Category Archives: News

Partners Group to acquire EyeCare Partners, a leading US medical vision services provider

Partners Group

Partners Group, the global private markets investment manager, has agreed to make a significant equity investment on behalf of its clients in EyeCare Partners LLC (“ECP” or “the Company”), the largest vertically integrated medical vision services provider in the US. Partners Group will become the majority shareholder, while ECP’s management team and physician partners will continue to maintain a substantial equity stake. The transaction is expected to close in the first quarter of 2020.

Founded in 2015 and headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri, ECP has an extensive network of full-scope medical optometry and ophthalmology practices, with over 450 locations across 13 states throughout the US. The Company employs over 500 optometrists and 85 ophthalmologists who, together with over 4,400 clinic staff, offer patients end-to-end services covering medical optometry, ophthalmology and sub-specialties, and vision correction products. ECP’s model provides an integrated network of services that cover the entire lifecycle of a patient’s eye care needs, which results in increased patient and physician satisfaction and retention.

Following the investment, Partners Group will work closely with ECP’s management team, led by Chief Executive Officer Kelly McCrann, on strategic initiatives to support ongoing organic and acquisitive growth. Key areas of focus for these initiatives will include the following: increasing the recruitment of high-quality ophthalmologists and optometrists; optimizing the network model; expanding and maximizing ambulatory surgical center utilization; enhancing administrative processes and operating efficiencies; investing in clinical technologies that enhance patient care; and pursuing select M&A partnership opportunities that provide world-class medical vision care and patient experience.

Kelly McCrann expresses the following: “Partners Group has excellent operational support capabilities and an extremely successful track record of working with high-growth companies to build critical mass in the highly fragmented US healthcare sector. We are thrilled to have found a long-term partner that shares our patient- and physician-centric outlook. We are very excited to work with Partners Group to both strengthen ECP’s offering and expand our presence throughout the US.”

Todd Miller, Managing Director, Co-Head Private Equity Directs Americas, Partners Group, states: “As the largest medically focused and integrated eye care services provider in the US, ECP is a market outperformer with strong momentum in a growing industry. We are excited to bring our operational experience with multi-site healthcare operations into partnership with ECP’s talented management team and physician partners, who share Partners Group’s focus on ensuring patient care remains at the forefront of operational decisions. We look forward to working together with Kelly and the entire team to enhance patient care, expand geographically, and build local density, among other things.”

Remy Hauser, Managing Director, Head of Healthcare Industry Value Creation, Partners Group, adds: “Our Thematic Sourcing efforts over the past 24 months identified the medical vision segment as a highly attractive sub-sector within the healthcare sector, ripe for organic growth, expansion, and consolidation. ECP’s vertically integrated model, offering the full spectrum of medical eye health solutions and one network for scheduling, billing and coordination, provides a competitive advantage as it creates a better experience, improved medical outcomes, and retention for patients, physicians and medical providers.”

Kirkland & Ellis LLP represented Partners Group in the transaction.

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Wendel announces the completion of its €200 million share repurchase programme

Wendel

The €200 million share repurchase agreement entered on March 26, 2019, with Goldman Sachs International (“Goldman Sachs”), initiated on April17, 2019,was completed on December 17, 2019. Between April 17, 2019 and December 17, 2019, in the context of this programme, Wendel acquired a total of1,645,338ordinary shares (representing 3.55% of outstanding shares count before the launch of the programme) at an average adjusted price of€121.5555.As a reminder, on April 23, 2019, Wendel made a €200 million payment to Goldman Sachs and received1,169,399 of its own ordinary shares. These shares were canceled on April 25, 2019.Upon completion of the agreement, Wendel received from Goldman Sachs 475,939 additional ordinary shares. This additional number of shares has been determined on the basis of the volume-weighted average price per share, less a discount, over the execution period.The additional 475,939 ordinary shares were delivered on December 19, 2019 were canceled on the same day. Wendel capital will thus be composed of 44,682,308 shares. It is recalled that the 913,184 shares currently held in treasury acquired prior to this share repurchase agreement and allocated to other objectives, are not intended to be cancelled.The liquidity contract, which had been suspended since April 17, 2019, will resume its activity starting from December 20, 2019.

