Tag Archives: Services

HPEF IV has entered into an agreement to sell Seagull

Herkules

HPEF IV has entered into an agreement to sell Seagull to a fund managed by Oakley Capital. The agreement was signed on 13 May 2019 and the transaction is expected to close in July 2019.
Seagull is the leading provider of competence & training management solutions for the maritime industry. The company was established in 1996 and is based in Horten, Norway.

HPEF IV invested in Seagull in June 2015. During HPEF IV’s ownership period, Seagull has experienced challenging end-markets with charter rates across its key customer segments at trough levels. Despite this, the company has achieved organic revenue growth and strong profitability improvement.

As part of the value creation plan, two add-ons were completed. The most recent acquisition, Tero Marine, closed in May 2019.

Due to strong cash generation, the company also managed to return substantial capital to its shareholders during the ownership period.

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BC Partners sells majority stake in Acuris to ION Investment Group

NEW YORK – May 13, 2019 – Funds advised by BC Partners (“BC Partners”) announced the sale of a majority stake in Acuris, a global provider of proprietary financial intelligence, data and analytics, to ION Investment Group (“ION”). ION will acquire a controlling stake in the company from BC Partners and GIC, Singapore’s sovereign wealth fund. BC Partners and Acuris management are reinvesting and will retain minority ownership.

With nearly 1,500 employees in 66 different locations worldwide, Acuris is a leading global financial information provider, with a large and diversified base of investor, advisory and corporate clients. It provides proprietary insights and analytics across six key financial areas: fixed income, transactions, equities, compliance, infrastructure and research. Acuris’ differentiated content and products, including Mergermarket, Debtwire and several others, are deeply embedded in the workflow of over 115,000 daily users and nearly 5,000 subscribing firms.

Nikos Stathopoulos, Partner at BC Partners and Chairman of Acuris, said, “When we invested in Acuris in 2014, we saw an opportunity to accelerate its growth and to build a strong franchise, in partnership with Hamilton and the management team. We invested significantly in Acuris’ technology platform, expanded geographically, launched new products, content and data sets and executed nine accretive acquisitions, which have allowed us to create new product divisions. We’re proud of the way Acuris has developed over the last five years into a leader in global financial intelligence, data and analytics, and see significant potential for further value creation. ION’s complementary capabilities, technologies and customers make it an ideal partner to support the next stage of Acuris’ growth.”

Hamilton Matthews, CEO of Acuris, said, “We are excited to partner with ION and will benefit from the strength of their platforms and their network of relationships with financial institutions and corporations. On behalf of my firm and my team, I extend our gratitude and appreciation to Nikos and BC Partners for their continued support and guidance and we look forward to partnering with ION and BC Partners as we embark on our next phase of growth.”

Andrea Pignataro, ION’s CEO and Founder said “Acuris’ leading position in financial intelligence, data and analytics is highly complementary to ION’s business. Together, ION and Acuris will continue to deliver innovative, differentiated intelligence and solutions to financial institutions and corporations. We are looking forward to partnering with BC Partners to support the company’s growth and development.”

UBS Investment Bank acted as exclusive financial advisor to ION and provided committed financing in support of the transaction. J.P. Morgan and Goldman Sachs acted as financial advisors to Acuris on the transaction.

About BC Partners
BC Partners is a leading international investment firm with over €25 billion of committed capital in private equity, private credit and real estate. Established in 1986, BC Partners has played an active role in developing the European buy-out market for three decades. Today, BC Partners executives operate across markets as an integrated team through the firm’s offices in North America and Europe. Since inception, BC Partners Private Equity has completed 108 private equity investments in companies with a total enterprise value of €135 billion and is currently investing its tenth private equity fund. For more information, please visit www.bcpartners.com.

About Acuris
Founded in 2000, Acuris provides proprietary, actionable intelligence, data and analytics to the world’s principal advisory firms, investment banks, law firms, hedge funds, private equity firms and corporates. Acuris owns a portfolio of mission-critical products spanning six key financial areas including fixed income, transactions, equities, compliance, infrastructure and research. Acuris is a trusted partner for its clients with products deeply embedded in subscriber workflows, enabling users to spot new business opportunities, increase their revenues and keep several steps ahead of the competition. For more information, visit www.acuris.com.

About ION Investment Group
ION Investment Group is a holding company that, through its investments, provides data, analytics and mission-critical trading and workflow solutions to financial institutions, central banks, governments and corporates. For more information, visit www.iongroup.com.

Contacts

For BC Partners:
Prosek Partners
pro-bcpartners@prosek.com
+44 20 8323 0475 / +1 646 818 9287

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SnapAV and Control4 Announce Merger to Transform the Rapidly Growing Smart Home Solutions Industry

Hellman & Friedman

CHARLOTTE, N.C. & SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH (BUSINESS WIRE)

Two industry leaders combine to empower professional integrators with better service and better solutions to more effectively serve the growing demand for connected homes and businesses

Control4 shareholders to receive $23.91 per share in cash

Acquisition expected to close in second half of 2019

SnapAV, a leading manufacturer and primary source of A/V, surveillance, networking and remote management products for professional integrators, and Control4 Corporation (NASDAQ: CTRL) (“Control4”), a leading global provider of smart home solutions, today announced that they have entered into a definitive merger agreement (the “Agreement”) whereby SnapAV will acquire Control4 in an all-cash transaction for $23.91 per share in cash, representing an aggregate value of approximately $680 million.

