ProMach Acquires AmHolt, Cementing End-to-End Packaging Market Strategy

NASHVILLE, TN – January 09, 2026 – In a significant move that underscores a major trend in the industrial sector, ProMach announced today its acquisition of American Holt and Pride Engineering, collectively known as AmHolt, from the private equity firm Arcline Investment Management. The deal integrates a leading provider of engineered aftermarket parts into ProMach's vast portfolio, signaling a clear strategy to dominate the entire lifecycle of food and beverage packaging and processing equipment.

The acquisition, finalized for an undisclosed sum, transfers ownership of AmHolt's facilities in Massachusetts, Quebec, and Minnesota to ProMach. This move is more than a simple expansion; it represents a strategic deepening of ProMach's service offerings, aiming to create a seamless, end-to-end solution for a global customer base that includes many of the world's largest consumer packaged goods (CPG) companies.

A Strategic Play for Lifecycle Dominance

For years, ProMach has built its reputation as a global leader in packaging machinery solutions. However, its recent M&A activity reveals a deliberate and aggressive strategy to move beyond equipment sales into comprehensive lifecycle management. The acquisition of AmHolt is the capstone of this strategy, bringing critical component design and manufacturing capabilities for the aftermarket directly into ProMach's Primary Packaging business unit.

This acquisition is not an isolated event. It follows a consistent pattern of strategic growth for ProMach. In the past two years alone, the company has integrated a diverse range of specialists, including DFT Technology for food thermal treatment, DJS Systems for automation, HMC Products for horizontal form fill seal machines, and MBF for wine and spirits filling solutions. By adding AmHolt, ProMach is no longer just a supplier of new machines; it is positioning itself as an indispensable partner for the entire operational lifespan of its clients' equipment.

Mark Anderson, President and CEO of ProMach, emphasized this strategic vision. "Their addition to our business continues the expansion of our product solutions portfolio, and it significantly expands our ability to serve our customers throughout the lifecycle of their equipment," he stated. Anderson further praised AmHolt's recognized ability "to partner with consumer packaged goods companies to improve efficiency and uptime," a core value proposition that ProMach aims to leverage across its entire platform. This integration allows ProMach to offer a holistic package: best-in-class machinery backed by a robust, in-house supply of high-quality replacement parts, reducing customer reliance on multiple vendors and streamlining maintenance processes.

The High-Value World of Aftermarket Parts

The acquisition also shines a spotlight on the critical, and highly profitable, role of the aftermarket parts industry. Often operating behind the scenes, companies like AmHolt are the silent engines that keep the demanding food and beverage processing sector running. Their business is built on ensuring machine uptime and operational efficiency, which are paramount in an industry where any stoppage can lead to significant financial losses.

AmHolt carved out its market-leading position not by simply replicating original equipment manufacturer (OEM) parts, but by actively improving them. Using precision metrology and advanced chemical analysis, the company specializes in reverse-engineering components and then "up-engineering" them. This process often involves utilizing modern materials, coatings, and manufacturing techniques that were not available when the original machinery was built. The result is replacement parts that can offer enhanced durability, increased speed, and a longer service life than the originals, providing a high return on investment for customers.

For over two decades, American Holt has supplied these mission-critical parts to a substantial portion of the world's largest food and beverage companies. By providing a reliable and often more cost-effective alternative to OEM parts—with reported average savings around 30%—AmHolt helps its clients minimize costly machine downtime and reduce their inventory burdens. This focus on solving customer pain points with superior, high-performance products is what made AmHolt a valuable asset and an attractive acquisition target.

Arcline's Blueprint for Industrial Growth

For Arcline Investment Management, the sale of AmHolt represents a successful exit and a validation of its core investment thesis. The private equity firm, which manages over $20 billion in assets, focuses on building what it calls "Industrial Compounders"—market-leading industrial platforms designed for consistent, long-term growth.

Arcline acquired a controlling stake in American Holt in December 2021. Over the subsequent years, it worked with the company's management to execute a strategic vision centered on becoming the preferred vendor for mission-critical aftermarket parts. This involved not only organic growth but also strategic bolt-on acquisitions to broaden AmHolT's capabilities, including the purchases of DMA Solution in 2023 and Servi-Tech in 2024. This strategy successfully enhanced AmHolt's market position and value.

Cliff Gilbert, CEO of AmHolt, reflected on the successful partnership. "Our partnership with Arcline enabled the AmHolt group of companies to successfully execute on our strategic vision of becoming the preferred vendor for high-quality, mission-critical aftermarket parts and consumables for our customers," he commented. Gilbert's statement highlights the private equity model at its most effective: providing capital and strategic guidance to empower a strong company to accelerate its growth trajectory and achieve its full market potential before a strategic handoff to a long-term industry owner.

Reshaping the Competitive Landscape

ProMach's acquisition of AmHolt is set to send ripples across the competitive landscape of the packaging and processing industry. By vertically integrating a premier aftermarket parts supplier, ProMach creates a formidable competitive advantage that will pressure both OEMs and independent parts suppliers.

OEMs may now face increased competition not just on the initial sale of equipment, but on the lucrative, long-term revenue stream from service and replacement parts. ProMach's ability to offer an integrated package of machine, service, and high-performance parts from a single source could become a powerful selling point.

Meanwhile, independent aftermarket competitors like Pacific, Marlen, and Anderson Dahlen will face a larger, more integrated rival. They may need to reassess their own strategies, potentially seeking partnerships or enhancing their service offerings to maintain their market share. This move is likely to accelerate the trend of consolidation within the fragmented packaging industry, as other major players may look to replicate ProMach's integrated model to remain competitive.

For customers, the integration promises a more streamlined experience and a single point of accountability. The move also ensures continuity for AmHolt's existing client base. Cliff Gilbert will be joining ProMach as a Senior Vice President, bringing his leadership and deep industry knowledge into the new structure. This ensures that the expertise and customer-centric philosophy that defined AmHolt will continue as it begins its next chapter of growth as part of the ProMach family, further strengthening ProMach's promise of providing comprehensive, world-class solutions across the entire packaging value chain.