About Wendel

Wendel is one of Europe’s leading listed investment firms. The Group invests in Europe, North America and Africa in companies which are leaders in their field, such as Bureau Veritas, Cromology, Stahl, IHS, Constantia Flexibles, Allied Universaland Tsebo. Wendel plays an active role as a controlling or lead shareholder in these companies. We implement long-term development strategies, which involve boosting growth and margins of companies so as to enhance their leading market positions. Wendel is listed on Eurolist by Euronext Paris. Standard & Poor’s ratings: Long-term: BBB, stable outlook –Short-term: A-2 since January 25, 2019 Moody’s ratings: Long-term: Baa2, stable outlook –Short-term: P-2 since September 5, 2018 Wendel is the Founding Sponsor of Centre Pompidou-Metz. In recognition of its long-term patronage of the arts, Wendel received the distinction of “Grand Mécène de la Culture” in 2012.

For more information: Follow us on Twitter @WendelGroup

Press contacts Analyst and investor contacts

Christine Anglade-Pirzadeh: +33 (0)1 42 85 63 24

Olivier Allot: +33 (0)1 42 85 63 73

c.anglade@wendelgroup.como.allot@wendelgroup.com

Caroline Decaux: +33 (0)1 42 85 91 27

Lucile Roch: +33 (0)1 42 85 672

c.decaux@wendelgroup.coml.roch@wendelgroup.com

Categories: News

Glamox acquires ES-SYSTEM

Triton

Oslo (Norway) 13 December 2019 – Glamox, a Triton fund IV company, has secured over 98 per cent of shares in the polish lighting company ES-SYSTEM, the largest lighting company in Poland by turnover.  

Glamox has acquired a total of 98.21% of shares in ES-SYSTEM through a public tender to shareholders concluded on December 4th. The tender was published on 14 October at 3.5 PLN per share, meaning company equity is recognized at a value of 150 million PLN (approx. 354 million NOK). The transaction was completed on 10 December and the purchase has been approved by the relevant competition authorities.

ES-SYSTEM is the leading supplier of professional lighting solutions in the Polish market. The company was founded in 1990 and has headquarters in Kraków, Poland with nearly 900 employees and factories in Wilkasy and Dobczyce and a yearly turnover of 192 million PLN (approx. 443 million NOK) (2018).  

The acquisition gives Glamox access to an attractive lighting market with high growth driven by a healthy macro-economy and a high level of activity in the construction and installation industry.

“The acquisition of ES-SYSTEM is in line with Glamox’s strategy of buying up leading companies in Western and Central Europe with matching customer segments, channels and market position. ES- SYSTEM’s products will further strengthen the range of products we are able to offer to our customers. In addition to giving us a leading position on the Polish market it will also strengthen us on our core markets,” says CEO of Glamox, Rune Marthinussen.

Glamox intends to acquire all shares in ES-SYSTEM and will put in motion an obligatory buy-out procedure for the remaining shares under the conditions stipulated by Polish law. Glamox also intends to withdraw ES-SYSTEM from the Warsaw Stock Exchange. 

About Glamox

Glamox is a leading provider of lighting solutions to the Northern European professional building market and to the global marine and offshore markets.

The Glamox Group is a global organization with approximately 1 400 employees and an annual turnover of NOK 2.8bn (2018). The Group owns a range of quality lighting brands including Glamox, Aqua Signal, Luxo, Norselight, LINKSrechts and Küttel. Glamox is committed to meeting customer needs and expectations by providing quality products and solutions, service and support.

As of December 2017, Funds advised by Triton are the majority owners of Glamox. 

About Triton

About Triton 

Since its establishment in 1997, Triton has sponsored nine funds, focusing on businesses in the industrial, business services, consumer and health sectors. The Triton funds invest in and support the positive development of medium-sized businesses headquartered in Europe.

