Export, Pennsylvania, January 11, 2023 – SSE International, Inc. (“SSE”), a Hidden Harbor Capital Partners (“HHCP”) portfolio company and the parent company of KT-Grant, LLC (“KTG”) and LVR, Inc., the leading provider of refractory tear-out, maintenance and installation services, today announced the purchase of The Max Group of Companies, expanding the platform’s service offering and geographic footprint while further diversifying into underpenetrated end markets.

Based in New Castle, Pennsylvania and with additional facilities in Lebanon, Pennsylvania and Anniston, Alabama, The Max Group is comprised of ThermalMax, Inc., ArmorMax Refractories, Inc., and ArmorMax Construction, Inc. The Max Group provides design, engineering, installation, and distribution services for a wide range of insulation and refractory products to heat-producing industries across the Eastern United States.

“The acquisition of The Max Group enables us to meaningfully expand our reach geographically and broaden our service offering across the value chain,” said Michael Riska, CEO of SSE International. “Adding The Max Group to the SSE platform expands our refractory and insulation product offering and allows us to provide turnkey refractory services to better serve customers in the steel, aluminum, foundry, chemical, and heat-treating end markets.”

“We are very excited about this new partnership to help our business reach the next stage of its growth,” said Greg Patterson, President of The Max Group. “With the industry expertise and resources that this partnership will provide us, we believe that we are well positioned to continue expanding on our market-leading position and to better serve our customers.”

The Max Group management team will continue in their current roles and Mr. Patterson will support the transition and integration of the business with SSE.

Czech Asset Management, L.P. provided financing for the transaction. McDermott, Will & Emery served as legal advisor to HHCP. Wilke CPAs and Advisors served as sell-side advisor to The Max Group.

About SSE International, Inc.

SSE International is a parent holding company that seeks to create value through owning and supporting operating companies focused on providing specialty services and equipment. SSE International, Inc. is the parent holding company of KT-Grant, LLC and LVR, Inc., and The Max Group of Companies.

About KT-Grant, LLC

KT-Grant is the industry leader in providing turnkey refractory, slag, and scale removal services in confined, high-risk environments. KT-Grant’s substantial service fleet is comprised of over 500 pieces of specialty equipment, designed by KT-Grant engineers and purpose-built in its Export, Pennsylvania manufacturing facility. KT-Grant’s equipment and expert operators are utilized in a wide variety of industries and applications, from civil demolition to cement and lime kilns to ferrous and non-ferrous metal production facilities. KT-Grant provides 24/7/365 service from five branch locations which are strategically located to respond to critical customer outages, facilitate efficient and safe process equipment turnaround, and positively impact your bottom line via increased process equipment availability. For more information, visit https://kt-grant.com/.

About LVR, Inc.

LVR is a leading provider of refractory design and installation services. Operating out of its headquarters in Northampton, Pennsylvania and with additional facilities across the Northeast, the company serves businesses in a wide range of end markets, including metal processing, minerals processing, power generation, and general industrials. LVR has more than forty years of experience in refractories and has a reputation for quality and safety. For more information, visit http://lvrinc.com/.

About Hidden Harbor Capital Partners

Hidden Harbor Capital Partners is a private equity firm which helps create business success stories by building teams focused on execution. We believe that great companies are built on a strong group of people as their foundation, and that businesses succeed when they are intensely focused on executing a small set of well-defined objectives. Hidden Harbor currently manages over $700 million of equity capital and is investing out of its second fund, a $450 million vehicle. To learn more, visit www.hh-cp.com and our page on LinkedIn.

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Media Contact

Julia Bennett: (904) 534-4468 / jbennett@hh-cp.com