“The combination of Control4 and SnapAV is transformative for the smart home industry”

This highly complementary combination will leverage the increased resources of the two companies to provide integrators with a true one-stop shop, offering a complete product portfolio of custom smart-home, control and automation solutions. Together, SnapAV and Control4 will drive increased innovation, simplified integration and compelling solutions that meet the demands of today’s expanding smart home industry. With leading technology solutions, a broad geographic footprint and exceptional service organizations, the combined company is poised to provide integrators with better opportunities to serve customers in the connected home and business markets.

Control4’s Board of Directors has unanimously approved and recommended that stockholders vote in favor of the transaction. Under the terms of the Agreement, SnapAV will acquire all the outstanding common stock of Control4 for $23.91 per share in cash. The purchase price represents a premium of approximately 40% over Control4’s closing price on May 8, 2019, the last trading day prior to execution of the Agreement, and a premium of approximately 38% over Control4’s 30-trading day weighted average share price ended on May 8, 2019. Private equity investment firm Hellman & Friedman—SnapAV’s majority shareholder since 2017—will invest additional equity as part of the transaction and be the majority shareholder of the combined company.

As award-winning industry leaders renowned for quality, service and continuous innovation, SnapAV and Control4 share a deep understanding of and commitment to the custom installation industry and are dedicated to making professional integrators more successful. By merging, SnapAV and Control4 will combine the talent of their collective 1,200+ employees, market-leading solutions, exceptional interoperability and channel platform, dealer-first programs, global distribution and financial resources to deliver value in ways no one else can—enabling integrators to serve their customers better and grow their businesses.

“We have pursued the mission of making our integrators’ lives easier since SnapAV was founded,” said John Heyman, chief executive officer of SnapAV. “Dealers will be able to buy leading solutions, access the best service technicians in the industry and experience simpler installation through purchasing, support and seamless product integration.

“Over the past several years, we have accomplished a number of goals we felt were critical to the success of integrators and the continued growth of SnapAV—including offering local delivery and pick-up through the acquisition of distribution sites around the country and expanding the suite of products available to support integrators. Merging with Control4 and its outstanding team will help us execute on our third critical goal: delivering the industry’s leading automation platform that integrates with the numerous technologies and products required to create customized smart home experiences homeowners desire. Control4 offers a leading automation platform, along with key smart home solutions in the audio, video, lighting, security and networking categories. We are especially excited by the fact that both of our companies have similarly strong “customer first” corporate cultures centered on quality, service and innovation, and we look forward to creating new and exciting opportunities for the teams at both Control4 and SnapAV. In sum, the two companies will be better together, with better service, better solutions and better opportunities for integrators and employees.”

“We believe today’s announced transaction delivers compelling and immediate value to Control4 shareholders in the form of a significant share price premium, and we are excited to have the opportunity to join with the SnapAV team,” said Martin Plaehn, chairman and chief executive officer of Control4. “Together with SnapAV, we will be able to invest even more in innovation, bring together and build upon the very best of our combined capabilities, and do so with improved reliability, responsiveness, security, and privacy for consumers. Today’s announcement will enable us to better serve the expanding smart home market, making the lives of integrators easier and their businesses more effective and efficient.”

Together the combined company will bring a deep understanding of the industry and an unmatched passion for providing best-in-class solutions and service with one objective: create better experiences for consumers and the integrators who serve them. Product integration, remote management, expert service technicians, product simplification, training and timely logistical capabilities will ensure every install is easier, more reliable and delivers fantastic experiences to consumers where they live and work.

“The combination of Control4 and SnapAV is transformative for the smart home industry,” said Erik Ragatz, Partner at Hellman & Friedman and chairman of the Board of Directors of SnapAV. “The increased resources of the combined company will enable it to invest more to drive innovation and deliver best-in-class features, functionality and products. This combination will also allow us to support integrators more effectively than ever before in pursuit of our joint goal of bringing the promise of the connected home to life.”

More than 1,200 employees of the combined company will be led by SnapAV CEO John Heyman and an executive team made up of leaders from both SnapAV and Control4. Control4 CEO Martin Plaehn will join the Board of Directors of the combined company, helping to ensure a smooth integration of the businesses. The merger reflects the value created by bringing together two industry-leading teams of employees who, united, can better serve the needs of the growing smart home segment. The company will share joint headquarters in Charlotte, North Carolina, and Salt Lake City, Utah, with offices and local facilities around the globe.