Triton seeks to contribute to the building of better businesses for the longer term. Triton and its executives wish to be agents of positive change towards sustainable operational improvements and growth.

The 42 companies currently in Triton’s portfolio have combined sales of around €16,7 billion and around 80,800 employees

Press Contacts

Triton
Fredrik Hazén
Phone: +46 709 483 810

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Funds advised by Apax Partners to acquire Coalfire from The Carlyle Group and The Chertoff Group

Apax

Investment to help Coalfire accelerate growth across compliance and cybersecurity service offerings

Westminster, Colorado and New York, December 13, 2019: Funds advised by Apax Partners (the “Apax Funds”) today announced they have reached an agreement to acquire Coalfire, a provider of cybersecurity advisory and assessment services, from The Carlyle Group (NASDAQ: CG) and The Chertoff Group. The transaction is expected to be completed in early 2020, subject to regulatory approval. Financial terms were not disclosed.

Founded in 2001, Coalfire is a cybersecurity advisor that helps organizations avert threats, close gaps, and effectively manage cyber risk. By providing independent, tailored advice and services that span the cybersecurity lifecycle, Coalfire helps clients develop scalable programs that improve their security posture. The company today has more than 1,800 government and commercial clients and extensive cloud security experience, working with seven of the top ten SaaS providers. Coalfire’s more than 730 employees operate from 11 locations in the United States and the United Kingdom.

The investment from the Apax Funds will support Coalfire in accelerating its growth. Rohan Haldea, Partner at Apax Partners, said: “Coalfire is an established and highly-respected cybersecurity advisory and assessment services firm that is well-positioned for further growth due to cybersecurity trends and the vision of its strong management team. The Apax Funds’ investment will assist the company in particular by increasing Coalfire’s investment in technology; continuing to invest in thought leadership, especially with respect to securing cloud environments; and deepening capabilities across assurance standards while scaling its penetration testing and cyber risk services business.”

Tom McAndrew, Coalfire CEO, said: “We are thrilled with our new partnership with Apax, which will help drive our growth plans while continuing our commitment to our customers, people, and core values. The leadership, support, and investment provided by Carlyle, Chertoff, and Baird Capital have been instrumental in our success over the last four years, and we are excited to begin this new chapter.”

Carlyle Managing Director Steve Bailey said: “It has been a great pleasure working with Tom and his team, along with The Chertoff Group, to support Coalfire’s tremendous growth over the past four years as we leveraged our cybersecurity investing experience. We wish them much continued success.”

Haldea added: “We look forward to working with the Coalfire team as they broaden their services to support customers in navigating an environment that is characterized by an increasing range of cybersecurity challenges.” The Apax Funds have a successful track record of partnering with tech-enabled services businesses, including Engineering, EVRY, Fractal Analytics, GlobalLogic, Lexitas, ThoughtWorks, and Zensar.

William Blair served as financial advisor and Latham & Watkins served as legal advisor to Coalfire. PwC served as accounting advisor to Carlyle. Kirkland & Ellis LLP served as legal counsel to the Apax Funds.

The Carlyle Group invested in Coalfire in 2015 through its U.S. Equity Opportunity Fund I, a $1.1 billion U.S. middle-market fund.

About Coalfire

Coalfire is the trusted cybersecurity advisor that helps private and public-sector organizations avert threats, close gaps and effectively manage risk. By providing independent and tailored advice, assessments, technical testing, and cyber engineering services, we help clients develop scalable programs that improve their security posture, achieve their business objectives and fuel their continued success. Coalfire has been a cybersecurity thought leader for nearly 20 years and has offices throughout the United States and Europe. For more information, visit www.coalfire.com.

About Apax Partners

Apax Partners is a leading global private equity advisory firm. Over its more than 40-year history, Apax Partners has raised and advised funds with aggregate commitments of c.$50 billion. The Apax Funds invest in companies across four global sectors of Tech & Telco, Services, Healthcare, and Consumer. These funds provide long-term equity financing to build and strengthen world-class companies. For more information see: www.apax.com.

