A&M CAPITAL PARTNERS | 04.07.22

Worldwise, a Leading Pet Supplies Platform, Acquires Pet Factory, a leading Pet Chew and Treat Business

A&M Capital Partners-Backed Worldwise Builds Out Chew and Treat Category and Grows its Family of Branded Pet Products Through its Third Strategic Acquisition in Four Months

Novato, CA – PRNewswire — Worldwise, Inc. (“Worldwise” or the “Company”), a leading pet supplies platform and a portfolio company of A&M Capital Partners (“AMCP”), a middle-market private equity investment fund that is part of the A&M Capital platform, together with A&M Capital Opportunities Fund, an affiliated fund, has acquired Pet Factory, an innovative leader in the pet chews, treats, toys, and accessories segments. Worldwise has now completed three successful M&A transactions in the last four months, expanding its portfolio to include six complementary brands across several attractive product categories, including pet chews and treats, toys, litter accessories, pet bedding and more.

“We are a different business today than we were six months ago, thanks to the continued success of our M&A strategy in bolstering the Worldwise platform with innovative brands, products and production capabilities that meet the highest standards of both quality and safety,” said Kevin Fick, CEO of Worldwise. “With this acquisition, Worldwise gains a leader in the chew and treat space with strategic domestic manufacturing capabilities and strong customer relationships. The entire Worldwise team is thrilled to welcome Pet Factory to the family and to add their exceptional team to our platform. We also want to thank Tom Miller and Marco Corsi, who have been tremendous leaders of the business. We look forward to continuing and growing their legacy.”

Founded in 1989 and headquartered in Mundelein, Illinois, Pet Factory is a leading U.S. producer of high-quality pet chews and treats, and offers premium branded products for dogs through four core brands:

  • CareChewz:  a 100% collagen, healthy, long-lasting, and safe daily chew.
  • Twistedz:  a combo chew featuring a ‘twist’ of real chicken and/or beef meat around a beefhide chew.
  • Real Chewz:  a 100% all-natural, oven-baked chew.
  • Combo Wrap Chewz: a handmade chew that combines traditional rawhide, porkhide, and real meat jerky.

Pet Factory also offers a range of popular dog and cat toys alongside other pet accessories, and has strategically positioned domestic product development and manufacturing capabilities to serve a diverse range of co-manufacturing partner pet chew and treat brands. Following the transaction, Greg Hill will continue to serve as President of Pet Factory while also becoming a senior member of Worldwise’s management team. In these capacities he will continue to grow the Pet Factory brands, serve its strong customer base, and contribute to the broader Worldwise platform.  

“For us, this deal was all about partnership,” said Hill. “After building Pet Factory into the household name and category leader it is today, our vision for the future centered around identifying the right partners that could take our brands and business to the next level. We believe Worldwise and A&M Capital offer enhanced resources and meaningful opportunities to leverage our multi-faceted manufacturing capabilities, enabling us to fuel our future growth and better-serve our customers. Perhaps more importantly, they both share our values and vision for the future. We are excited to join the Worldwise team, to be integrated into a world-class platform, and to start the new chapter of Pet Factory.”

Since partnering in September 2021, Worldwise and AMCP have worked closely to execute the Company’s M&A strategy. In addition to Pet Factory, this strategy has also produced the successful acquisitions of FurHaven Pet Products, an e-commerce leader in the pet industry, as well as Kitty Sift, a leader in the highly consumable cat litter and accessories segments.

“When we acquired Worldwise, our goal was to grow the Company into a premiere platform in pet products, treats, and chews, with a broad portfolio of brands that resonate with pet owners,” said Ryan McCarthy, Partner at AMCP. “In a short six months, Worldwise’s winning platform and approach has already attracted some of the top brands and sellers in the industry. We have closed several strategic acquisitions that have more than doubled the Company’s revenues, the number of brands in our portfolio, and importantly, the number of innovative product offerings for our customers. We believe our domestic production capabilities, global vendor network, omni-channel distribution platform, and diversified customer base are all compelling differentiators for those looking to become part of a larger platform, and we look forward to continuing to add complementary and accretive businesses to the Worldwise family.”

Kirkland and Ellis provided legal counsel to AMCP and Worldwise. Peakstone served as financial advisor to Pet Factory, and SFBBG provided legal counsel to Pet Factory.

For more information about Worldwise, please visit www.worldwise.com. 

