Hardwoods Distribution Inc. (HDI) purchased Aura Hardwoods through its subsidiary Hardwoods Specialty Products US LP. Aura Hardwoods operates six locations in Modesto, Calif., Rancho Cordova, Calif., San Jose, Calif., San Luis Obispo, Calif., Fresno, Calif., and Santa Cruz, Calif.
“As part of our overall strategic plan for California, we combined two well-established highly reputable companies—Aura and Hardwoods—to drive accelerated growth,” Hardwoods vice president Dan Besen said in a news release. “Along with our other recent acquisitions, Far West Plywood (January 2019) and Diamond Hardwoods (March 2020), our combined California footprint of 12 branches provides us a much better platform to be the premier distributor of architectural building products to both the design and millwork community throughout California. Additionally, the alignment in values and culture between the two companies was also a key determining factor in pursuing this fantastic opportunity.”
Aura will operate as part of the Hardwoods Northern California Group led by general manager Mike Couture, according to a news release. Couture, along with senior general manager of California Nick Smith, will be responsible for optimizing Hardwoods’ expanding California business.
HDI said its acquisition of Aura reflects a component of its long-term growth strategy. Over half of HDI’s annualized sales currently come from acquired businesses, and over the last two years has added over $150 million in annualized sales to the top line.
HDI is a distributor of architectural grade building products to the residential and commercial markets. The company has 71 distribution centers across North America under the brand names: Hardwoods Specialty Products, the Frank Paxton Lumber Company, and Rugby Architectural Building Products. The company also operates one sawmill with kiln drying operation, Hardwoods of Michigan.