About The Carlyle Group 

The Carlyle Group (NASDAQ: CG) is a global investment firm with deep industry expertise that deploys private capital across four business segments: Corporate Private Equity, Real Assets, Global Credit, and Investment Solutions. With $222 billion of assets under management as of September 30, 2019, Carlyle’s purpose is to invest wisely and create value on behalf of its investors, portfolio companies and the communities in which we live and invest. The Carlyle Group employs more than 1,775 people in 33 offices across six continents.

About The Chertoff Group 

The Chertoff Group is a global advisory services firm that invests in and provides consulting, business development and M&A advisory services for clients in the security, defense and government services sectors.  The Chertoff Group applies security expertise, technology insights, and policy intelligence to help clients build resilient organizations, gain competitive advantage, and accelerate growth. Through its investment banking subsidiary Chertoff Capital, the firm provides M&A advisory services in global security markets and growth equity investments in cyber and tech-enabled security and defense sector companies.  For more information, visit www.chertoffgroup.com

About Baird Capital 

Baird Capital makes venture capital, growth equity and private equity investments in strategically targeted sectors around the world. Having invested in more than 300 companies over its history, Baird Capital partners with entrepreneurs and, leveraging its executive networks, strives to build exceptional companies. Baird Capital provides operational support to its portfolio companies through teams on the ground in the United States, Europe and Asia, a proactive portfolio operations team and a deep network of relationships, which together strive to deliver enhanced shareholder value. Baird Capital is the direct private investment arm of Robert W. Baird & Co. For more information, please visit BairdCapital.com.

Media Contacts

For Coalfire

Global Media: Mike Gallo, Lumina Communications | +1 212-239-8594 | luminacoalfire@luminapr.com

UK Media: Bryn Madden, Citypress | +44 161 235 0338 | coalfire@citypress.co.uk

For Apax Partners

Global Media: Andrew Kenny, Apax | +44 20 7 872 6371 | andrew.kenny@apax.com

USA Media: Todd Fogarty, Kekst CNC | +1 212-521-4854 | apax@kekstcnc.com

UK Media: Matthew Goodman / James Madsen, Greenbrook | +44 20 7952 2000 | apax@greenbrookpr.com

For The Carlyle Group

Christa Zipf, The Carlyle Group | +1 212-813-4578 | christa.zipf@carlyle.com

For The Chertoff Group

Global Media:  Meagan Hawkins | +1 202-552-5243 | meagan.hawkins@chertoffgroup.com

For Baird Capital

Rachel Kern | +1 414-298-5101 | rkern@rwbaird.com

Notes to Editors

London-headquartered Apax Partners (www.apax.com), and Paris-headquartered Apax Partners (www.apax.fr) had a shared history but are separate, independent private equity firms

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Altor to divest Ålö to JOST

Altor

Altor Fund III (“Altor”), Fort Knox Förvaring AB and Management Investors have today signed an agreement to divest Ålö Holding AB (“Ålö”), a world leader within material handling solutions in the agricultural industry to JOST Werke AG (“JOST”). JOST is a world leading supplier of systems to the Truck and Trailer Industry.

Ålö is a global market leader in top-quality front loaders and associated implements for agricultural tractors, with sales in more than 40 countries. Front loaders and implements are sold under the Quicke brand as well as in cooperation with tractor OEMs. The company has production facilities in Sweden, US, China and France.
“We are pleased to have found an excellent new home for Ålö” says Bengt Maunsbach, Partner at Altor Equity Partners. “JOST has strong capabilities to support Ålö in developing its many important OEM relationships and a global manufacturing footprint that will both open up new markets and provide economies of scale”.