Transaction Details
As part of the Agreement, Control4’s Board of Directors, with the assistance of its advisors, will conduct a 30-day “go-shop” process following the date of the execution of the definitive agreement, during which it will actively initiate, solicit, encourage and evaluate alternative acquisition proposals, and potentially enter into negotiations with any parties that offer an alternative acquisition proposal. Control4 will have the right to terminate the merger agreement to accept a superior proposal, subject to the terms and conditions of the merger agreement. There can be no assurance that this “go-shop” will result in a superior proposal, and Control4 does not intend to disclose developments with respect to the solicitation process unless and until its Board of Directors makes a determination requiring further disclosure.

Subject to the go-shop, a special meeting of Control4’s shareholders will be held as soon as practicable following the filing of the definitive proxy statement with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) and subsequent mailing to shareholders.

The transaction, which is expected to be completed in the second half of 2019, is subject to the satisfaction of customary closing conditions, including regulatory approvals and approval by Control4 shareholders.

Advisors
In connection with the transaction, Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP is serving as legal advisor to SnapAV. Raymond James & Associates, Inc. is serving as financial advisor to Control4 and Goodwin Procter LLP is serving as legal advisor.

Forward Looking Statements
This press release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the “safe harbor” provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including but not limited to, statements regarding Control4’s business and financial outlook and the structure, timing and completion of the proposed transaction. All statements other than statements of historical fact contained in this press release are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date they were first issued, and were based on the then-current expectations, estimates, forecasts, and projections, as well as the beliefs and assumptions of management. Forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, many of which involve factors or circumstances that are beyond Control4’s control. Control4’s actual results could differ materially from those stated or implied in forward-looking statements due to a number of factors, including but not limited to: (i) risks associated with Control4’s ability to obtain the stockholder approval required to consummate the proposed merger transaction and the timing of the closing of the proposed merger transaction, including the risks that a condition to closing would not be satisfied within the expected timeframe or at all or that the closing of the proposed merger transaction will not occur; (ii) the outcome of any legal proceedings that may be instituted against the parties and others related to the merger agreement; (iii) unanticipated difficulties or expenditures relating to the proposed merger transaction, the response of business partners and competitors to the announcement of the proposed merger transaction, and/or potential difficulties in employee retention as a result of the announcement and pendency of the proposed merger transaction; and (iv) those risks detailed in Control4’s most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K, and subsequent filings with the SEC in connection with the proposed transaction, as well as other reports and documents that may be filed by Control4 from time to time with the SEC. Past performance is not necessarily indicative of future results. The forward-looking statements included in this press release represent Control4’s views as of the date of this press release. Control4 anticipates that subsequent events and developments may cause its views to change. Control4 has no intention and undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise. These forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as representing Control4’s views as of any date subsequent to the date of this press release.

Additional Information and Where to Find It
This press release relates to the proposed merger transaction involving Control4 and may be deemed to be solicitation material in respect of the proposed merger transaction involving Control4. In connection with the proposed merger transaction, Control4 will file relevant materials with the SEC, including a proxy statement on Schedule 14A (the “Proxy Statement”). This press release is not a substitute for the Proxy Statement or for any other document that Control4 may file with the SEC and or send to Control4’s stockholders in connection with the proposed merger transaction. BEFORE MAKING ANY VOTING DECISION, INVESTORS AND SECURITY HOLDERS OF CONTROL4 ARE URGED TO READ THE PROXY STATEMENT AND OTHER DOCUMENTS FILED WITH THE SEC CAREFULLY AND IN THEIR ENTIRETY WHEN THEY BECOME AVAILABLE BECAUSE THEY WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT CONTROL4, THE PROPOSED MERGER TRANSACTION AND RELATED MATTERS. Investors and security holders will be able to obtain free copies of the Proxy Statement and other documents filed by Control4 with the SEC through the website maintained by the SEC at http://www.sec.gov. Copies of the documents filed by Control4 with the SEC will also be available free of charge on Control4’s website at www.Control4.com, or by contacting Control4’s Investor Relations contact at the Blueshirt Group, LLC at (415) 217-2632. Control4 and its directors and certain of its executive officers may be considered participants in the solicitation of proxies from Control4’s stockholders with respect to the proposed merger transaction under the rules of the SEC. Information about the directors and executive officers of Control4 is set forth in its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2018, which was filed with the SEC on February 11, 2019, its proxy statement for its 2019 annual meeting of stockholders, which was filed with the SEC on March 20, 2019 and in subsequent documents filed with the SEC. Additional information regarding the persons who may be deemed participants in the proxy solicitations and a description of their direct and indirect interests, by security holdings or otherwise, will also be included in the Proxy Statement and other relevant materials to be filed with the SEC when they become available. You may obtain free copies of this document as described above.

About SnapAV
Established in 2005 and based in Charlotte, North Carolina, SnapAV is a manufacturer and exclusive source of more than 2,700 installation-friendly audio, video, networking, power and surveillance products for residential and commercial A/V integrators. SnapAV empowers integrators to run more efficient businesses by providing high quality products at attractive prices, supported by best-in-class online ordering and award-winning customer service. Additional information about SnapAV and its product brands can be found at www.SnapAV.com.

