Willkie represented Sterling in its acquisition of Polychem Corporation, a leader in the securement packaging industry. On March 15, Willkie client The Sterling Group, an operationally focused middle market private equity firm, announced its acquisition of Polychem Corporation, a leader in the securement packaging industry. Based in Mentor, OH, Polychem manufactures polyester (PET) and polypropylene strapping consumables, securement equipment and related products, serving the food and beverage, consumer packaged goods, and industrial industries. Polychem is vertically integrated, operating a PET recycling facility, which processes bales of post-consumer PET, converting them for use in Polychem's strapping extrusion lines and for external sale to consumer packaged goods companies. The Sterling Group has extensive experience in the packaging sector, including previous investments in Liqui-Box, Exopack and Saxco. The cross-border, multidisciplinary Willkie deal team was led by partner Bruce Herzog and counsel Daniel Mun, and included partners Hillel Jacobson and Mark Holdsworth and associate Michael Gordon.