Sage Purchased By Private Equity Firm

A private equity firm purchases a company with ties to Stephens County.

The publication GSA Business reported this week that Clearlake Capital Group of Santa Monica, California has bought Greenville, South Carolina-based Sage Automotive Interiors for an undisclosed sum.

The GSA Business report said Sage management also invested in the transaction.

According to the report, personnel changes are not expected and Sage will remain headquartered at the Clemson University International Center for Automotive Research.

Sage Automotive Interiors develops and manufacturers automotive body cloth used in seating, door panel surfaces and headliners.

It has offices and manufacturing locations in the U.S., Japan, China, Brazil, Korea, India and Europe, including on Highway 17 in Stephens County between Toccoa and Martin.

Sage formed in 2009 when Azalea Capital of Greenville completed its acquisition of Milliken & Co.’s automotive body cloth division.
The Gores Group, a Los Angeles, California investment firm, then bought Sage in 2011 for an undisclosed sum.

In the GSA Business report, Sage CEO Dirk Pieper said the move underscores Sage’s success and vision and provides a stable platform to help drive its future, both domestically and globally.

Sage said it has doubled its workforce over the past five years, invested $25 million in its South Carolina operations in the past four years, and added plants in China and Poland.