Accanto Health Appoints Dr. Tom Britton as Chief Executive Officer
ST. PAUL, Minn., Jan. 08, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Accanto Health, a national leader in eating disorder specialty care and behavioral health services, announced the appointment of veteran behavioral health executive Dr. Tom Britton as CEO this week. Accanto Health encompasses renowned brands: The Emily Program, Veritas Collaborative, and Gather Behavioral Health.
"As the awareness of eating disorders and the need for quality, compassionate care continues to grow, it's vital to have our next leader be someone who understands multi-site behavioral health care services and appreciates the unique needs of clients, families, and staff," said Dirk Miller, Executive Chair of Accanto Health and Founder of The Emily Program. "Tom's passion for behavioral health and his commitment to excellence in care and walking beside those we serve make him the right fit to lead us forward."
Britton expressed his excitement about joining Accanto Health, stating, “It is an incredible honor and privilege to join Accanto Health in the role of CEO. The merger of The Emily Program and Veritas Collaborative as well as the launch of Gather Behavioral Health has provided individuals in this country living with eating disorders comprehensive access to care and the tools necessary to enjoy a life of recovery.”
With over 30 years in the behavioral health field, Britton’s extensive clinical and leadership history aligns with Accanto Health’s longstanding commitment to delivering compassionate, evidence-based clinical and business processes, contributing to a high standard of care and positive client experience across its expanding program offerings. Previously, Britton served as CEO of American Addiction Centers and as President and CEO of Gateway Foundation. His introduction to eating disorders occurred earlier in his career when he held operational leadership positions in the eating disorders division of CRC Health, now part of Acadia Healthcare.
On a personal level, he feels passionate about behavioral health in part due to his own experience with addiction and recovery. “I believe all people hold the innate potential to improve their life and the lives of those around them,” said Britton. “I will work tirelessly with the Accanto Team to grow and expand our vision of helping all in need. We are uniquely positioned to meet the evolving needs of those we serve.”
About Accanto Health
Accanto Health, based in St. Paul, Minnesota, is a national healthcare company specializing in eating disorders and related disorders. The company includes leading eating disorder treatment brands: The Emily Program and Veritas Collaborative, and a new outpatient group practice, Gather Behavioral Health. Recognizing that one size does not fit all, Accanto Health programs provide exceptional, individualized care for children, adolescents, and adults with eating disorders and other behavioral health conditions in a gender-diverse and inclusive environment. Services incorporate an array of individual, group, and family therapy, nutrition, psychiatry, medical care, yoga, education, and support services. The company offers services across a full continuum of care, including inpatient, residential, partial hospitalization, intensive outpatient, and outpatient. If you or someone you know is struggling, call 888-364-5977 or visit accanto.com.
Inside the Exit: How Vestar Grew Foodservice Business During COVID Lockdowns and Sold it to Sysco
PE Hub
Inside the exit: How Vestar grew foodservice biz during covid lockdowns and sold it to Sysco
By Obey Martin Manayiti
Published December 14, 2023
After a six-year hold, New York headquartered Vestar Capital Partners recently sold Edward Don & Co, a Woodridge, Illinois-based distributor of foodservice equipment and supplies, to Houston-based Sysco Corporation. PE Hub caught up with Nikhil Bhat, a managing director and co-head of investments at Vestar. Bhat detailed Don's growth strategy in a fragmented sector and discussed the subsequent recovery of the dining, travel and leisure sector after the pandemic lockdowns.
What was Vestar's strategy for growing Don?
Prior to our investment, Don had been a family-owned and family-operated business. Led by CEO Steve Don, the company had an established track record of organic growth, pairing a customer-first culture with forward thinking investments in systems, infrastructure and people to build what we believed was one of the best-operated companies in the space.
Steve was looking to bring on a capital partner to help drive an inorganic growth strategy; the foodservice equipment and supply distribution industry was highly fragmented and ripe for consolidation, and we shared his and his team's view that Don would serve as a high-quality platform for acquisitive growth. So, our primary investment thesis was to catalyze an acquisition strategy to help Don expand its geographic presence and add capabilities, while continuing to invest behind organic growth.