About Control4
Control4 [NASDAQ: CTRL] is a leading global provider of automation and networking systems for homes and businesses, offering personalized control of lighting, music, video, comfort, security, communications, and more into a unified smart home system that enhances the daily lives of its consumers. Control4 unlocks the potential of connected devices, making networks more robust, entertainment systems easier to use, homes more comfortable and energy efficient, and provides families more peace of mind. Today, every home and business needs automation horsepower and a high-performance network to manage the increasing number of connected devices. The Control4 platform interoperates with more than 13,000 third-party consumer electronics products, ensuring an ever-expanding ecosystem of devices will work together. Control4 is now available in over 100 countries. Leveraging a professional channel that includes over 5,900 custom integrators, retailers, and distributors authorized to sell Control4 products, Pakedge networking solutions and Triad speakers, Control4 is delivering intelligent solutions for consumers, major consumer electronics companies, hotels, and businesses around the world.

About Hellman & Friedman
Hellman & Friedman is a leading private equity investment firm with offices in San Francisco, New York, and London. Since its founding in 1984, Hellman & Friedman has raised over $50 billion of committed capital. The firm focuses on investing in outstanding business franchises and serving as a value-added partner to management in select industries including software, financial services, business & information services, healthcare, internet & media, retail & consumer, and industrials & energy. For more information, please visit www.hf.com.

Contacts
Dana Gorman
Abernathy MacGregor
dtg@abmac.com
(212) 371-5999

James Bourne
Abernathy MacGregor
jab@abmac.com
(213) 360-6550

William Braun
Abernathy MacGregor
whb@abmac.com
(212) 371-5999

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Ardian invests in Rivalis, a leading french network supporting executives of small companies

Ardian

Paris, 8 April 2019 – Ardian, a world leading private investment house, today announces the acquisition of a minority stake in Rivalis, a leading French network for executive support, as part of an owner buyout (OBO) alongside the company’s management.

Created in 1994 in Colmar, France, this family business has seen rapid growth, becoming one of the leading supporters of executives of micro-businesses, craftsmen and SMEs in France today. This is thanks to its network of 500 independent advisors and 17,500 users. Rivalis provides business managers with a real-time overview of their company’s financial situation (such as turnover, profitability and forecasts) and enables these individuals to measure the impact of their decisions on areas such as budget, recruitment and investment. Rivalis also offers its clients expert advice to help them improve performance of the companies, to perpetuate the activity and to provide long-term support to the manager.

The company has reinforced its offering with the website www.petite-enterprise-net, the first service portal developed to answer questions from business leaders. The portal counts more than 9 million visitors per year. In addition, Rivalis has developed Henrri, a software as a service “freemium plus” assistant, in response to key needs of micro-businesses, craftsmen and SMEs, which include budget, invoices, payments and dashboards.

Lionel Valdan, co-founder of Rivalis, said: “With the arrival of an investor like Ardian, we are equipping ourselves with the vital resources to support our growth ambitions, in particular by strengthening our digital expertise and by introducing a targeted acquisition strategy.”

Damien Valdan, co-founder, added: “This is an important chapter in the Rivalis growth story. Ardian Growth is our leading investor and we believe it is invaluable to join forces with a partner who shares our entrepreneurial approach as well as the values our success was built on: human, digital and innovation.”

Romain Chiudini, Director within the Ardian Growth team, said: “Beyond its solid financial foundations, Rivalis has built a unique offer around a previously unseen business model. The founders’ innovative vision and the strength of its management team was a key factor in our decision to partner with Rivalis to help realize its growth ambitions.”

ABOUT ARDIAN

Ardian is a world-leading private investment house with assets of US$90bn managed or advised in Europe, the Americas and Asia. The company is majority-owned by its employees. It keeps entrepreneurship at its heart and focuses on delivering excellent investment performance to its global investor base.
Through its commitment to shared outcomes for all stakeholders, Ardian’s activities fuel individual, corporate and economic growth around the world.
Holding close its core values of excellence, loyalty and entrepreneurship, Ardian maintains a truly global network, with more than 590 employees working from fifteen offices across Europe (Frankfurt, Jersey, London, Luxembourg, Madrid, Milan, Paris and Zurich), the Americas (New York, San Francisco and Santiago) and Asia (Beijing, Singapore, Tokyo and Seoul). It manages funds on behalf of around 800 clients through five pillars of investment expertise: Fund of Funds, Direct Funds, Infrastructure, Real Estate and Private Debt.

ABOUT RIVALIS

Founded in Alsace, France, in 1994, the Rivalis Group was created in response to the lack of support and assistance adapted to small businesses (craftsmen, shopkeepers, liberal professions, very small businesses). Rivalis provides a solution for business leaders who wish to develop their business and offers a permanent advisor for tailor-made support. The Advisor is based on an adapted method and incorporates tools designed by Rivalis. With 522 independent advisors in the field and 17,500 users, Rivalis is the number one network for executive support in France today and the company is successful because it meets the real needs of micro-businesses, craftsmen and SMEs.