“Ålö stands stronger than ever today” says Niklas Åström, CEO of Ålö. “We have during the past years developed and launched breakthrough new products such as the Q-Series premium loader and the Q-Companion digital control system. Together with our leading offer of implements, parts and service this has enabled Ålö to grow with both our OEM partners and in the dealer market”.

“We are delighted to bring Ålö into our portfolio of leading industrial brands” says Joachim Dürr, CEO of JOST. “We look forward to work with Ålö’s strong management team and to help Ålö continue to grow”.

The transaction is conditioned upon merger control approval and is expected to be finalized early 2020. The sellers were advised by Alantra, Swedbank Investment Banking, White & Case and EY.

For more information, please contact:
Tor Krusell, Head of Communications at Altor, Tel: +46 70 543 87 47

About Altor
Since inception, the family of Altor funds has raised some EUR 8.3 billion in total commitments. The funds have invested in excess of EUR 4.2 billion in more than 60 companies. The investments have been made in medium sized predominantly Nordic companies with the aim to create value through growth initiatives and operational improvements. Among current and past investments are Dustin, Byggmax, Piab, Aalborg Industries, Trioplast, SATS and RevolutionRace. For more information please visit www.altor.com

About Ålö
Ålö is a world leader in Front Loaders for the Agricultural Industry. The products are sold under the Quicke brand. Ålö develops and manufactures about 40,000 loaders every year and has revenue of about 2 billion SEK and about 700 employees. Ålö has manufacturing in Sweden, China, USA and France. For more information about Ålö please visit https://www.alo.se

About JOST
JOST is a leading global producer and supplier of safety-critical systems for commercial vehicles. The Company’s core brands “JOST”, “ROCKINGER”, “TRIDEC” and “Edbro” are well-recognized in the industry and highly regarded for their quality and continuous innovation. With its sales and production facilities in 22 countries across five continents, JOST has direct access to all major truck and trailer manufacturers and relevant end customers. JOST currently employs about 2,900 staff worldwide and has been listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange since 20 July 2017. For more information about JOST please visit https://www.jost-world.com

 

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KKR Completes Purchase of a Majority Interest in NVC China

KKR

HUIZHOU, China–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Dec. 12, 2019– Global investment firm KKR and NVC International Holdings Limited (“NVC International”) (Stock Code:2222) today announced the completion of KKR’s purchase of a majority interest in NVC Lighting’s China lighting business (“NVC China” or the “Company”). With the completion of the transaction, KKR owns 70 percent of NVC China and NVC International holds the other 30 percent.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20191212005229/en/

NVC China is a leading manufacturer of branded lighting products in China, and additionally provides lighting solutions to consumers and business clients through a robust distribution network across the country. Together with KKR and NVC International, NVC China aims to enhance its ability to meet Chinese consumers and businesses’ demand for high-quality lighting products and solutions. With the support of KKR’s extensive operational expertise, the Company will look to adopt enhanced technologies and practices to differentiate itself as an industry innovator in areas such as energy conservation.

Paul Yang, Member and Head of KKR Greater China, said, “NVC China is a true leader in China’s growing lighting market with a well-known brand and world-class operations. KKR will support the NVC China management team and look to accelerate the Company’s expansion plans and identify new opportunities for growth across cutting-edge design, digital optimization, and environmental sustainability. We look forward to working with NVC China’s current operation centers and distributors with strengthened and continuous investment in China, enhancing NVC China’s long-term planning and brand competitiveness, to a win-for-all within NVC’s ecosystem.”

Wang Donglei, Chairman of the Board of NVC International, said, “We are thrilled to welcome KKR as a new shareholder in NVC China to position this business for its next phase of growth. We are confident that the resources and operating expertise that KKR brings to the NVC China team will be extremely valuable for the long-term success of this business. We are excited to remain invested in NVC China alongside KKR which will allow NVC International and its shareholders to continue to benefit from the Company’s future successes.”