What role did add-ons play in growing Don?
Don made four acquisitions during our partnership [Myers Restaurant Supply, Shervan Colonel Equipment, Atlanta Fixture & Sales Co and Smith & Greene]. Our approach was to fully integrate acquisitions in order to support customer service levels and facilitate tight operational execution, so it's tough to split out precisely, but acquisitions represented a significant minority of the company's earnings growth during Vestar's investment.
What drove Don's growth?
Don grew pretty much across the board but there were a couple of areas that stood out. The company did a great job servicing multi-unit accounts - basically, growing regional restaurant chains that appreciated Don's high touch, integrated service, and valued the company's ability to grow alongside them as they expanded their own footprints. For similar reasons, Don also experienced strong traction with large national customers.
From a product perspective, disposables were a meaningful growth driver - restaurants invested heavily in takeout and delivery during the pandemic, and these channels' popularity has sustained even with the return of in person dining.
During the depths of the pandemic, when supply chains were disrupted and demand was ebbing, Don maintained its investment in inventory, fill rates and service levels to make sure customers got what they needed, when they needed it.
This customer-first mentality really paid dividends when the dining, travel and leisure markets recovered.
How did the deal with Sysco come together?
For confidentiality reasons, I can't comment on the specifics of the transaction. But in general, we believe management did a great job of creating a highly strategic asset - a fully integrated leader in the foodservice equipment and supplies distribution space with strong customer relationships, high-quality systems and logistics infrastructure, and a number of attractive avenues for continued growth. Both Sysco and Don saw the value in joining forces to provide their customers with even better service and a broader product assortment, which led to a great outcome for Don and Vestar
How did Don fit into your portfolio?
Vestar employs a thematically-oriented investment and go-to-market strategy, focused on opportunities where we believe we can add differentiated value to help management teams achieve their growth ambitions. We also pride ourselves on being good partners to family- and founder-owned businesses, with an approach that's designed to support growth and value creation while enhancing, not leaving behind, the culture that made those businesses so successful in the first place. Given our thematic focus in foodservice and route-based services, and Don's history as a family-owned business with a rich culture that was key to its success, the investment was a great fit for Vestar.
Are you planning to invest in this sector again?
We plan to continue to be active in both food service and route-based services. The secular trends and value creation levers that initially attracted us to Don continue to be relevant today, and given Vestar's deep sector experience, we believe we can be value-added partners to companies and management teams in both of these markets.
To that end, in October, Vestar announced an investment in Tech24, a leading commercial foodservice equipment repair and maintenance provider. Though it's a very different business, the value creation thesis shares many similarities to what made the Don investment so successful.
Vestar also has an existing investment in Roland Foods, a leading specialty foods importer. So, while we're unlikely to find another foodservice equipment and supplies distributor that stacks up to the high bar set by Don, we're certainly planning to leverage the experience and learnings from this investment as we pursue new opportunities in adjacent spaces.
Vestar Capital Partners Completes Sale of Edward Don & Company to Sysco
NEW YORK, Dec. 4, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Vestar Capital Partners ("Vestar"), a leading U.S. middle-market private equity firm, announced that it has completed the sale of Edward Don & Co. ("DON" or "the Company"), a leading distributor of foodservice equipment and supplies, to Sysco Corporation. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
"It's been a privilege to support Steve Don and DON management to help them achieve their growth objectives," said Rob Rosner, Founding Partner at Vestar. "When we originally invested in the business, we believed we were backing one of the strongest management teams and one of the highest-quality platforms in the foodservice equipment & supplies distribution space. That thesis has proven out many times over the years, and this successful outcome is yet another proof point."
"We're incredibly proud of what DON was able to accomplish during our partnership," added Nikhil Bhat, Co-Head of Investments at Vestar. "The Company continued its long track record of successful organic growth and established itself as a premier platform in its industry, all while navigating a disruptive global pandemic. We're grateful to the DON team for their leadership and hard work over our nearly 7-year partnership together in delivering this terrific outcome."
