customers operating in a variety of industries a broad portfolio of rigid packaging products, including plastic jugs, cylinders, bottles, pails, and metal cans and drums.

The acquisition further strengthens Novvia’s presence on the West Coast and will be combined with Rhino Container, Novvia’s Chino, CA-based rigid packaging subsidiary, which Novvia acquired in December 2021. “We are looking forward to the continued success and expansion of our West Coast footprint and are excited to welcome Auberst to the Novvia family,” said Novvia Executive Chairman Ken Roessler.

About Auberst

Auberst was founded on the principle of being the “utmost” in distributors for packaging products and customer service. Auberst began in a small facility in Long Beach, California, and quickly found a need to move to a larger facility in Brea, California to support its growing customer base. Products include a wide range of plastic jugs, cylinders, bottles, pails, and metal cans and drums. For more information, please visit www.auberst.com.

About Novvia Group

Novvia Group is a leader in high-quality packaging solutions and customized services with domestic and international customers across myriad industries. Through its family of dynamic companies, comprised of Inmark, C.L. Smith, Silver Spur, Container Supply, Fox Valley, Rhino, Novvia Canada, Southern Container, Duval Container, Rios, and Auberst, Novvia has set a new industry standard as a national stocking distributor with a comprehensive suite of containers and supplies, trusted local relationships and 40+ years of best-in-class customer service. For more information, please visit www.novviagroup.com.

About Kelso

Kelso is one of the oldest and most established firms specializing in private equity investing. Since 1980, Kelso has invested approximately $19 billion of equity capital in 139 transactions. Kelso was founded by the inventor of the Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) and, as a result, the principles of partnership and alignment of interest serve as the foundation of the firm’s investment philosophy. Kelso benefits from a successful investment track record, deep sector expertise, a long-tenured and stable investing team, and a reputation as a preferred partner to management teams and corporate partners. Kelso has significant experience investing in and supporting high-growth distribution and packaging platforms. The firm is based in New York, NY. For more information, please visit www.kelso.com.