LIST OF PARTICIPANTS

– Rivalis: Lionel Valdan, Damien Valdan
– Ardian: Romain Chiudini, Florian Dupont
– Rivalis Financial Advisor: DT EXPERTISE (David Taristas)
– Ardian Financial Advisor: Next (Hervé Krissi, Eric Chan)
– Rivalis Legal Advisor: Cabinet LICHTENAUER (Catherine Lichtenauer)
– Ardian Corporate Legal Advisor: Gaftarnik, Le Douarin & Associés (Mickael Levi, Sarah Mobtahije)
– Ardian Tax Advisor: Mamou & Boccara (Laurent Mamou)
– Ardian Social Legal Advisor: Bonna Auzas Avocats (Sigmund Briant)
– Rivalis Strategic Advisor: Norima conseils (Christophe Camborde)
– Company Corporate Finance Advisor: Linkers (Jérôme Luis)
– Arranger: CIC Est (Valérie Petitjean, Quentin Fessler-Debove, Thomas Garnier)

PRESS CONTACTS

ARDIAN
Headland
Viktor Tsvetanov
vtsvetanov@headlandconsultancy.com
Tel: +44 (0)20 3435 7469

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Platinum Equity Completes Acquisition of Livingston International

Platinum

(Los Angeles, May 2, 2019) – Platinum Equity today announced it has completed the acquisition of North American customs brokerage and trade services firm Livingston International.

Headquartered in Toronto, Ontario, with U.S. headquarters in Chicago, Il, Livingston International is the largest pure-play customs brokerage in North America and boasts the widest presence along America’s northern border. It is also the third-largest customs entry filer in the United States. The company serves as a trusted adviser to more than 30,000 businesses globally, facilitating the completion and transmission of customs documentation and ensuring goods are cleared through international borders seamlessly and expediently.

Livingston is also a leading provider of global trade management services, including trade consulting and customs compliance, helping businesses optimize their use of free trade agreements, mitigate compliance risk and recover duties where possible.

Platinum Equity is a global private equity firm with approximately $13 billion of assets under management and a highly specialized focus on business operations.

“Livingston has served as a critical partner to businesses around the world as they react and adapt to changes in the global trade environment,” said Dan McHugh, Chief Executive Officer, Livingston International. “We are excited about the possibilities that lie ahead and look forward to benefiting from Platinum’s dedicated resources and counsel as we continue to focus on providing best-in-class brokerage, freight forwarding and trade management solutions.”

In addition to its role as a trusted customs broker and adviser, Livingston offers international freight forwarding solutions with special emphasis on North American transportation and global air and sea freight capabilities. Its freight solutions also include value-added services, such as warehousing, barge services and project cargo.

About Platinum Equity
Founded in 1995 by Tom Gores, Platinum Equity is a global investment firm with approximately $13 billion of assets under management and a portfolio of approximately 40 operating companies that serve customers around the world. The firm is currently investing from Platinum Equity Capital Partners IV, a $6.5 billion global buyout fund, and Platinum Equity Small Cap Fund, a $1.5 billion buyout fund focused on investment opportunities in the lower middle market. Platinum Equity specializes in mergers, acquisitions and operations – a trademarked strategy it calls M&A&O® – acquiring and operating companies in a broad range of business markets, including manufacturing, distribution, transportation and logistics, equipment rental, metals services, media and entertainment, technology, telecommunications and other industries. Over the past 23 years Platinum Equity has completed more than 250 acquisitions.

About Livingston International 
Livingston International focuses on customs brokerage and trade compliance, offering international trade consulting, global trade management and freight forwarding. It provides clarity in a world of trade complexity, so businesses can grow further, faster and smarter. Livingston employs approximately 3,200 associates at more than 100 key border points, sea ports, airports and other strategic locations across North America, Europe and Asia. Visit us at www.livingstonintl.com, and on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook.

Media Contacts

Dan Whelan
Platinum Equity
310-282-9202
dwhelan@platinumequity.com

Dan Ovsey
Director, Public Relations & Marketing Communications
Livingston International
1-800-387-7582 / ext. 13088
dovsey@livingstonintl.com

Investor Relations
and Media Contacts:

Mark Barnhill
Partner
+1 310.228.9514 E-mail Mark

Dan Whelan
Principal
+1 310.282.9202 E-mail Dan

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Onex Invests in Convex

Onex

Toronto, April 30, 2019 – Onex Corporation (“Onex”) (TSX: ONEX) today announced Onex
Partners V and a consortium of co-investors have committed to invest $1.8 billion in Convex
Group Limited (“Convex”), of which approximately $1.6 billion has been funded.
Convex is a de novo specialty property and casualty insurance company headquartered in Bermuda
with an office in London. The company will write insurance and reinsurance with a focus on
underwriting complex specialty risks across a diversified range of business lines. The company is
led by Stephen Catlin, Paul Brand and a team of well-respected insurance industry experts.
“We’re very excited to partner with Stephen, Paul and the rest of the Convex team. They have a
reputation for disciplined underwriting and strong relationships as well as a multi-decade track
record of delivering market outperformance,” said Bobby Le Blanc, a Senior Managing Director
of Onex.