About Worldwise, Inc.
Worldwise, Inc. is committed to creating the most innovative, accessible, affordable, and environmentally-responsible product solutions for pets and pet parents everywhere. Our family of award-winning brands—goDog®, Petlinks®, SHERPA®, Hear Doggy!®, SmartyKat®, TrustyPup®, Guaranteed On-Board®, PoochPlanet®, Pawscout™, FurHaven® and more—all stand for the highest in quality, safety and satisfaction, all while incorporating environmentally-responsible materials and processes whenever possible. Backed by child safety standards and our satisfaction guarantee, our thoughtful, fun, and eco-sustainable products promote the bond between pets and pet parents across diverse categories such as cat toys, catnip, cat bedding, cat scratchers, dog toys, dog bedding, dog and cat travel accessories, app-integrated dog and cat tracking solutions, and more. For more information, please visit www.worldwise.com.

About Pet Factory
Founded in 1989, Pet Factory is an innovative manufacturer and distributor of American-made pet chews, treats, toys, and accessories. Based just outside of Chicago in Mundelein, Illinois, the company is the market leader in quality collagen and beefhide chews, as well as other premium chew and treat products for dogs, offered through four core brands: CareChewz, Twistedz, Real Chewz, and Combo Wrap Chewz. The company also offers a range of popular dog and cat toys alongside other pet accessories, as well as a full suite of production capabilities for private label customers.

About A&M Capital Partners
A&M Capital Partners is Alvarez & Marsal Capital’s flagship investment strategy focused on middle-market control transactions in North America with total assets under management of approximately $2.5 billion. AMCP partners with founders, corporates and management teams, providing the capital and strategic assistance that we believe is required to take businesses to the next level of success. AMCP invests in businesses across a wide range of sectors including Business Services, Industrials, Manufacturing, Food & Beverage, Healthcare, Consumer & Retail, Government Services, Financial Services and Energy Services. More broadly, Alvarez & Marsal Capital is a multi-strategy private equity investment firm with over $3.8 billion in total assets under management across four investment strategies, which maintains a strategic association with Alvarez & Marsal, one of the largest operationally-focused advisory firms in the world.

CONTACT
Gaffney Bennett PR
Worldwise@gbpr.co

SOURCE Worldwise, Inc.

A&M CAPITAL PARTNERS | 04.05.22

Med-Metrix Announces the Acquisition of ARMCO Partners, Enhancing the Company’s End-To-End Revenue Cycle Management Software and Service Capabilities

PARSIPPANY, N.J. – PRNewswire – Med-Metrix, LLC (“Med-Metrix”, or the “Company”), a leading provider of technology-enabled, Revenue Cycle Management (“RCM”) solutions, backed by A&M Capital Partners (“AMCP”), announced it has acquired ARMCO Partners, LLC (“ARMCO”). ARMCO is a leading provider of high-quality coding and forensic medical billing services to healthcare providers across the spectrum of care. The addition of ARMCO further enhances Med-Metrix’s end-to-end suite of RCM software and service capabilities. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

ARMCO will continue to serve over 100 health systems at over 500 location sites, including hospitals, emergency care centers, physician practices, ambulatory care centers, clinics, and outpatient surgery centers among others. The acquisition by Med-Metrix also affords synergy for ARMCO’s growth while maintaining ARMCO’s standards of the highest quality. ARMCO was founded in 2013 and is based in Atlanta, GA with offices in Manila, Philippines.

Joseph Davi, Founder and CEO of Med-Metrix, stated, “We are thrilled about the combination with ARMCO and integrating its leading coding and forensic accounts receivable solutions into our existing portfolio of technology-enabled offerings. We believe the combined Company will be better positioned to meet the growing RCM needs of our healthcare provider clients as well as expand our market presence.”

“ARMCO is excited to join forces with Med-Metrix. We believe this combination represents the next chapter in our mission to deliver best-in-class RCM solutions to the healthcare community,” says Jeff McQuillan, Founder and CEO of ARMCO.

“We are pleased that Med-Metrix is combining with Jeff McQuillan and the ARMCO team. We are extremely impressed with the ARMCO business and the Company Jeff has built. AMCP looks forward to supporting Med-Metrix’s current trajectory, including organic growth and additional M&A opportunities,” said Rob Haisch, a Partner of AMCP.

Med-Metrix was advised by VRA Partners LLC and Sills Cummis & Gross P.C. on the transaction.

About Med-Metrix
Med-Metrix is a leading technology-enabled services platform providing RCM and Business Intelligence solutions for health systems and physician groups across the United States. Med-Metrix provides RCM and BI services via the Company’s proprietary software platform, AnalytX. The Company serves its customers through its Med-Metrix LLC, Medi-Centrix LLC, Physician Advisor On-Call, LLC and Miller & Milone divisions. More information is available at www.med-metrix.com.

About ARMCO Partners
ARMCO Partners, LLC provides several lines of service to meet the needs of its healthcare customers. The company offers forensic billing, clinical abstracting, remote CDI, coding and billing for hospital and physician practices. More information is available at www.armcopartners.com.