Over the course of Vestar's investment, DON expanded its footprint, secured significant new customers, and meaningfully grew revenue and earnings. DON will operate as a standalone specialty division within Sysco, and DON CEO and President Steve Don will continue to manage the business alongside DON's leadership team.
"Vestar was a great partner to DON during a period of both unprecedented growth, but also unprecedented pandemic-related challenges, for our Company," said Mr. Don. "We appreciate Vestar's support of our customer-focused, service-oriented, integrated growth strategy over the past years, and look forward to continuing to deliver for all DON stakeholders in our exciting next chapter with Sysco."
J.P. Morgan Securities LLC and William Blair served as joint lead financial advisors to Edward Don & Company and Vestar. Kirkland & Ellis LLP served as legal advisor to Edward Don & Company and Vestar.
Nox Health Appoints Emily Buxton Taylor as Chief Financial & Operating Officer
ALPHARETTA, Ga. (November 14, 2023) – Nox Health, a global sleep health leader in sleep diagnostics and value-based sleep care management, today announced that it has named Emily Buxton Taylor as Chief Financial & Operating Officer.
In this role, Emily will assume direct responsibility for finance across Nox Health and additionally support operations that bridge Nox Health business units. With deep operational and financial expertise, Emily has more than 20 years of experience in healthcare and technology in both the public and private sectors.
“With a unique combination of financial acumen and solid operational expertise, Emily will drive performance across the company and help systematically execute and drive success of our strategies company-wide,” said Sigurjon (SK) Kristjansson, CEO of Nox Health. “Emily is a welcome addition to the Nox team as we scale and grow our company to support our range of clients, from health plan sponsors to global sleep healthcare providers.”
“I am delighted to join Nox Health and have been impressed with the team’s passion forsleep,” said Emily Buxton Taylor, Chief Financial and Operating Officer, Nox Health. “Given thestrong connection between sleep and chronic disease, I look forward to working to advanceone of Nox Health’s primary goals – to make sleep a foundational component of every benefitplan so that members and employees can improve their health.”
Arnar Thorkelsson, previous CFO of Nox Health, will now focus on supporting Nox Medical,the company’s medical technology division.
Kristjansson continued: “Arnar has been an incredible partner in developing the company to this stage, and we have grown to a point where each business unit requires a full-time executive to support our business. With Emily as our global leader, located in the US, and Arnar present in Iceland, we have a dynamic, experienced team that will help take Nox to the next level.”
Emily most recently served as Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer of Wondr Health, a company that offers complete weight and stress management programs. Previously, Emily held numerous financial positions, including Chief Financial Officer at Paradigm Tax and National HME, Chief Accounting Officer at Northstar Anesthesia, and Chief Financial Officer at Orthofix Medical, Inc. She is a certified public accountant and an active member of Financial Executives International (FEI).
Edward Don & Company Announces Sale to Sysco
WOODRIDGE, IL – October 11, 2023 – Edward Don & Company (“DON”), a leading distributor of foodservice equipment and supplies since 1921, announced today that it has entered into an agreement to be acquired by Sysco Corporation. This partnership will allow DON to enhance its product offerings, expand strategic capabilities and provide even greater value to our customers while creating new and exciting
opportunities for our associates.
Upon completion of the transaction, DON will operate as a standalone specialty division within Sysco. Steve Don will continue to manage the business along with DON’s leadership team. All DON’s current employees will continue business as usual across North America, providing customers with the great level of service and products that they have come to expect from DON.
“Since 1921, DON has put customers first, delivering everything but the food,” said Steve Don, CEO & President. “In Sysco, we found a partner who not only understands our business but also has a deep appreciation for the customers, employees, and culture that have made us who we are today. Customers can expect the same high level of foodservice expertise, customer service, innovation and a deeper product selection from DON as we move forward as a specialty division within Sysco.” The acquisition is subject to regulatory approval and other customary closing conditions. J.P. Morgan Securities LLC and William Blair served as joint lead financial advisors to Edward Don & Company and Vestar Capital Partners.
