Platinum Equity to Acquire Trime in Partnership with Founder and Management
PR Newswire
LONDON and MILAN, Oct. 19, 2026
Italian lighting and mobile-power specialist to leverage Platinum's operational expertise and equipment-rental experience to accelerate U.S. growth
Company founder and management to reinvest alongside Platinum Equity
LONDON and MILAN, Oct. 19, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Platinum Equity announced today that it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire a majority stake in Trime, a leading Italian manufacturer of mobile lighting towers, generators and security towers.
Trime Founder and Chairman Andrea Fontanella, CEO Paolo Tacconi and other members of management will invest alongside Platinum. Financial terms were not disclosed. The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions and applicable regulatory approvals and is expected to be completed by early 2027.
"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," said Louis Samson, Co-President of Platinum Equity. "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."
Samson added that Platinum Equity's relationship-driven approach, cultural fluency and commitment to the Italian market helped lay the groundwork for the transaction.
"Our team spent years building relationships with the company and its founder," he said. "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."
Headquartered in Cassinetta di Lugagnano, near Milan, Trime supplies equipment used across infrastructure, construction, mining, emergency response and events. The company operates four manufacturing facilities in Italy and serves customers in more than 30 countries with direct commercial operations in the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, the United States and Australia.
Trime offers a broad portfolio of products, including conventional, hybrid, battery-powered and solar-powered solutions. The company has established particularly strong momentum in North America, where demand for its products continues to grow among equipment-rental companies, contractors and infrastructure customers.
Platinum Equity's equipment rental experience includes BlueLine Rental, sold to United Rentals for approximately $2.1 billion; Maxim Crane Works and NESCO. Custom Truck One Source, Inc. (NYSE: CTOS) and Electro Rent are current Platinum Equity portfolio companies.
Trime has established relationships in North America with several of the industry's premier rental businesses. Platinum and the company's management team see an opportunity to earn a greater share of these customers' fleets, reach additional national and regional rental companies and expand Trime's mobile-generator offering.
The growth plan includes investment in production capacity, U.S. sales coverage, warehousing, spare-parts availability and customer support, alongside continued product innovation and selective acquisitions.
"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," said Fontanella. "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."
"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," said Paolo Tacconi, CEO of Trime. "We are confident that Platinum Equity is the right partner and will make a strong contribution to the execution of our strategy."
The transaction builds on Platinum Equity's commitment to Italy, where the firm has established a presence through investments such as De Wave Group (Genova, Italy), a marine contractor that provides new build and refit services to shipbuilders and cruise operators, Fantini Group (Ortona, CH, Italy), a producer and exporter of specialty-label wines, and Fratelli Polli (Monsummano Terme, PT, Italy), a producer of pasta sauces, condiments and vegetable preserves.
"Trime reflects our continued commitment to European businesses with strong positions in specialized markets and established international customer bases," said Goni. "We see significant opportunity to help these companies grow further by combining local expertise with Platinum's global reach and operating capabilities."
Clearwater is serving as financial and debt advisor to Platinum Equity, with Alvarez & Marsal providing financial due diligence, EY and FRM advising on tax and structuring, and Legance serving as legal counsel. Debt financing is being provided by Intesa Sanpaolo, UniCredit, BPER Banca, Crédit Agricole, BNL BNP Paribas and Deutsche Bank.
The minority shareholders and management team were advised by Artha Corporate Finance Advisory as financial advisor and by Deloitte Legal as legal advisor.
About Platinum Equity
Founded in 1995 by Tom Gores, Platinum Equity is a global investment firm with approximately $48 billion of assets under management and a portfolio of approximately 60 operating companies that serve customers around the world. Platinum Equity specializes in mergers, acquisitions and operations – a trademarked strategy it calls M&A&O® – acquiring and operating companies in a broad range of business markets, including manufacturing, distribution, transportation and logistics, equipment rental, metals services, media and entertainment, technology, telecommunications and other industries. Over the past 30 years Platinum Equity has completed more than 550 acquisitions. For more information go to www.platinumequity.com or visit Platinum Equity's newsroom for the latest stories about the firm.
About Trime
Trime designs and manufactures mobile lighting, power and security equipment for equipment-rental companies and other professional users. Based near Milan, Italy, the group combines Italian manufacturing with an international commercial network and a product range designed around customer requirements.
Contact:
Dan Whelan
Platinum Equity
dwhelan@platinumequity.com
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SOURCE Platinum Equity