NVC China will continue in its commitment to the China market and focus on addressing the increasing demand of Chinese consumers and business clients for high-quality lighting products. The support of KKR’s resources and operational expertise will enable the business to undertake a long-term growth strategy that is also supported by China’s ongoing consumption, industrial and commercial upgrades, as well as the promotion of environmental protection, health and energy conservation. These trends underpin healthy long-term sector growth for the lighting industry in China, and NVC China will invest in its business to ensure the NVC brand stays ahead as a technology and business model innovator.

KKR made its investment from its flagship Asian Fund III. China is a core focus within KKR’s Asia Pacific strategy and will continue to prosper going forward. KKR has deployed more than US$4.6 billion since 2007 to support the development of domestic champions into industry leaders. KKR delivers deep, local expertise to Chinese companies across various sectors through its offices in Beijing, Hong Kong, and Shanghai.

About KKR

KKR is a leading global investment firm that manages multiple alternative asset classes, including private equity, energy, infrastructure, real estate and credit, with strategic partners that manage hedge funds. KKR aims to generate attractive investment returns for its fund investors by following a patient and disciplined investment approach, employing world-class people, and driving growth and value creation with KKR portfolio companies. KKR invests its own capital alongside the capital it manages for fund investors and provides financing solutions and investment opportunities through its capital markets business. References to KKR’s investments may include the activities of its sponsored funds. For additional information about KKR & Co. Inc. (NYSE: KKR), please visit KKR’s website at www.kkr.com and on Twitter @KKR_Co.

About NVC International

NVC International is a leading lighting solutions holding company. It designs, develops, produces, markets and sells a variety of lighting products, with a strong focus on energy-saving and health-promoting lighting products. After the transaction, NVC International will be primarily engaged in its non-lighting business in China and international business, which includes the design, development, production, marketing and sales of lighting products.

Source: KKR

Investors:
NVC International IR Team
Victoria Yu/Janet Tang
+852 3970 2238
ir@nvc-international.com; nvclighting@wsfg.hk

Media:
For KKR:
KKR Asia Pacific
Anita Davis, +852 3602 7335
Anita.Davis@KKR.com
Or
KKR Americas
Kristi Huller / Cara Major, +1 212-750-8300
Media@KKR.com

FTI Consulting (for KKR China)
Dee Wang, +86 21 2315 1138
kkrchina@fticonsulting.com

For NVC International:
Victoria Yu/Janet Tang
+852 3970 2238
ir@nvc-international.com; nvclighting@wsfg.hk

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ICE acquires WMPH Vacations to expand its cruise business and add new product capabilities

3I

3i-backed International Cruise & Excursions (“ICE”), a global leader in travel loyalty solutions, has acquired We Make People Happy Vacations (“WMPH”), a leading cruise travel agency. Don Walker and Uf Tukel, the WMPH co-founders, are re-investing alongside 3i and the other ICE shareholders. Don and Uf will join ICE and take on senior leadership roles for the combined business.

Founded in 2004 and headquartered in Delray, Florida, WMPH is a key partner to all major cruise lines, operating through its primary brand, iCruise, which is a leader in the industry and one of the best online resources for consumers to research and book cruises.

The acquisition will help enhance ICE’s cruise offering and will provide new sales capabilities, digital marketing and product technology. This will strengthen ICE’s travel-oriented closed-user groups (CUGs) and further enhance ICE’s leading cruise programmes.

Brian Fontana, CEO, ICE, commented: “We see a number of commercial synergies between the two organisations, and look forward to this next phase of the journey for WMPH and ICE. We would like to welcome co-founders Don Walker and Uf Tukel to the ICE team.”

Andrew Olinick, Partner at 3i, US added: “ICE has a track record of long term growth and introducing innovation into the travel industry.  ICE remains committed to cruise as a core market and we are excited about the significant new business and organic growth opportunities with WMPH in the ICE family.”

WMPH will continue to operate from its Delray, Florida headquarters, with support from ICE’s international service centres.  Located near major cruise suppliers, the company is well positioned to build and maintain partner relationships.  Founders Uf Tukel and Don Walker will join the leadership team at ICE and strengthen ICE’s commitment to excellence in cruise, product and marketing solutions.