About Edward Don & Company
Owned and operated by the Don family since 1921 and partnered with Vestar Capital Partners since 2017, Edward Don & Company is a leading distributor of foodservice equipment and supplies. Headquartered in Woodridge, IL, the company is the chosen supplier to all types of foodservice businesses including independent restaurants, national chains, health care, hospitality, country clubs, schools and universities, government institutions and foodservice management. DON, with approximately 1,200 employees, operates a nationwide distribution network supported by seven full-service distribution centers – in Chicago, Philadelphia, Atlanta, Miami, Dallas, Los Angeles and Seattle – and operates its own transportation fleet. DON serves national and multi-unit account programs with flexible, customized solutions that meet the needs of both the corporate office and the individual units. DON’s Foodservice Equipment Division offers full-service kitchen design, equipment purchasing and installation. For more information, please visit www.don.com.
Tech24 Partners with Big Fish
GREENVILLE, SC, October 5, 2023—Tech24, a national industry leader in commercial foodservice equipment repair and maintenance, has partnered with Big Fish, a provider of commercial HVAC, refrigeration and kitchen equipment installation and repair service throughout Texas.
Based in Buda, Texas, Big Fish specializes in the installation, repair, maintenance and replacement of HVAC, refrigeration, and hot side kitchen equipment for restaurants, hotels, hospitals, and other commercial facilities located across Austin, San Antonio, Houston, and the surrounding areas of Texas.
“Texas is among the largest markets for our services and is a strategic priority for Tech24. Big Fish has grown significantly in recent years and their culture and values are strongly aligned with those of Tech24. We are excited to welcome Daryl Mika and his team to the Tech24 family,” said Tech24’s CEO, Dan Rodstrom. Daryl Mika, President of Big Fish added, “Partnering with Tech24 will provide Big Fish even greater access to the resources we need to continue delivering high quality service to all our customers. We look forward to working with Tech24’s other Texas-based companies to offer the best technical training in the industry.”
Tech24 Announces Joint Investment from Vestar Capital Partners and HCI Equity Partners
GREENVILLE, S.C., Oct. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Tech24 (or "the Company"), a national leader in commercial foodservice equipment repair and maintenance, announced today that Vestar Capital Partners ("Vestar") has joined as a new investor alongside existing shareholders HCI Equity Partners ("HCI") and the Company's management team.
The new investment will support Tech24's continued organic and acquisitive growth in new and existing geographies and end markets. Founded in 1982 and headquartered in Greenville, SC, Tech24 provides comprehensive repair and preventive maintenance solutions for commercial refrigeration, cooking, beverage, and HVAC equipment. Tech24 currently services over 50 major markets in 26 states, and its diverse customer base includes restaurants, grocery and convenience stores, retailers, schools and universities, and corporate and government facilities. The Company has completed 19 acquisitions since 2020.
"Vestar's deep experience in both commercial facilities services and the foodservice end market, as well as its track record in partnership-oriented sponsor recapitalizations, positions the firm as a perfect partner for Tech24 as we look to find new ways to accelerate growth," said Dan Rodstrom, CEO of Tech24. "We are pleased to welcome Vestar and are eager to work alongside their team and our existing investor HCI as we focus on our active acquisition pipeline."
"Tech24 has an impressive national footprint and a proven track record of delivering high-quality, mission-critical services to its customers," said Nikhil Bhat and Jake Olson, Managing Directors at Vestar. "We are excited to partner with management and HCI to leverage our sector expertise and 35 years of investing experience to enable the Company to capitalize on its numerous attractive growth opportunities."
"We are proud of the transformational growth and the foundation the Tech24 team has built over the last three years," said Doug McCormick, Managing Partner at HCI Equity Partners. "We believe Tech24 has differentiated itself both as a service provider and an acquirer in the highly fragmented commercial food equipment repair market and we are excited for the next phase of growth with the Vestar team."
Solomon Partners served as financial advisor and Quarles & Brady LLP served as the legal advisor to Tech24 and HCI. TD Cowen acted as financial advisor, and Kirkland & Ellis LLP acted as legal advisor to Vestar.
