North Little Rock, Ark.-based Hilliard Enterprises, Inc. (HEI) is acquiring Hot Springs, Ark.-based Specialized Diesel Parts, Inc. (SDP), which offers new aftermarket components for the rail, marine and power generation industries. The transaction, for which terms are undisclosed, is expected to close this month.
“SDP products utilize a strategic network of manufacturers for components like piston rings, bearings, crankshafts and other engine components for a variety of large diesel engines, including those manufactured by EMD, GE, and American Locomotive Company (ALCO),” Hilliard Enterprises’ President Chip Hilliard said. “Acquisition brings the Hilliard Rail Division a unique relationship and extensive experience with manufacturers, allowing us to vertically integrate ourselves into our supply chain channels, alleviating occasional bottlenecks in our current operations. This also allows us to have an expanded product offering to a group of new and existing customers. SDP co-owner Chuck Johnson’s experience in design and manufacturing predates SDP with a long history in the diesel engine industry, dating back nearly 50 years.”
SDP daily operations will continue in Hot Springs. Management duties will be transferred to Hilliard’s corporate office in North Little Rock.
Hilliard Enterprises Inc., founded in 1989, notes it “has become one of the largest used and remanufactured diesel engine parts dealers in the U.S. The large diesel engines that are HEI’s focus are primarily used to power both locomotives, marine vessels and power generation facilities.
