Platinum Equity has signed a definitive agreement to acquire a majority stake in Trime, an Italian manufacturer of mobile lighting towers, generators, and security towers, as the private equity firm seeks to accelerate the company’s expansion in the United States and other international markets.
Founder and Chairman Andrea Fontanella, CEO Paolo Tacconi, and other members of Trime’s management team will invest alongside Platinum Equity. The transaction is expected to close by early 2027, subject to regulatory approvals and customary closing conditions.
Trime is headquartered near Milan and operates four manufacturing facilities in Italy. The company sells products in more than 30 countries and has direct commercial operations in the U.K., Netherlands, U.S., and Australia.
Its portfolio includes conventional, hybrid, battery-powered, and solar-powered equipment used across infrastructure, construction, mining, emergency response, and events. Platinum sees further growth potential in North America, particularly with equipment-rental companies, contractors, data centers, and infrastructure customers.
The growth strategy includes investments in production capacity, U.S. sales coverage, warehousing, spare-parts availability, customer support, product innovation, and selective acquisitions. Platinum also plans to draw on its experience in equipment rental, which includes BlueLine Rental, Maxim Crane Works, NESCO, Custom Truck One Source, and Electro Rent.
Clearwater is serving as financial and debt advisor to Platinum Equity. Debt financing is being provided by Intesa Sanpaolo, UniCredit, BPER Banca, Crédit Agricole, BNL BNP Paribas, and Deutsche Bank.
KEY QUOTES:
“We have been investing in equipment manufacturers and rental businesses for nearly two decades, and Trime is a company we’ve admired for a long time. It’s a resilient, cash-generative business serving markets that are growing and benefiting from essential infrastructure spending. We also see additional potential upside from continued investment in data centers and power generation both in the United States and globally. We believe our operational resources, industry relationships and experience scaling businesses in the sector can help accelerate the company’s next phase of growth.”
“Our team spent years building relationships with the company and its founder. Filippo Rossi, an Italian national who led the transaction and helps lead our investment activities in the country alongside Fernando Goni, has known the founder for many years. That foundation played an important role in building the trust that ultimately led to this partnership. We have tremendous respect for what the Trime team has built and are excited to support the next phase of the company’s growth.”
Louis Samson, Co-President Of Platinum Equity
“Filippo and Platinum have stayed close to our business over the years and have taken the time to understand our people and what makes Trime work. We wanted a partner who would respect our entrepreneurial culture and help us take the next step internationally. Platinum combines that personal understanding with deep experience and relationships in the rental industry. For our team, that is a compelling combination.”
Andrea Fontanella, Founder And Chairman Of Trime
“We worked hard to find a partner who could support our next phase of international growth, with a particular focus on the U.S. market, and help us continue to build the Group’s organization. We are confident that Platinum Equity is the right partner and will make a strong contribution to the execution of our strategy.”
Paolo Tacconi, CEO Of Trime
“Trime reflects our continued commitment to European businesses with strong positions in specialized markets and established international customer bases. We see significant opportunity to help these companies grow further by combining local expertise with Platinum’s global reach and operating capabilities.”
Fernando Goni, Platinum Equity