XL Parts Has Been Acquired by Marubeni America Corporation

HOUSTON, February 2, 2016 – GulfStar Group (“GulfStar”) is pleased to announce the acquisition of XL Parts by Marubeni America Corporation (“MAC”). GulfStar served as the exclusive financial advisor to XL Parts throughout the transaction, which closed on December 31, 2015.

XL Parts is the largest direct-to-the-installer automotive parts supplier in the Houston, Dallas/Fort Worth, Oklahoma City, and Baton Rouge metropolitan areas with over 67 stores. XL Parts stocks over 120,000 different part numbers, covering 175 product lines from multiple manufacturers, and is able to deliver orders to its installer customers in less than 45 minutes utilizing its differentiated distribution model. The company, founded by Ali Attayi in 2001, is headquartered in Houston, Texas.

“In shepherding XL Parts through the acquisition process, GulfStar substantially exceeded our expectations,” said Ali Attayi, president of XL Parts. “Their entire team was very responsive to our needs and helped XL Parts throughout the entire process, not just in the initial ‘finding the right buyer’ phase. GulfStar has forged a relationship with XL Parts that we want to continue as we move forward.”

MAC is the U.S. operating subsidiary of Marubeni Corporation, a major public Japanese conglomerate. Marubeni Corporation has a long history of successful enterprises in the automotive industry, and was solicited by XL Parts as the preferred partner to expand the XL Parts business model in the United States. BoyarMiller served as legal counsel to XL Parts in this transaction with Porter & Hedges providing tax-related assistance.

“The acquisition of XL Parts represents a strategic platform for Marubeni to enter the direct-to-installer automotive parts market in the United States. XL Parts has not only successfully grown its operations in its markets, but has also created the organization, systems and processes to support further expansion in the future,” said Tom Hargrove, managing director of GulfStar. “We have had a long relationship with Ali Attayi and the XL management team, and are honored to have worked with XL Parts to achieve this important transaction for the company.”

The GulfStar team consisted of Managing Directors Tom Hargrove, Cliff Atherton and Roshan Gummattira, along with Associate Tee Tompkins and Analyst Aaron Pyle.

About GulfStar Group 
GulfStar is a leading middle market investment bank headquartered in Houston. GulfStar specializes in providing merger and acquisition advisory services, institutional private placements of equity and debt, and general corporate finance advisory services to companies with revenues or enterprise values generally ranging from $25 million to $350 million. Since its formation in 1990, GulfStar has completed more than 630 transactions in 32 states and 14 foreign countries across a variety of industries.

Securities offered through GulfStar Group I, Ltd. an affiliated entity, member FINRA – SIPC.