Category Archives: News

Q Acquires TBL Performance Plastics

3I

SOLON, OH, October 2019 – Q announced today that it has entered into an agreement to acquire TBL Performance Plastics, Sparta, NJ, a leading manufacturer of single-use bio-process components and systems including fittings, tubing, single-use assemblies, and fabrication.

TBL represents a strategic acquisition for Q’s Biopharma Business, creating a flexible and multi-faceted biopharma component and single-use assembly manufacturer with North American and European production and distribution centers.

Together, Q and TBL will offer an in-depth suite of development and manufacturing services, material technologies, and industry expertise. The combined business will also offer complete product lifecycle management with cleanroom assembly and packaging services.

Thomas J. Hook, Chief Executive of Q, commented: “We are delighted to have reached this agreement to purchase TBL. The businesses are highly complementary and the acquisition represents a critical milestone in building Q’s Biopharma Business. It will significantly enhance the value we can deliver to our North American customer base.”

P. Robert DuPont Jr., CEO of TBL, added, “We are excited to be working with Q to build an industry-leading Single-Use Technology (“SUT”) business. Q’s operational excellence, synergistic capabilities, and silicone products are powerful resources. Combined with TBL’s portfolio of other non-metallic products and services for the biotech industry, our companies are strategically aligned as key players in the industry. The alignment will benefit our customers by providing them with a greater global network, product development, and manufacturing capabilities.”

Richard Relyea, Managing Director 3i North America, commented: “3i is pleased to support Q in this strategic acquisition of TBL. The combination further supports our commitment to expanding our offering in the biopharma market. We will continue to invest to further expand our capabilities, geographic footprint and differentiated products to better support our global customer base.”

About Q
Q provides world class engineered and elastomeric solutions for the global life sciences, automotive,
and industrial markets. With Centers of Excellence in North America, Mexico, Europe, the Middle East,
India and China, Q goes to market in the life sciences as Silicone Altimex and Q Medical Devices (Qure,
Degania, Biometrix, Arthesys) and in electrical management as Quality Synthetic Rubber (QSR).

About TBL
TBL Performance Plastics manufactures non-metallic single-use products tailored for biopharmaceutical
manufacturers, CMOs, drug development companies and related OEMs. TBL offers industry-leading
expertise in developing non-metallic fluid transfer and storage products with a heavy focus on quality,
regulatory compliance, and meeting the application-specific needs of our clients.

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Q Acquires TBL Performance Plastics

3I

SOLON, OH, October 2019 – Q announced today that it has entered into an agreement to acquire TBL Performance Plastics, Sparta, NJ, a leading manufacturer of single-use bio-process components and systems including fittings, tubing, single-use assemblies, and fabrication.

TBL represents a strategic acquisition for Q’s Biopharma Business, creating a flexible and multi-faceted biopharma component and single-use assembly manufacturer with North American and European production and distribution centers.

Together, Q and TBL will offer an in-depth suite of development and manufacturing services, material technologies, and industry expertise. The combined business will also offer complete product lifecycle management with cleanroom assembly and packaging services.

Thomas J. Hook, Chief Executive of Q, commented: “We are delighted to have reached this agreement to purchase TBL. The businesses are highly complementary and the acquisition represents a critical milestone in building Q’s Biopharma Business. It will significantly enhance the value we can deliver to our North American customer base.”

P. Robert DuPont Jr., CEO of TBL, added, “We are excited to be working with Q to build an industry-leading Single-Use Technology (“SUT”) business. Q’s operational excellence, synergistic capabilities, and silicone products are powerful resources. Combined with TBL’s portfolio of other non-metallic products and services for the biotech industry, our companies are strategically aligned as key players in the industry. The alignment will benefit our customers by providing them with a greater global network, product development, and manufacturing capabilities.”

Richard Relyea, Managing Director 3i North America, commented: “3i is pleased to support Q in this strategic acquisition of TBL. The combination further supports our commitment to expanding our offering in the biopharma market. We will continue to invest to further expand our capabilities, geographic footprint and differentiated products to better support our global customer base.”

About Q
Q provides world class engineered and elastomeric solutions for the global life sciences, automotive,
and industrial markets. With Centers of Excellence in North America, Mexico, Europe, the Middle East,
India and China, Q goes to market in the life sciences as Silicone Altimex and Q Medical Devices (Qure,
Degania, Biometrix, Arthesys) and in electrical management as Quality Synthetic Rubber (QSR).