Todd Clegg, a Managing Director of Onex continued, “Consolidation within the insurance sector
has created opportunity for an independent carrier with a focused, specialist proposition, capable
of serving clients with complex risk exposures. The Convex platform is designed to satisfy this
demand.”

“Onex has a track record of successful investing in the insurance industry and a consistent view of
the market opportunity making it the ideal partner for us,” said Stephen Catlin, Chairman and Chief
Executive Officer of Convex. “With Onex’ support, Convex is uniquely positioned to provide a
high touch, client-service focused approach and leverage innovative and proprietary technology to
enhance the value we bring to our clients.”
The funded investment includes $750 million from Onex Partners V, $780 million from
co-investors, including PSP Investments, and $50 million from the Convex management team.
Onex’ portion of the equity investment as a Limited Partner in the Fund is $124 million.

About Onex
Onex is one of the oldest and most successful private equity firms. Through its Onex Partners and
ONCAP private equity funds, Onex acquires and builds high-quality businesses in partnership with
talented management teams. At Onex Credit, Onex manages and invests in leveraged loans,
collateralized loan obligations and other credit securities. Onex has $31 billion of assets under
management, including $6.4 billion of Onex proprietary capital, in private equity and credit
securities. With offices in Toronto, New York, New Jersey and London, Onex and the team are
collectively the largest investors across Onex’ platforms.
Onex’ businesses have assets of $51 billion, generate annual revenues of $32 billion and employ
approximately 217,000 people worldwide. Onex shares trade on the Toronto Stock Exchange
under the stock symbol ONEX. For more information on Onex, visit its website at
www.onex.com. Onex’ security filings can also be accessed at www.sedar.com.
Forward-Looking Statements

This news release may contain forward-looking statements that are based on management’s current
expectations and are subject to known and unknown uncertainties and risks, which could cause
actual results to differ materially from those contemplated or implied by such forward-looking
statements. Onex is under no obligation to update any forward-looking statements contained
herein should material facts change due to new information, future events or otherwise.

For further information:
Emilie Blouin
Director, Investor Relations
Tel: +1 416.362.7711

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Edison Partners Leads $8 Million Growth Investment in Suuchi

Edison Partners

Accelerates go-to-market execution, product innovation and network expansion for next-generation supply chain platform for fashion brands and retailers

 

PRINCETON, NJ—April 25, 2019—Edison Partners, the growth equity investment firm, today announced an $8 million growth investment in Suuchi, the next-generation supply chain platform provider for fashion brands and retailers. The company will use the funds to accelerate go-to-market execution and product innovation, as well as continue to expand its network of designers, materials suppliers and factories throughout the United States.

 

In the $2 trillion global apparel manufacturing market, the need to shrink the time from concept to consumer is prompting more fashion brands and retailers to seek supply-chain modernization. Suuchi delivers a next-generation approach to apparel supply chains that streamlines the connection of design and sourcing to US-based shop-floor manufacturing and provides complete, real-time transparency throughout the entire process.

 

“Time is the biggest risk factor for fashion brands and retailers in today’s supply chain, and legacy systems and processes continue to hinder time to market, not to mention growth, profits and consumer experience,” said Kelly Ford, Partner, Edison Partners, who led the investment and joins the company’s board of directors. “Suuchi is changing the game for apparel brands of all sizes, with a network-driven SaaS platform that makes not only speed, but also profitability, possible with ‘made in the USA.’”

 

Suuchi’s platform is a modern, intuitive SaaS-based application, called Suuchi GRID, powered by a curated network of 200+ freelancers, materials suppliers, and U.S.-based factories with a current available capacity of more than 8M units. Today, more than 200 fashion businesses, from large brands, like Cintas, to mid-tier and emerging brands, like Little Giraffe, are streamlining their supply chain workflows and production on the platform.

 

“We are reducing fashion supply chain complexity and time to market for brands and retailers by creating a more intelligent bridge between supply and demand; and with our shop-floor subject matter expertise, we are dematerializing the supply chain into a digital, made-local model,” said Suuchi Ramesh, founder and CEO of Suuchi. “With this investment, we are poised to provide a scalable answer to one of the world’s last trillion-dollar problems yet to be solved. In Edison Partners, and Kelly Ford, we have the perfect trifecta of strategic vision alignment, enterprise solutions experience, and a world-class team of operating experts to guide our fast growth.”

