Bobrick Washroom Purchases Division Of Koala Corp. By SLAV KANDYBA Staff Reporter North Hollywood-based Bobrick Washroom Equipment, a manufacturer of commercial washroom accessories to building owners and suppliers domestically and internationally, has acquired a division of Colorado-based Koala Corp. The division, acquired in May for $15.6 million, manufactures baby diaper-changing stations commonly installed in public bathrooms. The manufacturing facility has 35 employees and is located in Englewood, Colo. The new owner has renamed the Koala division Koala Kare Products. Since 2001, Bobrick had a plan in place to actively pursue worthy acquisitions; the acquisition of the Koala division marks the first such move. “This particular division fit right in into our particular criteria,” said Mark Louchheim, president of Bobrick. Koala Corp., however, has fallen on hard times financially. Bobrick assumed $1.2 million in accounts payable and other liabilities. Bobrick also agreed to a minimum one-year lease of the Colorado facility. Koala chose to sell off its baby changing division to reduce debt and “improve our balance sheet and financial position,” said James Zazenski, Koala’s president and CEO in a statement. “Our baby changing stations and the other products in our Koala Bear Kare line have played an important role in establishing the Koala brand. However, during recent years, our KoalaPlay Group modular play equipment business has emerged as our principal revenue channel, and we believe it represents our greatest opportunity for growth,” Zazenski said.