About A&M Capital Partners
A&M Capital Partners (“AMCP”) is Alvarez & Marsal Capital’s flagship investment strategy focused on middle-market control transactions in North America with total assets under management of approximately $2.5 billion. AMCP partners with founders, corporates and management teams, providing the capital and strategic assistance that we believe is required to take businesses to the next level of success. More broadly, Alvarez & Marsal Capital is a multi-strategy private equity investment firm with over $3.8 billion in total assets under management across four investment strategies, which maintains a strategic association with Alvarez & Marsal, one of the largest operationally-focused advisory firms in the world. More information is available at www.www.a-mcapital.com.

SOURCE Med-Metrix

A&M CAPITAL PARTNERS | 02.07.22

Ayesa Acquires ByrneLooby

Ayesa, a portfolio company of A&M Capital Europe (“AMCE”), a London based middle-market private equity firm managing €650 million of equity capital, has acquired ByrneLooby, an international engineering consulting firm with a presence in the UK, Ireland and the Middle East.

Founded in 1998, ByrneLooby provides civil engineering design services across a number of specialist sectors including marine and coastal, buildings, transportation, energy, environment, water and waste management. ByrneLooby employs over 225 professionals and generates €24 million of annual revenues.

The acquisition of ByrneLooby represents a key milestone in Ayesa’s plans to expand its Engineering division into English-speaking markets, where major infrastructure plans are in place. On January 20, 2022, AMCE acquired a majority stake in Ayesa with a defined growth roadmap which targets doubling revenues to over €500 million within five years.

AMCE and Ayesa were advised by JB Capital as financial advisers, Roland Berger as commercial advisers and Weil, Gotshal & Manges as legal advisers.

About Ayesa

Headquartered in Spain, Ayesa is a leading international provider of IT and engineering services with

~5,400 employees in 17 countries across Europe, Latin America and Asia operating two divisions. The IT Services division provides software implementation and maintenance services, digital transformation solutions and business process outsourcing. The Engineering Services division provides infrastructure project management and design services in the civil and industrial engineering markets.

About A&M Capital Europe

AMCE is a pan-European, London-headquartered, middle-market private equity firm specialising in providing strategic and operational support to growing European businesses. AMCE Fund I currently manages €650 million of committed capital and ByrneLooby represents AMCE’s seventh transaction. AMCE is part of A&M Capital, the global mid-market private equity firm managing in excess of €3.5 billion of capital. AMCE has an association with Alvarez & Marsal that enables AMCE to access the world class operational expertise of Alvarez & Marsal’s ~5,700 consultants across Alvarez & Marsal’s 25 European offces and 69 offces globally.

A&M CAPITAL PARTNERS | 01.25.22

A&M Capital Partners-Backed Worldwise Announces Acquisition of Kitty Sift

Innovative Cat Accessories Business Joins Worldwise, a Leading Platform Focused on Pet Supplies and Pet Essentials

Novato, CA – January 25, 2022 – A&M Capital Partners (“AMCP”), a middle-market private equity investment fund that is part of the A&M Capital platform, together with A&M Capital Opportunities Fund, an affiliated fund, today announced that Worldwise, an AMCP portfolio company, has acquired Kitty Sift (“Kitty Sift”), an innovative leader in the highly consumable cat litter and accessories segment.  After the close of the transaction, Kitty Sift will operate under the Worldwise platform, which was acquired by AMCP in September 2021.

Headquartered in Eden Prairie, Minnesota, Kitty Sift is a branded leader in the North American eco-sustainable cat litter and accessories space, providing creative supply chain solutions to both eCommerce-centric businesses and omni-channel brick and mortar retailers.  Kitty Sift’s patented eco-friendly, no-scoop disposable litter box has been recognized by the Pet Business Industry Recognition Awards and the Pet Care Innovation Network in 2021 as one of the most innovative pet care products in the industry.  

Worldwise, headquartered in Novato, CA, is one of the leading platforms in the pet supplies market.  Worldwise offers retailers a complete, branded one-stop-shop solution that serves the majority of pet supply merchandising needs and provides high-quality, thoughtful, fun, and eco-sustainable products that address both the joys and challenges of pet parenthood.  Serving a wide range of categories such as cat toys, pet bedding, dog toys, cat scratchers, and travel accessories, Worldwise’s growing roster of leading award-winning brands include SmartyKat®, TrustyPup®, Petlinks®, goDog®, SHERPA™, Guaranteed On-Board™, FurHaven®, PoochPlanet®, and Pawscout™.  Founded in 1990, Worldwise leverages deep industry experience, strong retailer relationships and significant amounts of consumer data to help create quality products inspired by design, innovation and value.