3i invested in ICE in June 2018. ICE is headquartered in Scottsdale, Arizona with additional offices in Carlsbad, Australia, UK, Portugal, India, Mexico, New Zealand and the Philippines. It provides technology-based travel loyalty solutions for organisations such as Carnival, American Express, USAA and Diamond Resorts.

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Paragraf increases Series A round to £16.2m to accelerate product delivery

IQ Capital

UK-based graphene electronics technology company Paragraf announces today the addition of £3.4m to its series A round, with Draper Esprit joining as significant investor, bringing the total to £16.2m. The round was led by Parkwalk and included investment from IQ Capital, Amadeus Capital Partners, Cambridge Enterprise, the commercialisation arm of the University of Cambridge and Partners Investment Company, as well as several angel investors. The additional funding will enable Paragraf to significantly accelerate the delivery of its first graphene-based electronics products to market, transitioning the company into a commercial, revenue-generating entity.

As graphene appears to be reaching its tipping point in many low-cost applications such as road surfacing, paint and clothing where its improved wear resistance properties are offering benefits, the widely speculated, high-performance electronics applications have remained tantalisingly out of reach. Paragraf’s patent-protected break-through approach to graphene synthesis has enabled the company to develop some of the first graphene electronics devices using standard mass production scale approaches.

Paragraf has achieved very early delivery to market of its first product, a super-high sensitivity magnetic field detector with order of magnitude performance enhancements over existing sensors. The technology also provides operational capabilities over temperature, field and power ranges that no other device can currently achieve. On the back of this success the company has made a strategic decision to take on additional financing, enabling the business to super charge its development roadmap.

 

Dr Simon Thomas, CEO and Co-founder of Paragraf, said: “By accepting additional investment Paragraf is demonstrating its drive and commitment to rapidly productising its game changing graphene technologies, accelerating the timeframe in which these devices can be developed and, importantly, delivered to market.”

 

David Cummings, Partner at Draper Esprit, said “Graphene is known to be a material with huge potential, but Paragraf’s approach takes this into the realm of the commercially possible. We’re delighted to be able to support this dynamic company in accelerating the delivery of its first graphene-based electronics products and are looking forward to working closely with them as they continue to develop their technology.”

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Gryphon Investors Invests in Heartland Veterinary Partners

Gryphon Investors

Leading General Veterinary Practice Headquartered in the Midwest Provides Proven Platform for Continued Expansion

San Francisco, CA – December 12, 2019 —Gryphon Investors (“Gryphon”), a San Francisco-based middle-market private equity firm, announced today that it has made a majority investment in Heartland Veterinary Partners (“Heartland” or “the Company”), a leading veterinary support organization in the Mid-American and Southern U.S. markets. Tyree & D’Angelo Partners (“TDP”) and management will retain minority stakes alongside Gryphon. This transaction marks a continuation of Gryphon’s successful track record in helping to build leading multi-site healthcare services businesses. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Headquartered in Chicago, the Company partners with over 200 veterinarians across nearly 100 veterinary practices. The Company is focused on providing high-quality general veterinary services to companion animals and has an exceptional reputation within the industry due to its veterinarian-centric mission, vision, and values. CEO Dr. George Robinson, a 30-year veterinarian and industry expert, will remain with the Company and will retain an ownership stake, as will other members of senior management.

“Pets are an important part of the family unit in America. American pet ownership continues to grow and there is a long-term trend towards high-quality preventative care as well as exceptional medical treatment to improve the lives of pets,” said Kevin Blank, Healthcare Operating Partner at Gryphon. He added, “We believe that Heartland is well-positioned for growth in the highly fragmented veterinary services market and has demonstrated an ability to partner with veterinarians to better serve their communities.”

