Frontenac is preparing to take Motion & Control Enterprises to the M&A market, PE Hub reports. The industrials company, a 2018 portfolio addition, is expected to hit the block in coming weeks, three sources told the publication. Churchill Asset Management and 50 South Capital co-led the continuation fund that gave Frontenac continued ownership of the asset.

The continuation fund structure allowed Frontenac to extend its hold on MCE beyond the typical fund life. Now the firm is moving to monetize the position, a move that signals confidence in the current M&A environment for industrials assets held within PE portfolios.

The sale will test buyer appetite for mid-market industrials companies. Frontenac's exit timing could set a tone for other PE-backed industrials deals in the pipeline.