Worldwise’s acquisition of Kitty Sift further enhances its omni-channel presence, adding innovative cat accessories to an already robust product portfolio of toys, pet beds, chews, cat products, travel accessories and other key categories. The addition of Kitty Sift marks Worldwise’s second acquisition in the last month, adding complementary product, as well as brand and management resources, to the platform.

Following the close of the transaction, Kitty Sift’s Founder and CEO, Carrie Van Wert will join Worldwise and its management team. In her new role as Director of Cat Litter & Accessories New Product Development, Ms. Van Wert will focus on the growth and management of the broader cat litter and accessories category.

“We believe that Carrie and her team have done a fantastic job innovating in cat litter and accessories while emphasizing sustainability,” said Ryan McCarthy, Partner at AMCP.  “We’re incredibly pleased to bring Carrie and her team under the Worldwise platform to bolster our offerings and lend AMCP’s deep expertise in the pet industry. This is Worldwise’s second acquisition in the last month, demonstrating our focus on continuing to add complementary businesses, products and brands to the Worldwise platform.”

“I created Kitty Sift to address an unmet demand in the pet care market and have successfully grown our business by focusing on providing eco-friendly products to Cat Parents,” said Mrs. Van Wert. “The Kitty Sift team and I are thrilled to be joining Worldwise as we believe they have the vision and infrastructure to help us reach our full potential in the marketplace. We feel the combined platform is well-positioned for continued success as it continues to provide a broad offering of innovative pet solutions across multiple channels.”

“We believe that the addition of Kitty Sift to the Worldwise platform is exciting news for our team and Cat Parents everywhere,” added Mr. Fick. “This marks what we believe to be an important step in our journey to build out the Worldwise platform of brands and develop even more highly innovative, high-quality products across the cat litter and accessories segment. Worldwise is focused on being a leader in innovative cat products and providing our customers and consumers with new products to address their needs. In partnership with AMCP, we look forward to further growing our platform, reach and offerings and continuing to meet our customers’ needs wherever they are looking to purchase our products.”

Calfee, Halter and Griswald LLP provided legal counsel to AMCP.  

About Kitty Sift
Headquartered in Eden Prairie, MN, Kitty Sift is a leading North America eco-sustainable cat litter & accessories innovator providing creative supply chain solutions to both eCommerce-centric businesses and omni-channel brick and mortar retailers. For more information, please visit https://kittysift.com.

About Worldwise, Inc.
Worldwise, Inc. is committed to creating the most innovative, accessible, affordable, and environmentally-responsible product-solutions for pets and pet-parents everywhere. Our family of award-winning brands – goDog®, Petlinks®, SHERPA®, Hear Doggy!®, SmartyKat®, TrustyPup®, Guaranteed On-Board®, PoochPlanet®, Pawscout™, FurHaven® and more – all stand for the highest in quality, safety and satisfaction, and incorporate environmentally-responsible materials and processes whenever possible. Adhering to meet child safety standards and backed by our satisfaction guarantee, our thoughtful, fun and eco-sustainable products promote the bond between pets and pet-parents across diverse categories such as cat toys, catnip, cat bedding, cat scratchers, dog toys, dog bedding, dog and cat travel accessories, app-integrated dog and cat tracking solutions, and more. For more information, please visit http://www.worldwise.com.

About A&M Capital Partners
A&M Capital Partners is Alvarez & Marsal Capital’s flagship investment strategy focused on middle-market control transactions in North America with total assets under management of approximately $2.5 billion. AMCP partners with founders, corporates and management teams, providing the capital and strategic assistance that we believe is required to take businesses to the next level of success. AMCP invests in businesses across a wide range of sectors including Business Services, Industrials, Manufacturing, Food & Beverage, Healthcare, Consumer & Retail, Government Services, Financial Services and Energy Services. More broadly, Alvarez & Marsal Capital is a multi-strategy private equity investment firm with over $3.8 billion in total assets under management across four investment strategies, which maintains a strategic association with Alvarez & Marsal, one of the largest operationally-focused advisory firms in the world.  

Media Contacts
A&M Capital Partners
Sard Verbinnen & Co
Alyssa Lorenzo / Suzanne Byowitz
310-201-2040 / AMCP-SVC@SARDVERB.com

Worldwise
Propel Communications
Erin Terjesen
602-625-2871 / ERIN@PROPELCOMMUNICATIONS.COM

A&M CAPITAL PARTNERS | 01.24.22

A&M Capital Partners Acquires Majority Interest in The Arcticom Group

Walnut Creek, CA – The Arcticom Group (“Arcticom”), a leading provider of mission-critical mechanical services primarily focused on commercial refrigeration and HVAC systems, announced that it has sold a majority interest to A&M Capital Partners (“AMCP”), a middle-market private equity firm with a strategic association with Alvarez & Marsal and a strong track record in the facility services industry. As part of the transaction, the senior management team led by Chief Executive Officer Jim Pape will remain with the company.