About TBL
TBL Performance Plastics manufactures non-metallic single-use products tailored for biopharmaceutical
manufacturers, CMOs, drug development companies and related OEMs. TBL offers industry-leading
expertise in developing non-metallic fluid transfer and storage products with a heavy focus on quality,
regulatory compliance, and meeting the application-specific needs of our clients.

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Baird Capital and Council Capital Exit emids

Baird Capital

Baird Capital and Council Capital Exit emids

NASHVILLE, TN – September 26, 2019 – Council Capital, a healthcare-focused private equity firm based in Nashville, and Baird Capital, the direct private investment arm of Baird based in Chicago, announced today that they have sold their stakes in emids to New Mountain Capital. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Both firms initially invested in emids in 2013.

emids is a global provider of technology services and solutions for healthcare payers and providers. The company’s services include consulting, custom application development, and data solutions that support EHR application deployment and management, analytics, data integration and governance, software development and testing, and business intelligence. emids is headquartered in Nashville.

Since 2013, emids has grown exponentially by expanding its offerings, growing its customer base, and acquiring Encore Health, which expanded its coverage in the provider market. emids’ success has been reinforced by its outstanding team, who are responsible for emids consistently achieving strong KLAS ratings – the standard for assessing vendor quality in the healthcare market.

“We sincerely enjoyed partnering with the team at emids and are excited for the company to continue its growth,” said Grant Jackson, Managing General Partner at Council Capital. “emids is well positioned to continue to capitalize on the tremendous opportunities within the healthcare information technology services sector, and we are confident that the company will continue to thrive in partnership with New Mountain Capital.”

“We consider ourselves fortunate to have worked with emids and its talented leadership team over the last six years,” said Jim Pavlik, Partner at Baird Capital. “We are proud of emids’ growth and leadership in enabling digital transformation in the healthcare industry and are excited about the company’s opportunity to drive further innovation and value for its clients in its next phase of growth.”

Saurabh Sinha, Founder and CEO of emids, added, “We have appreciated our partnership with Council Capital and Baird Capital over the last six years. Fast-growing companies don’t have trouble accessing capital. What I needed was access to proven company builders who share best practices, open doors to fuel growth and are people I trust to have the company’s best interests at heart. Both Council and Baird delivered on this for us.”

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. Incorporated. For more information, please visit BairdCapital.com.

About Council Capital

Council Capital is a healthcare-focused private equity firm based in Nashville, Tennessee. Council Capital invests in lower middle market healthcare-related companies where it can drive growth by applying its Council Model, which draws upon the resources and experience of its CEO Council (experienced industry executives), Strategic Healthcare Investors, and Shared Portfolio Executives. Council Capital leverages its Council Model to attract and support leading management teams and portfolio companies on the ‘right side’ of change in the healthcare industry – where growth will accelerate as cost pressure and quality demands increase. Council Capital targets control and minority investments with enterprise values between $10 million and $50 million. For more details, please visit www.councilcapital.com.

About emids

emids is a global provider of healthcare technology expertise and consulting services and solutions that serves payers, providers and tech enablers. Headquartered in Nashville, emids helps bridge the critical gaps in accessible, affordable, high-quality healthcare by providing advisory consulting services, custom application development and data solutions. Services include EHR application deployment and management, analytics, data integration and governance, software development and testing, and business intelligence. Visit www.emids.com.

Baird Capital

414-298-5101
www.bairdcapital.com

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Loopia acquires Binero Group’s mass hosting business to further strengthen its leading position in the Swedish market

Axcel

Loopia has signed an agreement with Binero Group AB (publ.) to acquire its web hosting business in Sweden and Germany. The business provides web hosting and domain registrations to small and medium sized companies and consumers and will be carved out in a transaction expected to close on August 31, 2019. For Loopia, this is another step towards having the scale to provide an even better user experience for our many customers.

The business that Loopia is acquiring offers web hosting and domain registration to small and medium size enterprises and consumers in a subscription model. The customer base and services fit well into the Loopia Group and the combined team will join forces to pursue Loopia’s ambition to deliver a superior user experience, technological innovations and outstanding local support to our customers. The purchase price was approximately SEK 380 million.

– ​We are excited to welcome employees and customers alike into the Loopia Group. Combined, we will be a clear leader in Sweden and stronger in Germany. This strengthens our capacity to invest in creating the best user experience for our many customers, says Sara Laurell, CEO of Loopia Group.

Loopia Group is an innovative European web services and hosting business with operations in Sweden, in Central Eastern Europe, and across Western Europe. This is a milestone in Loopia Group’s growth journey and follows the acquisitions of .SE Direkt with 116,000 domains in Sweden on February 12, 2019 and of WebSupport – the #1 provider in Slovakia – on March 31, 2019.

Since June 2018, Loopia Group has been owned by Axcel, a Nordic private equity firm focusing on mid-market companies. ABG Sundal Collier acted as exclusive financial adviser in the transaction.

For more information, please contact:
Sara Laurell
CEO Loopia Group
+46 72 708 4848
sara.laurell@loopiagroup.com

About Loopia Group
Loopia is an innovative European web services and hosting business with its largest operations in Sweden, in the Czech Republic with Active24 and WebSupport in Slovakia. Loopia also provides services to customers in Germany, Great Britain, the Netherlands, Norway, Serbia and Spain.

For more information, click here.

About Binero Group
Binero Group is a Swedish company with a broad range of services within hosting and cloud solutions. The share is traded on Nasdaq First North, ticker BINERO

For more information, click here.

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JOHBECO acquires the Finnish fish and seafood specialist Arvo Kokkonen

Litorina

The Swedish fresh food specialist group JOHBECO, which includes Johan i Hallen and Bergfalk & Co, strengthens its position in Finland by acquiring the Finnish fish and seafood specialist Arvo Kokkonen Oy. Thanks to this partnership, Arvo Kokkonen can now also offer its customers in Finland a complete range of high-quality meat and delicatessen products.

Arvo Kokkonen offers a complete range of fresh and frozen fish and seafood products and holds a strong position in Finland, having been operating in this sector for 40 years. The aim is to offer a varied assortment of environmentally certified products to customers throughout Finland. Arvo Kokkonen is established in Vantaa, just outside Helsinki, and Nurmes, in eastern Finland. Thousands of kilos of fish and seafood are transported daily from Vantaa to restaurants, shops and wholesalers. Thanks to its facility at Nurmes, located beside a lake, the company has access to a variety of freshwater fish and extensive experience from its own smokehouses.

Jari Kokkonen, CEO of Arvo Kokkonen Oy, feels positive about the new collaboration.
“We noted early in the discussions that we share the same opinions and passion for what we do. Being part of a larger group will make it easier for our customers to gain access to a much wider selection of food products than previously. All from a single supplier. With such a broad range of fish, seafood, meat and delicatessen products we will also be able to attract new customers” says Jari Kokkonen.

Lars Bengtsson, CEO of JOHBECO, views the acquisition as an important step in the group’s continued expansion process.
“We started off in Finland three years ago with Bergfalk & Co Oy and we felt that it was now time to further strengthen our position in the country. Our values and opinions are wholly in line with those of Arvo Kokkonen and we look forward to continuing to develop our role on the Finnish market with two strong segments there now, fish and meat” concludes Lars.


For further information, please contact:
Lars Bengtsson, CEO, JOHBECO AB
tel. +46 70 523 30 02, lars.bengtsson@johbeco.se

 

In 2019, the JOHBECO group has presented several new acquisitions. The group previously consisted of Johan i Hallen AB and Bergfalk & Co AB, but has now also added fish and seafood specialists Fiskeboa i GBG AB, Gothia Seafood AB and Fiskgrossisten i Helsingborg AB. Together with the acquisition of Arvo Kokkonen Oy, the group now has a turnover of around EUR 160 million (SEK 1.7 billion).

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Blackstone to Partner with Leading French Dark Fiber Provider Sipartech

Blackstone

Paris, France, October 4, 2019 – Blackstone (NYSE:BX) today announced the signing of definitive documentation by Blackstone Tactical Opportunities (“Blackstone”) to form an equity partnership with Sipartech S.A. (“Sipartech”), a provider of telecom infrastructure solutions in France. Sipartech holds a leading position in the deployment of dark fiber, with a focus on serving data center and hyperscaler customers that are the largest consumers of wholesale data connectivity.

Blackstone will acquire its stake from growth equity investor Summit Partners, who invested in the business alongside Founder & CEO Julien Santina in 2016. The transaction is expected to close in late 2019, subject to regulatory approval; financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

“Sipartech has established a world-class and differentiated network infrastructure in France focused on the most demanding and complex connectivity requirements,” said Jasvinder Khaira, a Senior Managing Director in Blackstone’s Tactical Opportunities Group. “Providing growth capital to founders to accelerate their growth is a hallmark of Blackstone’s investments in the telecom and internet infrastructure sector, and we are thrilled to support Julien and the rest of the management team as they expand their presence in the European marketplace.”

“We expect France to be at the intersection of exponential growth in fiber connectivity needs in Europe over the coming years. Investing in Sipartech substantially augments our European digital infrastructure presence, and we are excited to support the Company’s ongoing remarkable growth in France and across continental Europe,” said Thomas Senecal, also of Blackstone Tactical Opportunities.

“We have done a great job with Summit Partners over the last 3 years. As we enter the next chapter of our growth, we are proud and very excited to partner with Blackstone Tactical Opportunities, who shares our vision and will support us in our ambitious growth plans,” said Julien Santina, Sipartech’s majority shareholder and CEO.

“Julien and the Sipartech team have built a market leading fiber network in France and an impressive business. They have delivered growth that has outpaced the incumbents, and we believe the business is very well positioned for the future. It has truly been an honor to work alongside the team as the company has scaled,” said Christian Strain, a Managing Director with Summit Partners.

Sipartech is among the fastest growing dark fiber providers in France, with a strong presence in Paris and other major French metropolitan centers. The company was founded in 2008 by Julien Santina and has grown into a leading provider of B2B and wholesale dark fiber services and other telecom services. Headquartered in Paris, Sipartech owns and operates over 3,000km of fiber across France.

Blackstone was advised by Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP. Sipartech was advised by Lazard Frères & Co and Paul Hastings LLP, and Summit Partners was advised by Latham & Watkins LLP.

About Blackstone

Blackstone is one of the world’s leading investment firms. We seek to create positive economic impact and long-term value for our investors, the companies we invest in, and the communities in which we work. We do this by using extraordinary people and flexible capital to help companies solve problems. Our asset management businesses, with $545 billion in assets under management, include investment vehicles focused on private equity, real estate, public debt and equity, growth equity, opportunistic, non-investment grade credit, real assets and secondary funds, all on a global basis. Further information is available at www.blackstone.com. Follow Blackstone on Twitter @Blackstone.

About Tactical Opportunities
Tac Opps is Blackstone’s opportunistic investment platform.  The Tac Opps team invests globally across asset classes, industries and geographies, seeking to identify and execute on attractive, differentiated investment opportunities.  As part of the strategy, the team leverages the intellectual capital across Blackstone’s various businesses while continuously optimizing its approach in the face of ever-changing market conditions.

About Summit Partners
Founded in 1984, Summit Partners is a global alternative investment firm that is currently managing more than $19 billion in capital dedicated to growth equity, fixed income and public equity opportunities. Summit invests across growth sectors of the economy and has invested in more than 500 companies in technology, healthcare and other growth industries. Summit has backed more than 60 communications technology businesses, including Acacia Communications, Accedian Networks, Casa Systems, Finisar, Fuze, MACOM and Ubiquiti. Summit maintains offices in North America and Europe, and invests in companies around the world. For more information, please see www.summitpartners.com or on Twitter at @SummitPartners.

In the United States of America, Summit Partners operates as an SEC-registered investment advisor. In the United Kingdom, this document is issued by Summit Partners LLP, a firm authorized and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Summit Partners LLP is a limited liability partnership registered in England and Wales with registered number OC388179 and its registered office is at 11-12 Hanover Square, London, W1S 1JJ, UK. This document is intended solely to provide information regarding Summit Partners’ potential financing capabilities for prospective portfolio companies.

About Sipartech
Founded in 2008 by Julien Santina, Sipartech is a leading neutral and independent European infrastructure carrier. Sipartech provides a wide portfolio of connectivity products and services to more than 500 customers in the world, including data centers, hyperscalers, enterprises, and telecom operators. : www.sipartech.com

MEDIA CONTACTS:

Blackstone:
Ramesh Chhabra
+44 20 7451 4053
ramesh.chhabra@blackstone.com

Paula Chirhart
+1-212-583-5011
paula.chirhart@blackstone.com

Sipartech:
Isabelle Saint-Pol
+33 (0)1 84 13 01 00
contact@sipartech.com

Summit Partners:
Meg Devine
+1 617 824 1047
mdevine@summitpartners.com

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Cinven to invest in National Seating & Mobility

Cinven

Leading provider of complex mobility solutions in North America

Cinven, the international private equity firm, today announces that it has agreed to make an investment in National Seating & Mobility (‘NSM’), a leading provider of complex rehabilitation mobility and accessibility solutions. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee, NSM provides personalised solutions to individuals with mobility challenges by bringing together industry-leading expertise, uniquely engineered systems and breakthrough technologies. NSM’s Assistive Technology Professionals (‘ATPs’) work closely with physical and occupational therapists throughout the US and Canada to design customised, complex wheelchairs to meet the unique needs of each client. Established in 1992, today NSM has more than 1,850 employees operating from 149 branches across the US and Canada serving more than 100,000 clients annually.

Alex Leslie, Partner at Cinven, commented:

“This is an attractive opportunity for Cinven to invest in NSM, a leading player in the Complex Rehab Technology market in North America. NSM operates in an industry we have been evaluating deeply for several years through our work in the Healthcare sector team in both Europe and the US.”

John Richardson, Senior Principal at Cinven, added:

“We are looking forward to partnering with NSM’s highly experienced management team to accelerate the company’s growth, both organically and through strategic acquisitions. Cinven will invest significantly in the business to ensure that NSM remains at the forefront of providing best-in-class complex mobility solutions.”

Bill Mixon, CEO of NSM, said:

“NSM was founded with a very simple mission: to provide self-reliance for our clients through mobility. Our goal is to drive independence for those we serve, and propel the future of possibilities for the Complex Rehab Technology industry.

“We are very excited to continue pursuing our mission through our new partnership with Cinven. The Cinven team’s significant expertise in the global Healthcare sector, as well as its proven track record of investing in, and working with, healthcare companies to expand their businesses will be invaluable to us as we look to enter our next phase of growth.”

Advisors to Cinven on the transaction included: Jefferies LLC, Cain Brothers, a division of KeyBanc Capital Markets, Latham & Watkins LLP and Deloitte LLP.

Categories: News

CVC funds to partner with ironSource

New investment by CVC funds will allow ironSource to further accelerate both organic and inorganic growth

Leading mobile marketing company ironSource announced today that CVC Funds have agreed to acquire a minority stake for over $400 million in the company. The partnership reflects a shared long-term vision to further strengthen ironSource’s position as a global market leader in the high-growth mobile advertising and mobile gaming technology markets and will serve to accelerate strategic growth.

“As one of the world’s most respected private equity firms, CVC has a track record of successfully partnering with companies to drive global growth,” said Tomer Bar Zeev, CEO and Co-Founder of ironSource. “As such they are the perfect partner for this next phase in our journey, as we continue to scale internationally, engage with A-class partners and invest heavily in building out our offering for game developers.”

Profitable from almost day one, ironSource has grown rapidly since its founding in 2009 and is on track to finish 2019 with approximately $1 billion of revenue. Through its various technologies, the company works with a unique combination of customers including software, app and game developers, telecom operators, and mobile device original equipment manufacturers (OEMs). The company  focuses on developing technologies for app monetization and distribution, with its core products targeting game developers.

The  gaming industry is experiencing rapid growth, and is on track to generate $180 billion in 2021, with mobile gaming experiencing a 27% CAGR. ironSource’s growth platform provides mobile game developers with the tools they need to grow and scale their game businesses.

“We’re witnessing the creation of a sector, gametech, which supports this growing ecosystem, with tailor-made tech solutions such as advertising, marketing, analytics, market intelligence, CRM and more,” says Bar-Zeev. “Our continued investment in this industry is part of a wider goal to be the go-to partner for any game developer looking to scale their game business.”

Another key growth driver for the company is Aura, ironSource’s solution for mobile carriers and device manufacturers. Aura provides a dynamic engagement and content distribution solution, empowering OEMs and telecoms operators to build ongoing relationships with their customers, ultimately turning those customers into engaged users. The technology is integrated on more than 120 million mobile devices globally, through partnerships with the top telecoms operators in the US and international mobile OEMs.

“By combining best-in-class technology with strategic acquisitions we’ve proven our ability to support the growth of our clients and create a unique experience for their users, and that’s something we plan to continue investing in moving forward,” concluded Bar Zeev.

“We are delighted to be partnering with such an innovative and exciting technology business,” said Daniel Pindur, Partner at CVC Capital Partners. “The investment in ironSource  is a unique opportunity to support a well-respected founder-led organization to accelerate its growth. We look forward to working with Tomer Bar Zeev and his team to take the company to the next level.”

Sebastian Kuenne, Managing Director, CVC Growth Partners added: “We are very excited about CVC Funds’ first technology deal in Israel. Israel is a hub for leading edge technology companies and ironSource is a prime example. We are excited by the opportunity to partner with ironSource’s founders to continue to provide leading technology solutions to its customers.”

Board members at ironSource, Shlomo Dovrat, Co-Founder of Viola Ventures and Ronen Nir, GP at Viola Ventures, added: “As the first institutional investor in ironSource, we had the honour of working with this exceptional founding team, and supporting their growth to become one of Israel’s first unicorns. We are big believers in the company’s ongoing journey to becoming a global leader and with CVC’s support, we are confident the company will sustain its rapid growth and high profitability. ironSource is a fantastic example of Viola’s commitment to backing Israeli entrepreneurs who aspire to build multi-billion dollar companies, and is an inspiration for the entire Israeli tech ecosystem.”

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Blackstone to Acquire 65% Controlling Interest in Great Wolf Resorts and Form New $2.9 Billion Joint Venture With Centerbridge Partners

Blackstone

NEW YORK–Blackstone Real Estate Partners IX, an affiliate of Blackstone (NYSE: BX) (“Blackstone”), and affiliates of Centerbridge Partners, L.P. (“Centerbridge”, the existing owner) announced today that Blackstone is acquiring a 65% controlling interest in Great Wolf Resorts, Inc. (“Great Wolf” or the “Company”). Great Wolf is a leading owner and operator of family-oriented entertainment resorts, with 18 resorts around the country. As part of the transaction, Blackstone and Centerbridge will form a new $2.9 billion joint venture to own the Company.

Tyler Henritze, Head of US Acquisitions for Blackstone Real Estate, commented, “We have been very impressed by the evolution and growth of the company under Centerbridge’s ownership. With the leadership of its talented management team, Great Wolf has enriched the guest experience and opened seven new lodges since 2015. We look forward to investing in these properties to further deliver for guests and grow the company.”

“We are enthusiastic about partnering with Blackstone to continue accelerating the growth of the company,” stated William D. Rahm, a Senior Managing Director and Global Head of Real Estate at Centerbridge. “Blackstone is one of the most experienced and successful investors in the hospitality and leisure industries, and is highly supportive of Great Wolf’s growth potential and each lodge’s ability to provide unparalleled experiences for families.”

Murray Hennessy, the CEO of Great Wolf Resorts, stated, “We are pleased to welcome Blackstone as a new member of the Great Wolf pack and excited to begin the next chapter for our rapidly expanding company. Great Wolf stands to benefit greatly from Blackstone’s world-class insights and expertise in hospitality, and values Centerbridge’s continued involvement as we look to further expand the Great Wolf brand with the development of new resorts and enhancements to our renowned immersive family experiences.”

Advisors
Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC and Citigroup Global Markets Inc. are serving as financial advisors to Great Wolf, and Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP is serving as legal counsel to Great Wolf.

Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson LLC is serving as legal counsel to Blackstone.

About Great Wolf Resorts, Inc.
Great Wolf provides safe and immersive entertainment experiences for families in all seasons and all weather conditions across 18 resorts, or “lodges”, in the United States and Canada, with more in the pipeline including a new lodge in Northern California scheduled to open in 2020. Every Great Wolf lodge contains a full-service hotel, expansive indoor waterpark, recreational activities including game rooms, ropes courses, and family bowling alleys, various food & beverage offerings, and themed experiences with proprietary characters unique to Great Wolf. The company has approximately 6,000 full-time employees nationwide.