 

Ramesh, an immigrant from India, started the company in 2016 after 10-plus years in successful roles in technology, analytics and sales at two companies that became unicorns in their industries. She was an EY Entrepreneur of the Year for New Jersey in 2018 and named to the ROI-New Jersey Influencers Power List for 2019. Last year, the company was also awarded NJ Grow innovation incentives by the New Jersey Economic Development Authority to further develop its business in the state. The company currently employs 120 people at its North Bergen headquarters and is actively hiring for positions in sales, marketing, software engineering, human resources and finance.

 

Edison Partners has financed and guided more than 200 private companies throughout the eastern United States, a third of which have been in the enterprise solutions space. Suuchi is the 48th investment in the firm’s home state of New Jersey. In addition to Suuchi, Edison’s active NJ-based investments include Northpass, Scivantage, Trialscope and Zelis Healthcare.

 

About Suuchi

Suuchi Inc. is a next-generation supply chain platform for fashion brands and retailers. Using its product lifecycle management (PLM) application, Suuchi GRID, and its network of carefully curated freelancers, factories and mills, Suuchi designs and produces millions of units at speedy turnarounds. Suuchi is transforming retail, enabled by mega trends of just-in-time production, shop-floor integration, and supply chains created for consumer demand. For more information, visit https://www.suuchi.com/

 

About Edison Partners

For more than 30 years, Edison Partners has been helping CEOs and their executive teams grow and scale successful companies. The firm’s investment team brings extensive investing and operating experience to each investment. Through a unique combination of growth capital and the Edison Edge platform, consisting of operating centers of excellence, the Edison Director Network, and executive education programs, Edison employs a truly integrated approach to accelerating growth and creating value for businesses. A team of experts in financial technology, healthcare IT and enterprise solution sectors, Edison targets high-growth companies with $5 to $25 million in revenue; investments also include buyouts, recapitalizations, spinouts and secondary stock purchases.

 

Edison’s active portfolio has created aggregated market value exceeding $10 billion. Edison Partners is based in Princeton, NJ and manages more than $1.4 billion in assets throughout the eastern United States.

 

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JENSEN HUGHES Acquires Security Risk Management Market Leader Hillard Heintze

Gryphon Investors

Acquisition provides clients with a holistic, integrated approach to managing risk across the spectrum from fire and life safety to emergency management and security

Baltimore, MD – April 19, 2019 —

JENSEN HUGHES, a global leader in safety, security and risk-based engineering and consulting, announced today its acquisition of Hillard Heintze, a market leader in strategic security risk management and investigation services for Fortune-ranked enterprises, professional sports leagues, and law enforcement agencies, as well as many of the world’s most affluent families.Over the last four years, Jensen Hughes, a portfolio company of Gryphon Investors, has made eight strategic acquisitions. These have been specifically focused on both expanding the company’s global presence and also strengthening its expertise in emergency management and security to better serve clients and their most complex challenges by addressing their risk from an increasingly sophisticated, integrated, and holistic perspective.

Hillard Heintze has earned accolades as an industry leader in setting new world-class service standards for customized solutions that help organizations identify and manage risk to their people, property, performance, and reputations. Since its formation in 2004, more than 85 Fortune-ranked enterprises, 575 U.S. and international brands, and 150 of the world’s most affluent families have gained insight, assurance, and confidence through its services – and are better managing their security risk.

“Our success stems from a consistent focus on providing our clients with exceptional specialty engineering and consulting services and through expanding our capabilities to meet their growing needs,” explains Paul Orzeske, CEO, JENSEN HUGHES. “In our Security practice, we have been able to provide clients the highest quality of security design engineering, however we recognized that we could help them solve their security challenges more holistically with a broader portfolio of capabilities. Hillard Heintze’s services complement our work exceptionally well, and, like ours, their team is passionate about its commitment to providing outstanding client service. Together we can improve our ability to partner with clients and help them manage their operations across an end-to-end spectrum of risk – from fire and life safety to emergency management and security. Arnette and team have built a best-in-class organization and we are honored to welcome them to the JENSEN HUGHES family.”

“This is a very exciting day for us,” says Hillard Heintze founder and CEO Arnette Heintze. “The rapid growth of our two companies, respectively, has been driven by a comparable and complementary commitment to service excellence, exceptional talent, and an internal culture of teaming and collaboration. Joining JENSEN HUGHES is the most powerful and promising way to continue to meet our vision to be trusted around the world to protect what matters. As part of JENSEN HUGHES, we strengthen our ability to scale and adapt as our clients’ needs expand to areas such as fire and life safety, emergency management, and forensics, and as their operations expand worldwide to new countries and markets – and new risks.”

Livingstone acted as exclusive financial advisor to Hillard Heintze. XMS Capital Partners advised Gryphon Investors and JENSEN HUGHES on this transaction.

Contacts

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21 Grams acquires Mailworld Group

Priveq

Becomes leader in international and office mail21 Grams acquires 100% of the shares in Mailworld Group, which includes MailWorld AB and Mailworld Office AB.

ƒMailWorld AB is one of the Nordic region’s largest independent suppliers of international mail and parcels with worldwide distribution.ƒMailworld Office AB is a Swedish certified postal operator that focuses on office mail and unsorted domestic mail.

