Cincinnati Firm Acquires Messenger
Messenger was established in Chicago in 1913 and moved to the DeKalb County city in the 1930s following the purchase of the Auburn Greeting Card Co.
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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowAuburn-based Messenger Holding Corp. has a new owner. The memorial service product manufacturer has been acquired by Orchard Holdings Group LLC of Cincinnati.
Messenger President Kevin Keane says "we are thrilled to now partner with Orchard, a high-integrity firm with a uniquely long-term investment horizon, and to continue expanding upon Messenger’s market leadership position."
The deal between Messenger’s previous parent company, Chicago-based Prairie Capital, and Orchard was handled by Livingston, which is headquartered in Chicago and has a presence in five other countries. In 2012, Livingstone sold another Hoosier funeral industry company, Aurora Casket Co., to previous owner Kohlberg & Co.
The company produces memorial register books, service folders, acknowledgment cards, prayer cards and laminated bookmarks and has around 100 employees, as well as sales associates throughout the U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico.