Blue Wolf Capital to Acquire OSD CDMO Sites from Recipharm
Seven sites across Sweden, France and Spain to form new CDMO platform
April 2, 2024 – NEW YORK – Blue Wolf Capital Partners LLC (“Blue Wolf”), a middle market private equity firm specializing in the healthcare and industrial sectors, announced today that it has committed, subject to regulatory clearances, to acquire seven manufacturing and development facilities: Solna, Stängnäs, Höganäs, Karlskoga and Uppsala OTC Development in Sweden, Pessac in France, and Parets in Spain, from Recipharm, a contract development and manufacturing organization (“CDMO”) headquartered in Stockholm.
The seven facilities have been a part of Recipharm for over a decade and have focused on the manufacturing and development of oral solid, semi-solid and liquid dosage form pharmaceutical products. The facilities serve over 120 customers around the world and have a strong track record of quality and regulatory compliance. Together these sites are to form a new independent CDMO platform with continued focus on pharmaceutical manufacturing operating under a new corporate name to be announced after the transaction closes.
“Blue Wolf is excited for the opportunity to build a new CDMO platform with these seven European assets serving as a cornerstone,” said Shashank Patel, Principal at Blue Wolf. “Partnering with the leadership and teams at these seven facilities, we look forward to continuing to deliver world-class manufacturing capabilities and development services to our partners in order to provide the highest quality pharmaceuticals to patients around the world.”
Greg Behar, CEO, Recipharm said: “We are delighted that Blue Wolf has committed to acquire seven of our OSD sites, marking a significant step for both organizations. I am confident that Blue Wolf will continue to elevate service excellence and bolster the organization for the benefit of customers and patients. By consolidating our site network, we are sharpening our focus on New Chemical Entities (NCEs), medium to high potency drugs, and on-patent medications within the oral solid dosage sector. This strategic divestment aligns with our overarching vision to emerge as the premier choice CDMO for both our customers and patients. I extend my best wishes to all our colleagues embarking on this new journey at those seven sites.”
Terms of the agreement were not disclosed. The transaction is expected to close in Q4 2024, subject to customary regulatory approvals.
About Blue Wolf Capital Partners
Blue Wolf Capital Partners LLC is a private equity firm that focuses on value investments in middle market companies in the healthcare and industrial sectors. The firm’s integrated team of investment professionals and veteran operating executives work collaboratively to generate returns by driving transformational change using operational and strategic experience. Blue Wolf seeks to invest in businesses that have catalysts for value creation that involve organizational transformation, complex union or human capital issues, significant government presence, or the opportunity to use ESG-informed strategies. For additional information, please visit www.bluewolfcapital.com.
About Recipharm
Recipharm is a leading Contract Development and Manufacturing Organisation (CDMO) in the pharmaceutical industry employing over 7,400 employees. Recipharm offers manufacturing services of pharmaceuticals in various dosage forms, production of clinical trial material and APIs, pharmaceutical product development and development and manufacturing of medical devices. Recipharm manufactures several hundred different products to customers ranging from big pharma to smaller research and development companies. The company operates development and manufacturing facilities in France, Germany, India, Israel, Italy, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, the UK and the US and is headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden.
For more information on Recipharm and our services, please visit www.recipharm.com
Contacts
Kate Spaziani
Director, Government Affairs and Communications, Blue Wolf Capital Partners
kate@bluewolfcapital.com
Sam Reinhardt
Vice President, Global Strategy Group
sreinhardt@globalstrategygroup.com
212-392-5270
Guenaelle Holloway
Head of Communication,
Guenaelle.Holloway@Recipharm.com
Blue Wolf Capital Names Samantha Dwinell Operating Partner
New hire marks firm’s second operating partner focused on human capital
NEW YORK, March 26, 2024 – Blue Wolf Capital Partners LLC (“Blue Wolf”), a middle market private equity firm specializing in the industrial and healthcare sectors, today announced that Samantha Dwinell has joined the firm as an operating partner focusing on human capital.
Ms. Dwinell will serve as an advisor for organizational and talent development, supporting Blue Wolf’s investment team on people-centric performance and growth strategies and counseling the firm’s diversified portfolio on areas such as leadership effectiveness, employee experience, and workforce planning.
“Sam is a recognized leader and a champion for high-performing workplaces,” said Jeremy Kogler, managing partner at Blue Wolf Capital. “We place great emphasis at Blue Wolf on fostering and growing talent within our firm and across our portfolio. Sam’s expertise will be a great resource to us, and we are excited she has joined our team.”
Ms. Dwinell is Blue Wolf’s second operating partner specializing in human capital, reinforcing the firm’s strategy of developing strong talent and culture in each of the companies with whom it partners. Prior to joining Blue Wolf, Ms. Dwinell served as Chief People Officer for Stream Realty Partners, a commercial real estate company, and for Sevita, a private equity-backed home and community-based healthcare provider. Before that, she spent nearly 20 years with Texas Instruments.
“Blue Wolf’s strong focus on talent, employee engagement, and development is a hallmark of their investment and growth strategy,” said Ms. Dwinell. “I look forward to working with Blue Wolf and partnering with management teams to ensure our portfolio companies are top destinations for employees.”
Ms. Dwinell graduated from Miami University with a B.A. in Economics and Sociology and received an M.A. from Benedictine University in Management and Organization Behavior as well as an M.H.R.I.R. from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in Human Resources and Industrial Relations. In 2023, she received OnCon’s Top 50 CHRO Award.
About Blue Wolf Capital Partners
Blue Wolf Capital Partners LLC is a private equity firm that focuses on value investments in middle market companies in the healthcare and industrial sectors. The firm’s integrated team of investment professionals and veteran operating executives work collaboratively to generate returns by driving transformational change using operational and strategic experience. Blue Wolf seeks to invest in businesses that have catalysts for value creation that involve organizational transformation, union or human capital issues, government presence, or the opportunity to use ESG-informed strategies. For additional information, please visit www.bluewolfcapital.com.
Contacts
Kate Spaziani
Director, Government Affairs and Communications, Blue Wolf Capital Partners
kate@bluewolfcapital.com
Sam Reinhardt
Vice President, Global Strategy Group
sreinhardt@globalstrategygroup.com
212-392-5270
Blue Wolf Capital Names David Hecht Operating Partner
New addition broadens firm’s expertise in the healthcare sector
NEW YORK, March 11, 2024 – Blue Wolf Capital Partners LLC (“Blue Wolf”), a middle market private equity firm specializing in the industrial and healthcare sectors, today announced that David Hecht will be joining the firm as an operating partner specializing in healthcare investments. He most recently served as the chief financial officer and chief strategy officer at RHA Health Services (“RHA”), a leading healthcare services provider to individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities and those with mental health challenges.
Mr. Hecht joins a roster of respected, seasoned operating partners at Blue Wolf who have deep experience in the healthcare and industrial sectors. In his new role, Mr. Hecht will advise the firm on new healthcare investments and provide strategic and operational counsel to Blue Wolf’s portfolio companies operating in the healthcare sector.
“David was a transformative member of the management team at RHA and will bring strategic thinking and creative problem-solving to his new role,” said Jeremy Kogler, Managing Partner at Blue Wolf Capital. “At Blue Wolf, we remain focused on building our outstanding, integrated team of veteran operating partners and investment professionals. The addition of a proven leader like David reflects our commitment to ensuring we have the operational expertise and sector knowledge necessary to navigate even the most complex issues affecting the industries in which we invest.”
“I am excited to join the talented team at Blue Wolf. Having worked closely with Blue Wolf for nearly five years, I have seen their ability to identify differentiated investments and to create value in their portfolio companies through operational excellence,” said Mr. Hecht. “The healthcare sector presents a wide range of opportunities to invest in businesses that improve health outcomes, deliver a better patient experience, and employ and grow a critical workforce. In pursuit of these goals, I look forward to collaborating with Blue Wolf’s investment team and portfolio company management in my new role.”
Prior to joining Blue Wolf, Mr. Hecht spent seven years at RHA Health Services. During his time there, Mr. Hecht led the company’s finance and capital markets function and helped drive the company’s expansion into multiple new markets, both through acquisition and organic growth. Prior to RHA, Mr. Hecht served as a senior vice president at Formation Capital, a vice president at Healthpro Heritage, and a management consultant at Oliver Wyman, among other roles.
Mr. Hecht graduated from Princeton University with an A.B. in Politics and received an M.B.A. from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania with a concentration in Healthcare Management.
About Blue Wolf Capital Partners
Blue Wolf Capital Partners LLC is a private equity firm that focuses on value investments in middle market companies in the healthcare and industrial sectors. The firm’s integrated team of investment professionals and veteran operating executives work collaboratively to generate returns by driving transformational change using operational and strategic experience. Blue Wolf seeks to invest in businesses that have catalysts for value creation that involve organizational transformation, union or human capital issues, government presence, or the opportunity to use ESG-informed strategies. For additional information, please visit www.bluewolfcapital.com.
Contacts
Kate Spaziani
Director, Government Affairs and Communications, Blue Wolf Capital Partners
kate@bluewolfcapital.com
Sam Reinhardt
Vice President, Global Strategy Group
sreinhardt@globalstrategygroup.com
212-392-5270
Blue Wolf Capital Finalizes Acquisition of LOGISTEC Corporation in Partnership with Stonepeak
Sean Pierce Named Chief Executive Officer
Transaction represents significant investment in North American marine and environmental sectors
January 9, 2024 – NEW YORK – Blue Wolf Capital Partners LLC (“Blue Wolf”), a middle market private equity firm specializing in the industrial and healthcare sectors, has completed its acquisition of Montreal-based LOGISTEC Corporation (“LOGISTEC” or “the company”).
As announced on October 16, 2023, Blue Wolf partnered with Stonepeak, a leading alternative investment firm specializing in infrastructure and real assets, to execute the approximately C$1.2 billion transaction. This transaction builds on Blue Wolf’s track record of successful investments in the industrial sector and demonstrates a commitment to North American industry.
“LOGISTEC has a well-earned reputation for operational excellence providing marine and environmental services across critical infrastructure and industrial markets,” said Bennet Grill, Partner at Blue Wolf and incoming Chairman at LOGISTEC. “We are excited to support LOGISTEC’s exceptional team providing safe, sustainable and creative solutions for their customers and invest in the company’s next phase of growth.”
Since its founding more than 70 years ago, LOGISTEC has expanded into a diversified corporation offering a range of marine and environmental services in the North American market. It currently operates in 60 ports and 90 terminals across the continent. Following this transaction, LOGISTEC’s headquarters will remain in Montreal.
“The closing of this transaction marks an exciting milestone in LOGISTEC’s trajectory,” said James Wyper, Senior Managing Director at Stonepeak. “We look forward to supporting LOGISTEC in partnership with Blue Wolf as the company continues to grow and provide specialized services to its diversified global customer base through its terminal operations.”
Sean Pierce Named Chief Executive Officer
Sean Pierce has been named chief executive officer (CEO) of LOGISTEC. Mr. Pierce brings a wealth of global industry expertise and strategic leadership that will further accelerate LOGISTEC’s growth and expansion. He will replace Madeleine Paquin, who announced today that she has stepped down from the role.
“Being asked to lead LOGISTEC is a great honor,” said Sean Pierce, CEO of LOGISTEC. “I am excited to join an organization with a strong dedication to its customers, employees and the communities in which we operate. I look forward to continuing this legacy and working with the entire team to lead the company to even greater things in the future.”
With over 35 years of experience in the marine sector, Mr. Pierce has held various senior executive roles and has a proven track record of driving organizational success. His deep understanding of the industry and commitment to innovation will be instrumental in leading LOGISTEC into its next phase of development, while continuing to contribute to the Quebec and Canadian economies.
“I am delighted to welcome Sean Pierce as LOGISTEC’s new CEO. His extensive experience and visionary direction will strengthen the company’s position as a critical provider of logistics and environmental solutions,” added Mr. Grill. “I also would like to recognize Madeleine Paquin for her outstanding leadership over the past three decades. Her dedication and contributions have made LOGISTEC a great company, and we look forward to building on her legacy.”
In connection with the acquisition, a new board of LOGISTEC also has been constituted, with representatives from Blue Wolf and Stonepeak joined by Jean-Jacques Ruest, former CEO of Canadian National Railway, and Michael Moore, former CEO of Global Container Terminals.
TD Securities Inc. acted as exclusive financial advisor to LOGISTEC and Blair Franklin Capital Partners Inc. acted as independent financial advisor to the company’s Special Committee. Rothschild & Co acted as exclusive financial advisor to Blue Wolf. Stikeman Elliott LLP acted as independent legal advisor to LOGISTEC’s Special Committee and Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP and K&L Gates LLP served as legal advisors to LOGISTEC. McCarthy Tétrault LLP and Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP acted as legal advisors to Blue Wolf.
About LOGISTEC Corporation
LOGISTEC Corporation is based in Montréal (QC) and provides specialized services to the marine community and industrial companies in the areas of bulk, break-bulk and container cargo handling in 60 ports and 90 terminals located in North America. LOGISTEC also offers marine transportation services geared primarily to the Arctic coastal trade as well as marine agency services to shipowners and operators serving the Canadian market. Furthermore, the Corporation operates in the environmental industry where it provides services to industrial, municipal, and other governmental customers for the renewal of underground water mains, dredging, dewatering, contaminated soils and materials management, site remediation, risk assessment, and manufacturing of fluid transportation products.
About Blue Wolf Capital Partners
Blue Wolf Capital Partners LLC is a private equity firm that focuses on value investments in middle market companies in the healthcare and industrial sectors. The firm’s integrated team of investment professionals and veteran operating executives work collaboratively to generate returns by driving transformational change using operational and strategic experience. Blue Wolf seeks to invest in businesses that have catalysts for value creation that involve organizational transformation, complex union or human capital issues, significant government presence, or the opportunity to use ESG-informed strategies. For additional information, please visit www.bluewolfcapital.com.
About Stonepeak
Stonepeak is a leading alternative investment firm specializing in infrastructure and real assets with approximately $57.9 billion of assets under management. Through its investment in defensive, hard-asset businesses globally, Stonepeak aims to create value for its investors and portfolio companies, with a focus on downside protection and strong risk-adjusted returns. Stonepeak sponsors investment vehicles focused on private equity and credit. The firm provides capital, operational support, and committed partnership to grow investments in its target sectors, which include communications, energy and energy transition, transport and logistics, social infrastructure, and real estate. Stonepeak is headquartered in New York with offices in Hong Kong, Houston, London, Singapore, and Sydney. For more information, please visit www.stonepeak.com.
Media Contacts
Marie-Chantal Savoy
Vice President, Strategy and Communications
LOGISTEC Corporation
msavoy@logistec.com
Kate Spaziani
Director, Government Affairs and Communications
Blue Wolf Capital
kate@bluewolfcapital.com
Kate Beers/Maya Brounstein
Communications
Stonepeak
corporatecomms@stonepeak.com
Blue Wolf Capital Announces Promotions Across Business Functions
January 4, 2024 – NEW YORK – – Blue Wolf Capital Partners LLC (“Blue Wolf” or “the firm”), a middle market private equity firm specializing in the healthcare and industrial sectors, today announced a number of promotions across the firm.
“I am delighted to share several well-earned promotions that recognize hard work and contributions in support of our firm,” said Jeremy Kogler, Managing Partner at Blue Wolf Capital. “The quality of our team at Blue Wolf is unparalleled, and we are proud of the unique contributions each of these individuals brings to our success.”
Bennet Grill Named Partner
Bennet Grill has been named Partner. Previously a Principal, Mr. Grill first joined Blue Wolf as an Associate in 2012 from the Mergers & Acquisitions group at Citi and rejoined the firm as a Vice President in 2017.
“Since joining Blue Wolf, Bennet has earned a reputation as a skilled investment professional who consistently creates value for our portfolio companies and investors,” added Mr. Kogler. “He is a reflection of both our culture and investment expertise and I look forward to his expanded leadership role and continued contributions to Blue Wolf’s growth.”
In addition to chairing Blue Wolf’s ESG Committee, Mr. Grill has been instrumental in some of the firm’s largest transactions in both its industrials and healthcare practices. He currently serves on the Board of Directors of Twin Rivers Paper Company, The State Group, Fox Rehabilitation and RHA Health Services.
“Blue Wolf has provided me with immense opportunities to grow professionally and become involved in great companies supporting the backbone of the economy,” said Mr. Grill. “It’s a privilege to work with such a passionate team that cares so deeply about supporting our portfolio companies for their long-term success. I look forward to what we’ll be able to achieve together in the future.”
Additional Promotions
In addition to Mr. Grill, Blue Wolf announced several other promotions, including:
Henry Baldwin to Senior Associate
Mr. Baldwin joined Blue Wolf in 2021 after serving as a Senior Strategy Analyst at Accenture and as an Analyst in the Global Industrials investment banking group at Credit Suisse. Mr. Baldwin received a B.A. in Political Science from Yale University.
Alan teGroen to Senior Associate
Mr. teGroen joined Blue Wolf in 2021 from J.P. Morgan, where he was an Analyst in the Mergers and Acquisitions investment banking group. He received a B.S. in Finance and Accounting from Florida State University Honors College and a Master of Finance from Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
AJ Reid to Associate
Mr. Reid served in the United State Air Force as an Acquisitions Officer before joining Blue Wolf in 2021. Mr. Reid received a B.S. in Business Administration from The U.S. Air Force Academy.
Maureen Boxer to Director, Administration
Ms. Boxer manages a variety of functions at Blue Wolf including Human Resources, Information Technology, Administration and Office Management. She joined the firm in 2011 after serving in positions at Screenvision and Rafaella, a Perry Ellis Company. She graduated magna cum laude from the College of Staten Island with a B.A. in Sociology.
Hannah Braun to Investor Relations Analyst
Ms. Braun began her career at Blue Wolf in 2022 as an Executive Assistant. Prior to joining Blue Wolf, she was Executive Assistant to the Co-Founder and Managing Partner at Clearlake Capital Group. Before transitioning to private equity, she started her career in retail management as an Executive Team Leader at Target. She received a B.S. in Business Administration from the University of North Carolina Wilmington.
Helene Nikas to Administrative Coordinator
Ms. Nikas joined Blue Wolf in 2021 from Material Bank and prior to that served in various roles across private equity, alternative asset management and investment banking. She studied International Criminal Justice with a focus in Human Rights at John Jay College of Criminal Justice.
About Blue Wolf Capital Partners
Blue Wolf Capital Partners LLC is a private equity firm that focuses on value investments in middle market companies in the healthcare and industrial sectors. The firm’s integrated team of investment professionals and veteran operating executives work collaboratively to generate returns by driving transformational change using operational and strategic experience. Blue Wolf seeks to invest in businesses that have catalysts for value creation that involve organizational transformation, complex union or human capital issues, significant government presence, or the opportunity to use ESG-informed strategies. For additional information, please visit www.bluewolfcapital.com.
Contacts
Kate Spaziani
Director, Government Affairs and Communications, Blue Wolf Capital Partners kate@bluewolfcapital.com
Blue Wolf Capital Partners Donates $27,000 to Monette, Arkansas Storm Shelters
June 08, 2023 – MONETTE, Ark. – Blue Wolf Capital Partners, LLC (“Blue Wolf”) announced today its commitment to support the community of Monette, Arkansas, with a donation of $27,000 to the City of Monette Community Relief Fund. On Friday, December 10, 2021, Monette was struck by a devastating EF4 tornado. The community created the fund to help with immediate support and improved community safety.
The donation from Blue Wolf will be used to support the installation and maintenance of storm shelters in the area, helping to keep the community safe in the event of future natural disasters. This funding comes at a critical time, as Monette and the surrounding areas continue to recover from the storm’s impact.
“Blue Wolf is honored to support the people of Monette in their ongoing efforts to rebuild and recover from the tornado,” said Jeremy Kogler, managing partner at Blue Wolf. “We believe in giving back to the communities where we live and work, and we are proud to support the City of Monette Community Relief Fund in their efforts to provide vital resources to those in need.”
The City of Monette Community Relief Fund has been instrumental in providing support and resources to local residents and businesses affected by the storm, and Blue Wolf’s donation will help to ensure that the community has the resources it needs to protect its citizens if another storm comes.
“I would like to extend our most sincere and heartfelt gratitude to Blue Wolf Capital Partners for their generous donation of $27,000 to assist with the costs of installing new storm shelters within our city limits. Our hometown and our citizens were changed forever on December 10, 2021,” said the city of Monette Mayor Bob Blankenship. “Homes and businesses were destroyed, and lives were lost. Recovery has been a long and difficult road for us all. We have been immensely blessed with many helpers along the way. This monetary donation from Blue Wolf Capital Partners will ensure that all of our residents will have a nearby safe place to go in the event of another destructive storm. We thank you for your generosity and continued commitment to our hometown.”
Blue Wolf acquired Colson Group in February 2021, including its manufacturing facility in Jonesboro, Arkansas. In 2022, Colson built a new, 135,000 square foot facility on a 25-acre site located in Northeast Arkansas’s newest industrial park. Colson has 170 employees at its Jonesboro and Monette locations. Blue Wolf’s investments in Arkansas also include Caddo River Forests Products, Twin Rivers Paper Company, Conifex, and Carthage Forest Products.
About Blue Wolf Capital Partners
Blue Wolf is a private equity firm that focuses on value investments in middle market companies in the healthcare and industrial sectors. The firm’s integrated team of investment professionals and veteran operating executives work collaboratively to generate returns by driving transformational change using operational and strategic experience. Blue Wolf seeks to invest in businesses that have catalysts for value creation that involve organizational transformation, complex union or human capital issues, significant government or regulatory presence, financial or operational distress or the opportunity to use ESG-informed strategies.
Blue Wolf Capital Acquires Sterling Site Access Solutions
February 08, 2023 – NEW YORK – Blue Wolf Capital Partners (“Blue Wolf”), a New York-based private equity firm, announced today that it has acquired Sterling Site Access Solutions (“Sterling” or the “Company”), a leading, vertically-integrated provider of temporary ground protection and site access services.
Founded in 1949, Sterling is one of the largest providers of mission critical site access solutions in North America. The Company offers a comprehensive suite of products and services including site planning and design, mat rentals and sales, site preparation, mat installation, and final mat removal and site restoration. Sterling operates through two manufacturing facilities in Phoenix, Illinois and Lufkin, Texas, as well as distribution yards across the U.S. Midwest, South and Northeast. The Company serves blue-chip customers in the power transmission and distribution, civil infrastructure, and energy sectors.
“As a leader in the growing market for site access solutions, Sterling has earned a reputation for quality and reliability,” said Aakash Patel, Partner at Blue Wolf Capital. “With its turnkey products and services and industry-leading production capacity, the Company is uniquely positioned to support critical infrastructure projects across North America. We are very excited to partner with Sterling to expand upon the Company’s capabilities and accelerate growth over the next several years.”
“We are pleased to be partnering with Blue Wolf to build on Sterling’s long history of innovative solutions and outstanding customer service,” said Carter Sterling, CEO of Sterling. “Since my family started this business more than 70 years ago, we have grown into an industry leader that provides safe, efficient, environmentally friendly jobsite solutions to our customers. As we enter this next phase of our journey, Sterling will benefit from Blue Wolf’s deep bench of investment and operating professionals and significant industry experience.”
“Sterling is a great fit for Blue Wolf’s portfolio,” said James Shovlin, Principal at Blue Wolf Capital. “Through our industrial sector expertise, we have a deep understanding of Sterling’s supply chain and end markets. We see a significant opportunity to collaborate with Carter and the Sterling leadership team to drive value creation through commercial and operational enhancements.”
Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
About Sterling Site Access Solutions
Sterling is a leading North American site access contractor providing ground protection products and turnkey access solutions, including site planning & design, mat rentals & sales, site preparation, mat installation, and final mat removal & site restoration. Sterling serves a blue-chip customer base, including asset owners and general contractors in the power transmission & distribution, civil infrastructure, and energy end markets, helping them protect the environment and ensure workers’ safety on their jobsites. Sterling is committed to engineering innovative new products and services for the North American ground protection industry. For additional information, please visit Sterling’s website at https://www.sterlingsolutions.com/.
About Blue Wolf Capital
Blue Wolf Capital is a private equity firm that invests in buyouts, recapitalizations, and growth capital opportunities in middle market companies. The firm focuses on making control investments and works collaboratively to generate returns through operational and strategic experience. Blue Wolf manages challenging situations and complex relationships between business, customers, employees, unions, and regulators with the goal of building value for stakeholders. For additional information, please visit www.bluewolfcapital.com.
January 03, 2023 – NEW YORK – Blue Wolf Capital Partners LLC (“Blue Wolf”), a New York-based private equity firm, today named Natalie Marjancik as a Partner of the firm, announced the promotions of James Shovlin to Principal and David Meyers and Jordan Fong to Senior Associate and expanded Kate Spaziani’s role to Director of Government Affairs and Communications.
“We are delighted to welcome Natalie as our newest Partner and to recognize the significant value she brings to the firm and its portfolio companies,” said Jeremy Kogler, Managing Partner at Blue Wolf. “We also are pleased to extend well-deserved promotions and role expansions to four team members, James, Kate, David and Jordan. Over the past year, thanks to our team’s collective experience, market knowledge and core competencies, Blue Wolf has successfully navigated a challenging global environment. We are proud of our performance and look forward to continued success.”
“I am honored to take on this expanded role and join Blue Wolf’s talented, long-standing group of partners,” said Ms. Marjancik. “Since first becoming acquainted with Blue Wolf nearly a decade ago, I’ve been impressed by the depth and investment discipline of the team, and I look forward to continue building on the firm’s proven track record of investment and operational excellence.”
Ms. Marjancik joined Blue Wolf in March 2022 as Managing Director, Capital Markets, bringing significant expertise in complex, multi-dimensional financing strategies. Prior to joining Blue Wolf, Ms. Marjancik spent almost 13 years at Lincoln International focusing on capital and debt advisory. During her time there, Ms. Marjancik served as a key advisor to corporate and private equity clients, including Blue Wolf, on the structuring and arranging of debt financings across multiple sectors, including, among others, industrials, consumer, business services and healthcare. She also assessed and rendered opinions on companies’ debt capacities and various corporate transactional matters, including financing terms and structures available to borrowers. Prior to that, Ms. Marjancik practiced corporate law at Shearman & Sterling LLP, where she advised on domestic and cross-border capital raising transactions, mergers, acquisitions, divestitures and joint ventures.
Ms. Marjancik received a B.S. with honors from Purdue University, a M.B.A. with honors from the Booth School of Business at the University of Chicago and a J.D., magna cum laude, from Boston University School of Law.
Mr. Shovlin joined Blue Wolf in 2015 and most recently served as Vice President. Currently, he serves on the Board of Directors of Blue Wolf portfolio companies C&C Forest Products, The State Group, Vicksburg Forest Products, and Welch & Rushe. Prior to joining the firm, Mr. Shovlin was an Analyst in the Restructuring group at Guggenheim Securities. He received a B.S. in Economics with concentrations in Accounting and Finance from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.
Ms. Spaziani joined Blue Wolf in 2021 as Director of Government Affairs. Prior to joining the firm, she spent more than seven years at the NewYork-Presbyterian hospital system, serving as Vice President of Communications, External Affairs, and Federal Relations, and worked in both the US House and Senate as a senior staff member. Ms. Spaziani received a B.A., magna cum laude, from Duke University and a J.D., cum laude, from Georgetown University Law Center.
Mr. Meyers joined Blue Wolf in 2020 and most recently served as an Associate. Previously he was an Analyst in the Restructuring group at Perella Weinberg Partners. Mr. Meyers received a Bachelor of Commerce with First Class Honors in Investment Management from McGill University.
Mr. Fong joined Blue Wolf in 2021 and most recently served as an Associate. Prior to joining the firm, he was an Analyst in the Industrials Mergers & Acquisitions investment banking group at Rothschild & Co. Mr. Fong received a B.A. in Economics from Hamilton College.
About Blue Wolf Capital Partners
Blue Wolf Capital is a private equity firm that invests in buyouts, recapitalizations, and growth capital opportunities in middle market companies. The firm focuses on making control investments and works collaboratively to generate returns through operational and strategic experience. Blue Wolf manages challenging situations and complex relationships between business, customers, employees, unions, and regulators with the goal of building value for stakeholders. For additional information, please visit www.bluewolfcapital.com.
Using the SDGs as a Guiding Light: PEI Keynote Interview
Aligning investment strategies with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals provides a compelling route for value creation, says Blue Wolf Capital’s Adam Blumenthal
The UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals are often referenced as part of efforts to promote social and economic development in developing countries. New York-headquartered Blue Wolf Capital Partners, however, also sees the goals as valuable in helping to guide its strategy for a portfolio that largely consists of US-based healthcare and industrial companies.
Adam Blumenthal, the firm’s founder and managing partner, tells Private Equity International that by providing a framework for stakeholder value creation, the SDGs complement ESG frameworks that emphasise quantitative reporting of key performance indicators. Blue Wolf, he says, has found that ensuring portfolio companies deliver on the SDGs puts these businesses on a stable long-term footing and helps generate returns for investors.
Question: Why is private equity investing suited to promoting ESG principles and the SDGs?
As a private equity firm, we design the strategy through which our portfolio companies generate value and secure returns for our investors. We take seriously the choices we make in doing that – there is more than one path to value creation. As a private equity GP, you have the ability to make those choices and to control critical aspects of how companies behave.
At Blue Wolf, we think of environ-mental, social and governance considerations as being a crucial part of our strategy for building companies that are going to have long-term sustainable value. Every time we make a decision to focus on ESG, we make a choice to create value for our investors – and I argue this approach has been critical to our ability to generate top-quartile re-turns over our history.
The Sustainable Development Goals represent a global consensus on what kind of companies and societies are going to support long-term sustainable growth. It is important to us that we take into account the SDGs, since these set the parameters for the long-term macro environment within which our businesses operate.
Question: What do LPs expect from you in terms of ESG?
There is a range of investor sentiment. We have LPs that are purely interest-ed in whether we are delivering on our return forecasts. They are less interested in the underpinnings of our strategy. All they know is that it works, and that is fi ne with them when we post the numbers.
Then there are investors for which the SDGs and other global regulatory or ESG frameworks are important. We have a sustained dialogue with investors that look for GPs to align their strategies with the SDGs while generating attractive returns – and some of these investors have become loyal and substantial investors in our funds. One of the great things about the strategy we have embraced is that we can draw a direct link between the achievement of ESG goals and financial performance.
Question: To what extent is a standardised framework helpful to private equity investors looking to manage ESG risk and opportunities?
There is a lot of discussion around frameworks in the ESG world. It is worth bearing in mind that some 2,000 years after the initial development of double-entry bookkeeping, we still have not come up with a standardised financial accounting framework that people accept across the globe. To get to a standardised framework for dis-cussing the ESG aspects of investment will take time.
It is positive that there is so much effort today being put into creating those frameworks. It is helpful that frameworks are emerging that allow for the quantification of easily report-able KPIs, because quantification and standardisation are important for the development of data that can be measured and managed. However, these frameworks are often not easily correlated with value creation.
The SDGs are a type of framework that can link to strategy, outcomes and value creation, considered broadly – that is value creation not just for the company, but for societies and economies as a whole. They provide a framework for stakeholder value creation and having a common language for discussing stakeholder value creation will ultimately be an important part of the maturation of the ESG movement. Of all the frameworks out there, that aspect of what ESG is about is extremely well captured by the SDGs.
Question: Looking forward, how can the private equity industry better align with the SDGs?
The growth of private capital markets and private equity into a significant force in the global economy has been one of the defining economic developments over the course of my career. As the private equity industry has matured, its responsibility to the broader economy has become more evident.
As it continues to mature, we need to focus more on the principles through which the private equity industry contributes to the global economy. For instance, many private equity funds – both at the largest level and in the mid-market – have been pursuing the idea of employee ownership as a way of addressing inequality. Over the course of the nextfive years, I think we are going to see that idea sweep through the private equity toolkit. After all, what is more in keeping with private equity’s reason for being than creating aligned incentives to drive growth throughout the portfolio? That is what the private equity industry is about.
Question: How has Blue Wolf operationalised its approach to ESG integration and alignment with the SDGs?
Like most private equity firms, we are strong believers that you cannot man-age what you do not measure. So, if we are committed to an ESG strategy, we need to capture core metrics, report them consistently over time, and drive them towards a value-creating outcome.
For example, we have established a safety, health and environmental programme that seeks to establish top-quartile safety, health and environ-mental performance and compliance at every portfolio company. We have developed a disciplined, metrics-based approach to measuring our progress, and we tie progress to executive compensation. By doing that on a consistent basis, we have had a great deal of success in moving the portfolio in the right direction.
Aside from capturing metrics, we integrate core ESG themes into the creation of our investment strategies. We have identified seven core ESG themes – every one of which is easily linked to one or more of the SDGs – that are fundamental to our investment strategy, and we look at those thematically as foundational to the value-creation strategy in our portfolio. By linking the metrics-based and thematic approaches to value creation, we think we have created a broad and robust programme.
Question: Blue Wolf is mainly focused on the US market– are the SDGs as relevant in this context as in emerging markets?
There is a growing problem of inequality in industrialised societies. This is broadly recognised as something that needs to be addressed to sustain competitiveness and growth, and I think the SDGs are an excellent framework for discussing those kinds of issues.
About half of our portfolio is health-care-related and one of our principles is to support the healthcare framework Triple Aim – which means achieving better health, at a lower cost, with a higher level of patient satisfaction. An-other principle is to invest in under-served communities, both in rural and urban areas. Both principles are well aligned with the SDG goals of improving health and wellbeing and reducing inequality.
An example of this in practice is Blue Wolf’s investment in Modern-MD, a healthcare company in Brooklyn, New York. We established the company in a joint venture with a local hospital in 2014, after the passage of the Affordable Care Act. Our ESG scan highlighted that the influx of newly insured people would give us the opportunity to address the large unmet demand for primary care in Brooklyn and to create jobs in an underserved community. Fast forward to today, and that company has delivered primary care, plus covid vaccines and testing, to more than 225,000 people during the past year. Naturally, that makes ModernMD a vital part of the community. That is a great example of using ESG principles and the SDGs to have an impact while generating returns for our investors.
Question: Outside of Blue Wolf’s healthcare portfolio, how do you implement your ESG principles?
Our firm began life making industrial investments, so we have a long, proven track record of building companies through this strategy. Some of the in-vestments we made along this route have been in the rural American South, building sawmill companies. We initially invested in a sawmill located in rural Dixie County, Florida, which has one of the highest poverty rates in the state. The sawmill was a vital local employer, but it also had significant environmental contamination issues that had put the company at risk.
We had the opportunity to acquire the company and then put our capacity for brownfield remediation – which we developed in connection with our ESG goals – to work. We became part of a broader community effort to promote economic development and, as a result, became an employer of choice in the region.
That company then doubled profit-ability and became marketable because of the brownfield remediation. We did something similar with a closed saw-mill in Arkansas, which we reopened and revitalised. That generated great returns for our investors, and for those communities in Florida and Arkansas it created jobs and a clean environment for people who may otherwise have had to move away to find employment opportunities.
Finding Value Through an ESG Lens: PEI Keynote Interview with Blue Wolf Capital
Being systematic on the ‘S’ in ESG will help firms identify opportunities and build resilience, says Blue Wolf Capital’s Adam Blumenthal
New York-based Blue Wolf Capital, which has a portfolio made up largely of healthcare services and industrial companies, found itself on the frontline of the covid-19 pandemic in the early months of 2020. Adam Blumenthal, founder and managing partner, tells Private Equity International that the firm’s long-term focus on environmental, social and governance factors was fundamental to its ability to cope with the pressures brought by covid-19. Meanwhile, Blue Wolf’s attention to the ‘S’ in ESG is at the heart of its strategy to unlock value as it prepares for life after the pandemic.
Question: How has Blue Wolf been affected by covid-19 and how has it responded to the pandemic?
Due to the healthcare services aspect of our investment portfolio, we were aware of the likely impact of covid-19 very early. That insight meant we were able to educate our employees and put in place support across the portfolio to maintain safe workplaces and behaviours at our companies.
Through our longstanding Safety, Health and Environmental programme, we already had infrastructure in place that allowed us to not only roll out best practices but also to encourage broad cross-portfolio engagement of resources – which was necessary, because all our portfolio companies continued operating throughout the pandemic. All of them were deemed essential. We had to keep going and remain safely operational, despite the disruption.
Whether it was on the healthcare or the industrials side of the portfolio, we witnessed the heroism of frontline workers as they met the needs of society in the pandemic. We have a group of outpatient healthcare facilities that operate in areas of New York that were at the centre of the pandemic. Everyone around the world saw what was happening in Brooklyn. We had urgent care centres there, and people kept coming into work every day in the midst of covid-19, and had their workload increase.
The only good news is that now we have a year of experience on how you manage in a pandemic at a high-performance level, while keeping people safe and meeting society’s needs. We are far better prepared to do that today than we were a year ago.
Question: Blue Wolf has been focusing on ESG for many years; how did that contribute to the resiliency of its portfolio when covid-19 arrived?
We have always had a focus, portfolio-wide, on managing human capital and on employee health and safety. We think that engagement with our employees is an important driver of business success, and we have formal governance systems to ensure our portfolio companies are doing that – that is getting onto the ‘G’ in ESG. You need a governance process. Without the ‘G’, it just does not happen. You need to know what you are doing and measure it through board committees.
We have used the ‘G’ features of ESG to put in place supports for the ‘S’. Having emphasised employee health and safety at the board and C-suite level for many years, when the crisis hit we did not have any questions about what our priorities would be or need to invent any new tools. If there are no questions about priorities and if you have the tools, it is easy for people to do the right thing.
We were able to track covid-19 infection rates across the portfolio and we found that less than 5 percent of our employees who contracted covid-19 were infected at work. We were able to demonstrate that if you are focused on providing people with a safe place to work and with the tools and the education to work safely, then it can be done. We are extremely proud of our work to make that happen.
Question: The pandemic has highlighted inequalities in the US healthcare system. What is Blue Wolf doing to address these?
The American healthcare system is well known for its inefficiency. Although the US has some of the best healthcare in the world at the highest level, on average it provides lower-quality outcomes at a higher cost than in many other developed nations. Closing that gap is a driver of value.
Blue Wolf’s approach to healthcare can be summarised by something called the Triple Aim – having better health, at a lower cost, with a higher level of patient satisfaction. We believe that the way to tell if you are creating value in American healthcare is whether your strategy is delivering on the Triple Aim. That has led us to embrace distributed home and community-based services that improve population health.
An example of this is portfolio company FOX Rehabilitation, which provides home-based physical therapies to a geriatric population. We have been putting physical therapists – with adequate PPE and testing – into the homes of 80 or 90-year-olds during lockdown. We help keep these people healthy, even though their mobility is restrained. We have great partnerships with assisted living facilities and senior citizen advocacy groups, because we can deliver the care where it is not happening otherwise.
We think that the way to lose money in healthcare over the next decade is to provide high-cost luxury services. The way to generate value for society and for investors is to use the Triple Aim to provide quality outcomes at a lower cost, in the way that the rest of the world has proved it is possible to do. Since the pandemic, valuation multiples on homebased and community-based care have increased dramatically. Covid-19 has made it clear that they are a critical piece of creating value in the system.
Question: 2020 exposed various social problems in the US. Can private equity investment help neglected communities while delivering returns?
With some of our industrial investments, we are the largest employer in small towns in America. We have operated sawmills in Dixie County, Florida, and Glenwood, Arkansas; paper mills in Madawaska, Maine. When we make an investment in a place like that, the advantage we have is that we are the only private equity company around. Because we are off the beaten path, typically, we can invest at valuations that are quite compelling.
We use ESG as a lens to find value creation opportunities. The fact that there is a lack of investment capital in these areas creates the opportunity to acquire attractive assets at low values. You get talented people, low-cost inputs and do not have a lot of competition.
However, it is not an anonymous world in Glenwood, Arkansas – your plant manager is going to have breakfast at the same café as the janitor. When you are operating in that environment, you need to be a community partner if you are going to be an employer of choice for the most talented people in the community. We view that as a business strategy as well as the way businesses need to behave.
Question: Does this approach extend to partnering with your workforces?
We have successfully invested in unionised companies since our inception as a firm. In a regulated environment, like healthcare, working collaboratively with unions is important. We approach our relationship with unions the same way we do with sources of financing or customers, and over 15 years, we have conducted ourselves so that we have a relationship of trust with unions. We negotiate hard for business success, but we tell people the truth and we recognise that unions and their workforces have a vested interest in the success of the company.
The result has been that we see investment opportunities that other people do not, because unions will call us and say: “Hey, we’ve got a problem at this company, is there a way you can buy this and fix it?” Usually we can’t – but when we can, that is a really remarkable piece of off-market dealflow.
Question: Will disruption to supply chains during covid-19 encourage investment in US manufacturing?
In our mind, it is about balance. American business followed a model of outsourcing to low-wage economies for many years that created structural risk within their supply chains. What is happening now is not a 180 degree turn from there, but companies are acknowledging the risks and investing to mitigate them. It is tragic that it took a pandemic for people to recognise that risk. We have been trying to mitigate it for many years. For example, we bought a building products company in 2016 and invested in domestic manufacturing to make sure we can always meet short-term demand. We want to have that kind of balanced, robust, resilient supply chain.
Question: What are the main lessons from the past year? Can interest in ESG be sustained?
ESG is a lens for value creation – it forces you to see things that others don’t, in ways that others don’t. I believe the private equity community is serious about embracing this approach.
As an investor, you have to see problems that become evident today as opportunities to invest for the future. Certainly, the pandemic has highlighted problems in our society and economy, ranging from the vulnerability of our supply chains, to the quality of our public health infrastructure. At the same time, operating in the pandemic has made clear there is room for innovation to address those problems. The pandemic has taught many people how to operate in a safe and systematic way – that is an innovation that has been broadly accepted throughout our economy.