The merger will give customers of 21 Grams and Mailworld access to a wider range of physi-cal and digital postal services, and continued focus on simplicity and price-efficiency.

The Mailworld companies will continue to operate as subsidiaries under their own trademarks but will be part of the 21 Grams group’s combined sales, purchasing and production organiza-tion. The CEO of Mailworld will be David André.

”We are delighted to welcome Mailworld to the 21 Grams group. In addition to a leading position in certain customer segments and more than 500 customers, we are strengthening our management with new postal and entrepreneurial experience, which will help 21 Grams become an even stronger player in the Nordic region’s communications sector,” says Stefan Blomqvist, CEO of 21 Grams.“With 21 Grams’s size and position we can scale up Mailworld more rapidly to accommodate more partners, larger customers and new markets. We have worked successfully with 21 Grams for many years and will now continue building on this foundation together,” says David André, CEO of Mailworld.

The merged entity will have a turnover of SEK 750 million and some 75 employees.

For more information please contact:Stefan Blomqvist, CEO, 21 Grams+46 76 808 21 21 stefan.blomqvist@21grams.com

About 21 Grams

21 Grams was founded in 2004 and is a Swedish ser-vice company that provides smart communication solu-tions for physical and digital post and mobile payments.The company is a leader in the sorting software and postage and the electronic distribution of business doc-uments and direct mail advertising.21 Grams offers a network of postal operators both domestically in Sweden and international. and offers ac-cess to all the Nordic region’s digital distribution alterna-tives including E-faktura (e-invoicing), Kivra and Digipost (digital mail) and Swish (the Swedish mobile payment system).In 2018, the company had a turnover of around SEK 600 million and some 60 employees.Our customers include Google, Viasat, UNICEF, the Swedish Tax Agency, Collectum, Länsförsäkringar and Shell. www.21grams.comDavid André, CEO, Mailworld+46 733-16 22 84 david.andre@mailworld.se

About Mailworld

Mailworld have provided international mail services since 2003, and have been a registered postal operator since 2010, certified by the Swedish Post and Telecom Authority to also provide postal services for the domestic market.Mailworld today has offices and in-house sorting termi-nals in Stockholm, Gothenburg and Malmö, but our ser-vices are also available to customers across the whole of Sweden and in other European markets. We collect post from most of the print providers in Sweden and at our sorting terminals we process more than 20 million postal items annually. www.mailworld.se

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IK to support fire protection company BST

ik-investment-partners

IK Investment Partners (“IK”) is pleased to announce that the IK Small Cap II Fund has reached an agreement to acquire BST Brandskyddsteamet AB (“BST Group”), a leading Swedish provider of active fire protection services, from Infrea AB (publ). Financial terms of the transaction are not disclosed, and the completion of the transaction is subject to regulatory approval. The founders and management team will remain as shareholders.

BST provides a wide range of sprinkler system services, including consultancy & design, installation and repair & maintenance. Through its strong local presence across Sweden with a full-service offering and blue-chip client base, the Company has established a solid market position. The Swedish sprinkler market has experienced strong growth historically and is expected to continue to grow at a high pace driven by favourable trends such as tightening regulation, increased safety awareness and urbanisation.

“Despite its relatively young age, BST has established itself as a Swedish market leader within the fire protection market. We are truly impressed with the management team and all of BST’s employees, and we look forward to supporting the company as it continues on its growth trajectory,” said Kristian Carlsson Kemppinen, Partner at IK Investment Partners and advisor to the IK Small Cap II Fund.

“IK is a strong partner to support BST’s future development. BST has been a successful holding for Infrea and has increased its sales by over 50% during the ownership period,” added Tony Andersson, CEO of Infrea.

“BST was founded by entrepreneurs in 2012 and has grown rapidly since. I would like to thank Infrea for their support over the past few years. We are very excited to team up with IK given their vast experience in the fire protection industry,” concluded Peter Bühler, CEO and Co-Founder of BST.

BST will be the third investment in the fire protection segment made by IK Funds. In 2009, IK facilitated the merger between Minimax and Viking, resulting in one of the world’s largest companies in fire protection, and in 2015, the IK Small Cap I Fund backed svt Group, a leading German provider of passive fire protection.

For further questions, please contact:

IK Investment Partners
Kristian Carlsson Kemppinen
Partner
Phone: +46 8 678 95 00

Mikaela Murekian,
Director Communications & ESG
Phone: +44 77 87 573 566
mikaela.murekian@ikinvest.com

Infrea
Tony Andersson
CEO
Phone: +46 8 401 01 81

About IK Investment Partners
IK Investment Partners (“IK”) is a Pan-European private equity firm focused on investments in the Nordics, DACH region, France, and Benelux. Since 1989, IK has raised close to €10 billion of capital and invested in over 125 European companies. IK funds support companies with strong underlying potential, partnering with management teams and investors to create robust, well-positioned businesses with excellent long-term prospects. For more information, visit www.ikinvest.com

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