Columbus McKinnon Corporation closed its $2.7 billion acquisition of Kito Crosby Limited on February 4, 2026, creating a combined entity with annual revenues of roughly $2.1 billion and adjusted EBITDA of about $1.1 billion. The deal adds $2.1 billion in top‑line sales and $1.1 billion in operating earnings, positioning the new company as a leading global material‑handling platform.
The transaction is expected to generate $70 million in annualized net cost synergies by year three, driven by overlapping product lines, shared manufacturing facilities, and consolidated procurement. The combined adjusted EBITDA margin is projected to exceed 23%, up from CMCO’s pre‑acquisition margin of 20%, reflecting the higher‑margin consumables portfolio that Kito brings.
Strategically, the acquisition expands CMCO’s footprint in the Asia‑Pacific region, where Kito has a 42% presence, and deepens its intelligent‑motion capabilities across crane, engineered, and precision‑conveyor segments. The deal also broadens the company’s product breadth, adding Kito’s consumables‑heavy portfolio that delivers recurring revenue streams and improves margin stability.
The U.S. Department of Justice required CMCO to divest its U.S. power chain hoist and chain businesses to Pacific Avenue Capital Partners LLC to address antitrust concerns. The divestiture, completed concurrently with the acquisition, ensures that competition in the electric chain hoist market remains robust while allowing the combined company to focus on growth.
When the acquisition was first announced in February 2025, CMCO’s stock fell about 40% and analysts downgraded the company, citing a $0.56 per share earnings miss and the significant increase in leverage that the $2.7 billion deal would impose. The market reaction underscored investor concern over the debt load and integration risk, but the February 2026 completion signals that the company has met regulatory hurdles and is ready to execute on its growth plan.
David J. Wilson, President and CEO, said the deal “is a transformational moment that expands our scale, product breadth, and geographic reach, positioning us as a global leader in intelligent motion solutions.” He added that the company will focus on realizing the projected synergies and maintaining disciplined capital allocation to preserve financial flexibility.
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