Lippert acquires seat specialist Freedman

LCI Industries of Elkhart, Ind., through its wholly owned subsidiary, Lippert Components Inc., a supplier of engineered components to the recreation and transportation markets, announced that it has acquired substantially all of the business assets of Freedman Seating Co., an Illinois-based manufacturer of transportation seating solutions. Terms were not disclosed.

“We are pleased to welcome the Freedman team to the Lippert family,” said Ryan Smith, group president of Lippert’s North American OEM Operations. “Between the two companies, we have almost 200 years combined of family leadership and there’s not too many organizations that can claim that. We’re excited to add Freedman’s seating line to our growing portfolio of bus and transportation vehicle products and with our combined leadership teams we will be able to offer a better-than-ever customer experience to our partners in these industries.”

Craig Freedman, CEO, commented on his company’s new chapter: “We’re excited that we’ve found a future with Lippert. They’ve expressed admiration for what we’ve built and want to help us grow it in ways that honor our mission and values. This acquisition gives us the opportunity to build on our legacy, expand our reach and invest even more in our team.”

For over 130 years, Freedman has provided a variety of seating solutions to the bus, rail, marine, delivery truck, specialty and commercial vehicle markets. Family-owned since 1894, Freedman’s seating manufacturing roots date back to the horse drawn carriage. Hyman Freedman and his employer, Columbia Cab Co., exhibited at the World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago. Today, it is a supplier of seating solutions for bus OEMs, distributors, the federal government and many states and municipalities.

Following the acquisition, Lippert said Freedman’s operations will continue in Chicago for the “foreseeable future.”

Lippert said the addition of Freedman continues to build on its diversification strategy into the transportation vehicle markets, giving it a comprehensive product offering to a familiar customer base. In March, Lippert completed the acquisition of Trans Air Manufacturing Corp., a Pennsylvania-based manufacturer of climate control systems for the commercial bus industry.