Source: Round2 Corp/The Toy Book

Indiana-based Round 2 Corp. — best-known as the maker of die-cast vehicles, model kits, and slot racing sets marketed under the Johnny Lightning, Auto World, AMT, and Racing Champions brands — has entered into a new partnership with Praesidian Capital.

The New York-based private equity group acquired a 51% controlling interest in Round 2.

“I’m thrilled to be partnering with the Praesidian team as they will bring significant resources as we continue to scale the business, both organically and through acquisitions,” says Round 2 President and Founder, Thomas Lowe. “It’s also really great that there are no staff changes and the headquarters remains here in South Bend, Indiana. Our customers can be assured that it is business as usual at Round 2, with lots of continued growth to come.”

Related: Auto World, Kidracer Founder Oscar Koveleski Dies at 88

“Product design and innovation will always be at the core of Round 2’s growth strategy, but we also believe that there is a significant consolidation opportunity within the highly fragmented collectibles space, says Praesidian Capital Partner Glenn Harrison. “We will be working closely with the Round 2 team to continue to build on its already impressive list of brands.”

Round 2 products are available at major retailers and hobby shops, including Walmart, Meijer, Hobby Lobby, and more.

About the author

James Zahn

James Zahn

James Zahn, AKA The Rock Father, is Editor-in-Chief of The Toy Book, a Senior Editor at The Toy Insider and The Pop Insider, and Editor of The Toy Report, The Toy Book‘s weekly industry newsletter. As a pop culture and toy industry expert, Zahn has appeared as a panelist and guest at events including Comic-Con International: San Diego (SDCC) Wizard World Chicago, and the ASTRA Marketplace & Academy. Zahn has more than 30 years of experience in the entertainment, retail, and publishing industries, and is frequently called upon to offer expert commentary for publications such as Forbes, Marketwatch, the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, USA Today, Reuters, the Washington Post, and more. James has appeared on History Channel’s Modern Marvels, was interviewed by Larry King and Anderson Cooper, and has been seen on Yahoo! Finance, CNN, CNBC, FOX Business, NBC, ABC, CBS, WGN, The CW, and more. Zahn joined the Adventure Media & Events family in 2016, initially serving as a member of the Parent Advisory Board after penning articles for the Netflix Stream Team, Fandango Family, PBS KIDS, Sprout Parents (now Universal Kids), PopSugar, and Chicago Parent. He eventually joined the company full time as a Senior Editor and moved up the ranks to Deputy Editor and Editor-in-Chief.

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