Arcticom is a leading provider of mechanical services for mission-critical refrigeration and HVAC systems serving commercial clients in expanding markets throughout North America. The Company has 900 full-time employees, including over 600 trained/certified technicians experienced in all phases of mechanical services. Arcticom services a large installed base across the full lifecycle of equipment, offering maintenance and repair services, system upgrade / retrofit solutions, and new system installation services.  Based in Walnut Creek, CA, Arcticom serves its clients from regional offices throughout California, Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Alaska, Arizona, Colorado, Texas, and Western Canada. The Company services a diversified customer base of grocery and other commercial clients across 17 states and provinces.

“We are excited to partner with the management team to acquire a majority interest in Arcticom, a market leader with a well-earned reputation for providing best-in-class services to the company’s long-tenured clients,” said Jack McCarthy Jr., Managing Partner and Co-Founder of Alvarez & Marsal Capital. “Arcticom has experienced strong growth since inception, and we look forward to working with the management team to continue that success.”

“Our team has methodically sought to find the right platform in the mechanical services sector for several years, and we are thrilled to have partnered with the Arcticom team to support their next phase of growth,” said David Perskie, a Partner at AMCP.  “This transaction builds on A&M Capital’s deep history of investing in mission-critical, recession-resilient and market-leading businesses, particularly those that exist in highly-fragmented sectors which provide an opportunity to enhance geographic and end market presence as well as customer reach and service offerings through accretive acquisitions.”

“We are incredibly excited to partner with AMCP to continue to build on the strong results we have achieved to date,” said Arcticom CEO Jim Pape.  “A&M Capital shares the same culture, values and strategic vision that we have at Arcticom, and brings significant operational and financial resources that help will us execute our strategic growth initiatives while continuing to deliver the same best-in-class services to our customers.”

William Blair and DLA Piper advised Arcticom on the transaction. Kirkland & Ellis provided legal counsel to AMCP.

    Arcticom is actively seeking add-ons:

  • Focus: Commercial HVAC and refrigeration (“HVAC-R”) services
  • Specific Interest In: Service-based companies working with both Applied and Unitary HVAC and Refrigeration systems focused on commercial and industrial end markets
  • Add-On EBITDA: $1-20 million
  • Geography: North America

About A&M Capital Partners
A&M Capital Partners is Alvarez & Marsal Capital’s flagship investment strategy focused on middle-market control transactions in North America with total assets under management of $2.5 billion. A&M Capital Partners has a strong and referenceable track record of serving as a trusted partner to founders, corporates and management teams, providing the capital and strategic assistance required to take businesses to the next level of success. A&M Capital Partners invests in businesses across a wide range of sectors including Business Services, Industrials, Manufacturing, Food & Beverage, Healthcare, Consumer & Retail, Government Services, Financial Services and Energy Services.

About Alvarez & Marsal Capital
Alvarez & Marsal Capital is a multi-strategy private equity investment firm with over $3.8 billion in assets under management across six funds and four investment strategies. The firm is led by a highly experienced investment team, which is augmented by a strategic association with Alvarez & Marsal (“A&M”), one of the largest operationally-focused advisory firms in the world. Alvarez & Marsal Capital combines a focus on middle-market private equity investing, with deep operational expertise, industry knowledge and global corporate relationships, making Alvarez & Marsal Capital an attractive partner to management teams and business owners. Alvarez & Marsal Capital is headquartered in Greenwich, CT with offices in Los Angeles, CA and London, England. For more information, visit www.www.a-mcapital.com.

A&M CAPITAL PARTNERS | 01.18.22

Novum Orthopedic Partners Forms Leading Orthopedic Platform in Texas, Backed by A&M Capital Partners

Novum Orthopedic Partners, a national leader in orthopedics and spine practice management, launched a new orthopedic practice management platform in Texas, through the completion of strategic investments in Arlington Orthopedic Associates (AOA), Abilene Sports Medicine & Orthopedics (ASMO), and Waxahachie Orthopedic and Sports Medicine on December 29, 2021, backed by A&M Capital Partners.

In conjunction with the transactions, Novum also invested in two leading surgical facilities, including the Abilene Center of Orthopedics and Multispecialty and Baylor Scott & White Orthopedic and Spine Hospital at Arlington–a joint venture between Baylor Scott & White Health, United Surgical Partners International and AOA, in which Novum has established a minority ownership position.

The Novum practices provide a full suite of musculoskeletal services, including orthopedic consultation, surgeries, pain management, full diagnostic imaging, physical therapy, and other ancillary services to patients in the Texas region. The Novum practices are led by 34 orthopedic and spine physician partners and represent over 300 employees across 12 clinics and five physical therapy sites.