About Centerbridge Partners, L.P. (“Centerbridge”)
Centerbridge Partners, L.P. is a private investment management firm employing a flexible approach across investment disciplines—from private equity to credit and related strategies, and real estate—in an effort to find the most attractive opportunities for our investors and business partners. The Firm was founded in 2005 and as of June 30, 2019 has approximately $27 billion in capital under management with offices in New York and London. Centerbridge is dedicated to partnering with world-class management teams across targeted industry sectors and geographies to help companies achieve their operating and financial objectives. For more information, please visit www.Centerbridge.com.

About Blackstone Real Estate
Blackstone is a global leader in real estate investing. Blackstone’s real estate business was founded in 1991 and has $154 billion of investor capital under management. Blackstone is one of the largest property owners in the world, owning and operating assets across every major geography and sector, including logistics, multifamily and single family housing, office, hospitality and retail. Our opportunistic funds seek to acquire undermanaged, well-located assets across the world. Blackstone’s Core+ strategy invests in substantially stabilized real estate globally through regional open-ended funds focused on high-quality assets, and Blackstone Real Estate Income Trust, Inc. (BREIT), a non-listed REIT that invests in U.S. income-generating assets. Blackstone Real Estate also operates one of the leading global real estate debt businesses, providing comprehensive financing solutions across the capital structure and risk spectrum, including management of Blackstone Mortgage Trust (NYSE: BXMT).

Contacts

Blackstone Contact
Jennifer Friedman
Jennifer.Friedman@blackstone.com 
Tel: (212) 583-5122

Centerbridge Contact 
Jeremy Fielding / Anntal Silver
Kekst CNC
jeremy.fielding@kekstcnc.com / anntal.silver@kekstcnc.com 
Tel: (212) 521-4800

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DIF Capital Partners’ investment in Irish Schools PPP project successfully completed

DIF

DIF Capital Partners (“DIF”) is pleased to report that the construction of the Irish Schools PPP Bundle 5 project (the “Project”) has been successfully delivered. The comprehensive restructuring was required due to the liquidation of the project contractor Carillion in 2018, which initially led to a standstill of the construction of the new school facilities and uncertainty for many students.

Carlow Campus, including Tyndall college and the institute of Further Education are the last facilities in the Project that opened their doors to students for the start of the new school year. This marks the successful completion of all six facilities within the Project. The other facilities became operational in Q3 2018 and Q2 2019.

The Irish Schools PPP Programme, procured by the National Development Finance Agency (“NDFA”) on behalf of the Department of Education & Skills (“DoES”), represents a major investment in education infrastructure through the delivery of new, state-of-the-art education facilities by way of public private partnership (“PPP”) arrangements. The Project delivered five replacement schools and one replacement Institute of Further Education that will be used by DoES as a template for other projects as a centre of excellence.

DIF had previously confirmed its longstanding commitment to the Project by appointing Omagh-based Woodvale Construction (“Woodvale”) as a replacement contractor in June 2018, following the liquidation of Carillion, a UK construction company and DIF’s original co-shareholder in the Project. This built on Woodvale’s experience in projects to deliver education facilities. Integrated facilities management services and life cycle provisions are provided by Sensori Facilities Management, a joint venture of John Sisk and Son, one of the largest Irish construction companies, and Designer Group, the Dublin-based international electrical and mechanical engineering business.

DIF was able to proceed with the Project and to successfully deliver it due to constructive cooperation and negotiations between all stakeholders. This will secure education in all new facilities over the next 25 years.

About DIF Capital Partners

DIF Capital Partners (“DIF”) is an independent infrastructure fund manager, with €5.6 billion of assets under management across seven closed-end infrastructure funds and several co-investment vehicles. DIF invests in construction and operational infrastructure assets, that generate stable and predictable cash flows, located in Europe, Americas and Australasia through two complementary strategies:

  • DIF Infrastructure V targets equity investments in public-private partnerships (PPP/PFI/P3), concessions, regulated utilities and renewable energy projects with long-term contracted or regulated income streams.
  • DIF Core Infrastructure Fund I targets equity investments in small to mid-sized infrastructure assets in the energy, transportation and telecom sectors with mid-term contracted income streams.

DIF has a team of over 135 professionals, based in nine offices located in Schiphol (the Netherlands), Frankfurt, London, Luxembourg, Madrid, Paris, Santiago, Sydney and Toronto. Please visit www.dif.eu for further information.

Contact:
Allard Ruijs, Partner
Email: a.ruijs@dif.eu

 

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