Luke Schroeder, Gryphon Principal, said, “Heartland offers scalable systems, standardized back office support operations, and a predictable and attractive business model generating strong, cash-based revenue. The Company has a terrific reputation as a partner of choice for veterinarians and there are opportunities to continue to grow the customer base and expand the services offered to pet owners. In addition, we will continue to prioritize growth through acquisitions.”

“We’re pleased to partner with Gryphon, which has a long track record of helping companies like ours successfully grow their businesses,” said Dr. Robinson. “With the support of Gryphon’s deep operational and financial resources, we look forward to expanding our network of affiliated veterinarian hospitals and accelerating growth across our core geographies.”

Houlihan Lokey acted as financial advisor to Gryphon, and William Blair was the financial advisor to Heartland. Kirkland & Ellis acted as legal advisor to Gryphon, and Winston & Strawn acted as legal advisor to Heartland.

About Heartland Veterinary Partners
Heartland Veterinary Partners is one of the highest quality and fastest growing veterinary support organizations in the United States, with nearly 100 veterinary practices across the Mid-American and Southern markets. Heartland’s footprint continues to rapidly expand through the successful execution of veterinary practice acquisitions and partnerships with independent practicing veterinarians focused on delivering general veterinary services to companion animals. For more information, please visit www.heartlandvetpartners.com.

About Gryphon Investors
Based in San Francisco, Gryphon Investors (www.gryphoninvestors.com) is a leading private equity firm focused on profitably growing and competitively enhancing middle-market companies in partnership with experienced management. The firm has managed over $5.0 billion of equity investments and capital since 1997. Gryphon targets making equity investments of $100 million to $300 million in portfolio companies with sales ranging from approximately $100 million to $500 million. Gryphon prioritizes investment opportunities where it can form strong partnerships with owners and executives to build leading companies, utilizing Gryphon’s capital, specialized professional resources, and operational expertise.

About Tyree & D’Angelo Partners
Based in Chicago, IL, Tyree & D’Angelo Partners is a leading lower middle market private equity firm that makes control ownership investments in businesses that generate less than $50 million of annual revenue and $1–$5 million of EBITDA. TDP seeks to establish true collaborative partnerships with business owners and management teams that will lead to substantial creation of value over a long-term investment horizon. To date, TDP has completed over 200 partnerships across its portfolio companies. For more information, please visit www.tdpfund.com.

Contacts

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Cegeka reinforces international position by acquiring KPN Consulting

GIMV

Cegeka and telco company KPN have agreed to sell KPN Consulting to Cegeka. KPN Consulting, which comprises all activities of KPN ICT Consulting and Call2, offers a wide array of bespoke ICT advice and support services regarding, among other things, ICT strategy, cloud services, and data analysis. The transaction fits into Cegeka’s Northern Europe growth strategy. This acquisition will see the Hasselt-based IT company double its turnover in the Netherlands, making it one of the country’s biggest IT service providers. KPN Consulting employs 750 staff and 250 contractors.

As part of the transaction, KPN and Cegeka will partner up to ensure services to KPN customers continue without interruption. According to the terms of this partnership, Cegeka will continue to provide advice and support services to KPN as its preferred provider.

Karim Henkens

“KPN Consulting’s services integrate seamlessly into the portfolio of Cegeka’s Dutch branch, presenting us with a strategic advantage. Customers can count on Cegeka as a reliable IT partner helping them to remain relevant in a quickly evolving digital world. The operation lets us strengthen our market position in the Netherlands, allowing us to keep on growing.”

Karim Henkens, Managing Director Netherlands, DACH and Nordics.

KPN Consulting’s services will be continued under the Cegeka name. For KPN, this transaction is in line with its strategy to speed up corporate simplification and to focus on its most important ICT services in the B2B market.

“This is an important step for Cegeka in our continuing international growth. Thanks to this acquisition, our activities in the Netherlands are now the same size as those in Belgium, dovetailing perfectly with our strategy. Also, local embeddedness is a strategic means for us to be closer to our customers, with additional presence in the north and west of the Netherlands.”

Stijn Bijnens, CEO Cegeka Group.

 

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