Novum’s innovative business model delivers proven strategies implemented in other healthcare specialties to the field of orthopedics. Novum’s focus is delivering leading finance, operations, technology and compliance infrastructure and personnel in support of their orthopedic practice partners.

    Novum is actively seeking add-ons:

  • Specific Interest In: Physician owned orthopedic practices/ surgical centers captive to those practice & existing physician practice management platforms within the orthopedic specialty
  • Add-On EBITDA: $1-$20mm
  • Geography: United States with Southwest focus

About A&M Capital Partners
A&M Capital Partners is Alvarez & Marsal Capital’s flagship investment strategy focused on middle-market control transactions in North America with total assets under management of $2.5 billion. A&M Capital Partners has a strong and referenceable track record of serving as a trusted partner to founders, corporates and management teams, providing the capital and strategic assistance required to take businesses to the next level of success. A&M Capital Partners invests in businesses across a wide range of sectors including Business Services, Industrials, Manufacturing, Food & Beverage, Healthcare, Consumer & Retail, Government Services, Financial Services and Energy Services.

About Alvarez & Marsal Capital
Alvarez & Marsal Capital is a multi-strategy private equity investment firm with over $3.8 billion in assets under management across six funds and four investment strategies. The firm is led by a highly experienced investment team, which is augmented by a strategic association with Alvarez & Marsal (“A&M”), one of the largest operationally-focused advisory firms in the world. Alvarez & Marsal Capital combines a focus on middle-market private equity investing, with deep operational expertise, industry knowledge and global corporate relationships, making Alvarez & Marsal Capital an attractive partner to management teams and business owners. Alvarez & Marsal Capital is headquartered in Greenwich, CT with offices in Los Angeles, CA and London, England. For more information, visit www.www.a-mcapital.com.

A&M CAPITAL PARTNERS | 01.12.22

A&M Capital Partners-Backed Worldwise Announces Transformational Acquisition of FurHaven

Headquartered in Bellingham, WA, FurHaven is a leading North American eCommerce platform for pet accessories, including bedding, home and travel supplies, apparel and more. FurHaven is also an innovator in branded product development, providing creative supply chain solutions to both eCommerce-centric businesses and omni-channel brick and mortar retailers.

The Worldwise acquisition of FurHaven will create a leading omni-channel company able to leverage multiple in-house capabilities across its entire brand and product portfolio including toys, pet beds, chews, cat, travel and other key categories. Worldwise’s growing roster of leading award-winning brands include SmartyKat®, TrustyPup®, Petlinks®, goDog®, SHERPA™, Guaranteed On-Board™, PoochPlanet®, and Pawscout™.

After the close of the transaction, FurHaven will operate under the Worldwise platform, which was acquired by AMCP in September 2021. With the addition of FurHaven, Worldwise will significantly increase the size and scale of the total business allowing it to better serve its customer base, and enter new markets and product categories. The company continues to pursue additional acquisition opportunities to grow its platform, reach and product offerings.

Worldwise is actively seeking add-ons:

  • Focus: Pet Products Space
  • Specific Interest In: Toys, chews, cat, travel, and dog beds. Second interest in businesses with ecommerce capabilities
  • Add-On EBITDA: $1-20 million
  • Geography: United States

About Alvarez & Marsal Capital
Alvarez & Marsal Capital (“AMC”) is a multi-strategy private equity investment firm with over $3 billion in total assets under management across five funds and four investment strategies. The privately-owned firm is led by a highly experienced investment team, which is augmented by its strategic association with Alvarez & Marsal (“A&M”), one of the largest operationally-focused advisory firms in the world. AMC’s business model combines a focus on middle-market private equity investing with the deep operational expertise, industry knowledge and global corporate relationships of A&M, making it a uniquely attractive partner to management teams, corporates and business owners.

About A&M Capital Partners
A&M Capital Partners (“AMCP”) is Alvarez & Marsal Capital’s flagship investment strategy focused on middle-market control transactions in North America with total assets under management of $1.8 billion. AMCP partners with founders, corporates and management teams, providing the capital and strategic assistance that we believe is required to take businesses to the next level of success. AMCP invests in businesses across a wide range of sectors including Industrial Products, Consumer Products and Services, Healthcare, Business Services and Government Services. Targeted sub-sectors include: Environmental Services, Facility Services, Food & Beverage, Government Services, Human Capital Management, Industrial Services, IT & BPO Services, Marketing Services, Packaging, Specialty Distribution and Transportation & Logistics. 

