Irvin Products, a subsidiary of the Southfield, Michigan-based Piston Group, has acquired industry supplier A. Lava & Son Co. and the latter’s turnkey Supplied by Lava boxed bed fulfillment company, for an undisclosed sum. Irvin is based in Pontiac, Michigan, and its acquisition of A. Lava represents the company’s entry into the bedding segment.
The purchase expands Piston Group’s Midwest presence and further diversifies its growing list of markets, products and end customers, a news release said. Piston cited Chicago-based A. Lava’s strong industry reputation and its solution-based approach as key motivators for the deal.
“A. Lava’s expertise and industry relationships combined with Irvin’s consumer volume, capacity and investment capabilities, will position us to further diversify and grow revenues outside of automotive and capitalize on the expanding market opportunity in the bedding segment,” said Vinnie Johnson, Piston Group founder, chair and chief executive officer. “A. Lava’s strong reputation in the bedding market complements what we have built and grown at Irvin Products since Piston Group acquired them in 2016.”
Lava principals Steven Appelbaum and Adam Lava continue with the company in their existing roles running day-to-day operations.
Adam Lava added: “Steve and I are excited about the acquisition of A. Lava & Son and SBL by Irvin Products. The combination of our four generations of experience in the mattress industry and Irvin Products’ manufacturing excellence will propel A. Lava for years to come. The next chapter of A. Lava looks brighter than ever and we could not be more proud of our employees, customers and vendor partners that helped us get to this point. Irvin and the Piston Group will be great stewards of the A. Lava name and will build on our 103 years of success.”
In addition to its Pontiac headquarters, which also houses a technology center and a prototype shop, Irvin has two distribution centers in Del Rio, Texas, and five manufacturing plants across the border in Acuna, Sabinas and Gomez Palacio, Mexico.
Piston Group is certified by the National Minority Supplier Development Council as a minority-owned business, and was founded by automotive industry magnate and retired NBA champion Vinnie Johnson. Irvin Products, which was founded in the 1920s by Leroy Irvin, inventor of the parachute, specializes in sewn components and assemblies for automotive interiors. It employs 10,000 and produces an estimated 108,000 seat covers, headrests, cargo shades, barrier nets, armrests and sun visors per day, and was acquired by Piston in 2016. In addition to Irvin Products, Piston Group includes Piston Automotive, Detroit Thermal Systems and Airea. More information is available at PistonGroup.com.