CONTACT US WITH OPPORTUNITIES FOR A&M CAPITAL AND WORLDWISE
Ale Amesquita
ale@a-mcapital.com
513.602.7914
Director of Business Development

A&M CAPITAL PARTNERS | 12.02.21

A&M Capital Partners is Pleased to Announce the Successful Exit of CNSI

Washington, DC – Global investment firm Carlyle (NASDAQ: CG) announced today that affiliated funds managed by Carlyle have agreed to acquire CNSI from Alvarez & Marsal Capital Partners.

CNSI provides innovative healthcare technology solutions for some of the most forward-thinking State and Federal clients. As a trusted partner to government agencies, CNSI develops, implements, operates, and maintains mission-critical systems for Medicaid, Medicare, and related health programs through its claims and encounter processing, provider enrollment, analytics, program integrity, interoperability, and other solutions.

Todd Stottlemyer, who became CEO of CNSI in 2018, will continue to lead the company. Stottlemyer has previously partnered with Carlyle as a senior executive at BDM International. “We are delighted about this opportunity to partner with Carlyle as we continue to execute exquisitely for our clients, strengthen our market leading products and solutions, and drive innovation that improves health outcomes and lowers costs,” said Stottlemyer. “Carlyle is a first-class organization, and I know from my previous experience working with them that they truly partner with their portfolio companies to help them achieve their vision and strategic growth objectives.”

“We are very excited to partner with Todd Stottlemyer and the CNSI management team. We believe CNSI is well-positioned for continued success driven by its technical leadership and proven track record of innovation and execution,” said Dayne Baird, Managing Director at Carlyle. “CNSI operates at the unique intersection of technology, healthcare and government services, and we see significant growth opportunities ahead as the company leverages its unique capabilities and continues to develop market-leading solutions.”

“It has been a fantastic partnership with the CNSI management team. Throughout our four-year investment, the team successfully leveraged CNSI’s market leading technology solutions to build a highly scalable platform for growth in the healthcare technology marketplace. We look forward to the team’s continued success as they begin their next phase of growth in partnership with Carlyle,” said Alex Nivelle, Partner at Alvarez & Marsal Capital Partners.

Baird acted as the exclusive financial advisor to CNSI in connection with the transaction.  Kirkland & Ellis LLP acted as legal advisor to CNSI. Latham & Watkins LLP acted as legal advisor to Carlyle. The transaction is expected to close in December 2021, subject to the satisfaction of customary closing conditions.

About CNSI
CNSI delivers a broad range of health information technology enterprise solutions and customizable products to a diverse base of State and Federal agencies in the United States. CNSI aligns, builds and manages innovative, high-quality, cost-effective solutions that help clients achieve their mission, enhance business performance, reduce costs and improve the health of individuals and communities. Headquartered in the United States with a major technology center in Chennai, India, CNSI employs a world-class team of technologists, program managers and subject matter experts, with large scale mission-critical information technology implementation experience.

About Carlyle Group
Carlyle (NASDAQ: CG) is a global investment firm with deep industry expertise that deploys private capital across three business segments: Global Private Equity, Global Credit and Global Investment Solutions. With $293 billion of assets under management as of September 30, 2021, 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. Carlyle employs more than 1,800 people in 26 offices across five continents. Further information is available at www.carlye.com. Follow Carlyle on Twitter @OneCarlyle.

About A&M Capital Partners
A&M Capital Partners (“AMCP”) is Alvarez & Marsal Capital’s flagship investment strategy focused on middle-market control transactions in North America with total assets under management of $1.8 billion. AMCP partners with founders, corporates and management teams, providing the capital and strategic assistance that we believe is required to take businesses to the next level of success. AMCP invests in businesses across a wide range of sectors including Industrial Products, Consumer Products and Services, Healthcare, Business Services and Government Services. Targeted sub-sectors include: Environmental Services, Facility Services, Food & Beverage, Government Services, Human Capital Management, Industrial Services, IT & BPO Services, Marketing Services, Packaging, Specialty Distribution and Transportation & Logistics. 

MEDIA CONTACTS

Kelly Schlageter
(703) 214-3364
kelly.schlageter@cns-inc.com

Brittany Berliner
(212) 813-4839
brittany.berliner@carlyle.com

Ale Amesquita
ale@a-mcapital.com
513.602.7914
Director of Business Development

A&M CAPITAL PARTNERS | 11.18.21

A&M Capital Partners is Pleased to Announce GS Foods’ Acquisition of Thurston Foods, Expanding and Strengthening Operations

GS Foods Group, a leading specialized food distributor owned by affiliates of A&M Capital Partners and Highview Capital, acquired Thurston Foods, a full-service food distributor based in Wallingford, Connecticut.

Established in 1947, Thurston Foods is a family-owned full-service distributor inventorying over 7,500 items to serve diverse segments of the foodservice industry including schools, hospitals, health care facilities, restaurants and more. Thurston Foods’ current service areas include Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New York, New Jersey, Maine, Vermont and New Hampshire. 

With more than 50 years of industry experience, GS Foods encompasses a family of specialized foodservice companies that provide trusted food distribution and product solutions nationwide. GS Foods’ acquisition of Thurston Foods will be the Company’s largest to date, significantly expanding their footprint across the Northeastern region to provide more customers with top-notch products in end markets including education, foodservice and retail.

GS Foods is actively seeking add-ons:

  • Focus: Specialty Food Distribution and Food Manufacturing
  • Specific Interest In: K-12, Healthcare, Foodservice, Retail
  • Add-On EBITDA: $1 million + 
  • Geography: United States

About Alvarez & Marsal Capital
Alvarez & Marsal Capital (“AMC”) is a multi-strategy private equity investment firm with over $3 billion in total assets under management across five funds and four investment strategies. The privately-owned firm is led by a highly experienced investment team, which is augmented by its strategic association with Alvarez & Marsal (“A&M”), one of the largest operationally-focused advisory firms in the world. AMC’s business model combines a focus on middle-market private equity investing with the deep operational expertise, industry knowledge and global corporate relationships of A&M, making it a uniquely attractive partner to management teams, corporates and business owners.

About A&M Capital Partners
A&M Capital Partners (“AMCP”) is Alvarez & Marsal Capital’s flagship investment strategy focused on middle-market control transactions in North America with total assets under management of $1.8 billion. AMCP partners with founders, corporates and management teams, providing the capital and strategic assistance that we believe is required to take businesses to the next level of success. AMCP invests in businesses across a wide range of sectors including Industrial Products, Consumer Products and Services, Healthcare, Business Services and Government Services. Targeted sub-sectors include: Environmental Services, Facility Services, Food & Beverage, Government Services, Human Capital Management, Industrial Services, IT & BPO Services, Marketing Services, Packaging, Specialty Distribution and Transportation & Logistics. 

CONTACT US WITH OPPORTUNITIES FOR A&M CAPITAL AND WORLDWISE
Ale Amesquita
ale@a-mcapital.com
513.602.7914
Director of Business Development

A&M CAPITAL PARTNERS | 11.18.21

A&M Capital Partners is Pleased to Announce a New Platform Investment

Worldwise is a leading manufacturer and distributor of branded pet supplies. The Company has a highly diversified portfolio of leading brands, which includes SmartyKat®, TrustyPup®, Petlinks®, goDog®, SHERPA™, Guaranteed On-Board™, PoochPlanet®, and Pawscout™ and is a category leader in toys, cat products, beds and travel accessories.

With AMCP’s support, Worldwise will remain focused on developing new, innovative products, expanding its e-commerce capabilities and further leveraging its leading brand positions to scale the business and enter new markets and product categories. The company will also pursue additional acquisition opportunities to grow its platform, reach and product offerings, with a specific focus on toys, chews, travel and other key categories. 

Worldwise is actively seeking add-ons:

  • Focus: Pet Products Space
  • Specific Interest In: Toys, chews, cat, travel, and dog beds. Second interest in businesses with ecommerce capabilities
  • Add-On EBITDA: $1-20 million
  • Geography: United States

About Alvarez & Marsal Capital
Alvarez & Marsal Capital (“AMC”) is a multi-strategy private equity investment firm with over $3 billion in total assets under management across five funds and four investment strategies. The privately-owned firm is led by a highly experienced investment team, which is augmented by its strategic association with Alvarez & Marsal (“A&M”), one of the largest operationally-focused advisory firms in the world. AMC’s business model combines a focus on middle-market private equity investing with the deep operational expertise, industry knowledge and global corporate relationships of A&M, making it a uniquely attractive partner to management teams, corporates and business owners.

About A&M Capital Partners
A&M Capital Partners (“AMCP”) is Alvarez & Marsal Capital’s flagship investment strategy focused on middle-market control transactions in North America with total assets under management of $1.8 billion. AMCP partners with founders, corporates and management teams, providing the capital and strategic assistance that we believe is required to take businesses to the next level of success. AMCP invests in businesses across a wide range of sectors including Industrial Products, Consumer Products and Services, Healthcare, Business Services and Government Services. Targeted sub-sectors include: Environmental Services, Facility Services, Food & Beverage, Government Services, Human Capital Management, Industrial Services, IT & BPO Services, Marketing Services, Packaging, Specialty Distribution and Transportation & Logistics. 

CONTACT US WITH OPPORTUNITIES FOR A&M CAPITAL AND WORLDWISE
Ale Amesquita
ale@a-mcapital.com
513.602.7914
Director of Business Development