About Tech24
Tech24 is the industry leader in commercial foodservice equipment repair and maintenance, providing quick and comprehensive repair and preventive maintenance solutions for commercial refrigeration, cooking, beverage, and HVAC equipment. Founded in 1982 in Greenville, SC, Tech24 currently services over 50 major markets in 26 states from coast to coast and employs over 850 highly qualified service technicians that are equipped with the tools, technology and training they need to get the job done right. To learn more about Tech24, visit https://www.mytech24.com/.
About HCI
HCI Equity Partners is a lower market private equity firm focused on partnering with family and founder-owned distribution, manufacturing and service companies. HCI is headquartered in Washington, DC. For more information, please visit www.hciequity.com.
Vestar Named to Mergers and Acquisitions 2023 Best Places to Work in Private Equity Awards as an Honorable Mention
Mergers & Acquisitions is recognizing eight firms for the inaugural Best Places to Work in Private Equity. The latest in our award series honors private equity firms who stand out amongst their peers in demonstrating leadership and innovation in their workplace cultures, policies and internal operations. They have also taken proactive measures to adapt to the changing demands of a post-pandemic world, as well as building environmental, social, and governance (ESG) and diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs at their firms and portfolio companies.
Our awards program continues to evolve with the industry. Given that ESG is now more commonplace in private equity, and the growing prevalence of DEI, we decided to incorporate some of the criteria from our PE Innovators in ESG and M&A Leaders in DEI awards into the newly-minted Best Places to Work in PE. Consequently, we retired the standalone ESG and DEI awards.
To determine the winners, nominees were asked to detail how they stand out from competitors when it comes to retaining top talent, work-life balance, training, compensation, benefits, career mobility and leadership assessment. Nominees were also asked to describe how they implement and continue to grow ESG and DEI policies and programs.
The firms we are honoring include relatively new and longstanding PE shops. They were founded anywhere from five to more than 50 years ago. The combination of the traits that make them a great place to work range from an emphasis on professional development to lifestyle benefits, such as new parents being granted generous parental leave. All share an ongoing commitment to ESG and DEI.
Circana Appoints Anne Bramman as Chief Financial and Growth Officer
CHICAGO – June 6, 2023 – Circana, the world’s leading advisor on the complexity of consumer behavior, today announced the appointment of Anne Bramman as chief financial and growth officer, effective June 20. As a member of Circana’s executive leadership team, Bramman will lead both the finance and strategy teams, identifying new ways for the company to continue achieving sustainable growth.
“Anne is a seasoned executive with a strong track record of success leading the finance strategy for global, consumer brand organizations,” said Kirk Perry, CEO of Circana. “Her perspective and leadership will be incredibly valuable as we continue to unlock the full potential of Circana for all of our stakeholders. We are thrilled to welcome Anne to our team, and I look forward to working closely with her to execute our bold vision for growth and value creation.”
“I am proud to be joining Circana at such an exciting time for the company,” said Anne Bramman. “Circana has built a strong foundation for growth – with unique capabilities, vast data assets, industry-leading technology, and best-in-class talent – backed by renowned investors. I look forward to partnering with Kirk and the Circana Board and leadership team to continue Circana’s momentum.”
Perry added, “On behalf of the Circana Board and leadership team, I want to thank Holly Knightly, who has served as Circana’s interim CFO since November 2022, for her tremendous work as interim CFO. We are grateful that Circana will continue to benefit from Holly’s expertise as a senior leader within our finance organization moving forward.”
About Anne Bramman
Bramman is a seasoned executive with more than 30 years of experience in senior financial roles at consumer branded companies. She joins Circana from Boston Consulting Group (BCG), where she worked as a senior advisor. Prior to that, Bramman served as CFO of Nordstrom, Inc. from 2017 to 2022, where she led financial strategy and operations, private label credit card operations, business development, and strategic sourcing, delivering significant profit opportunities for the company. Before Nordstrom, Bramman served as CFO of Avery Dennison Corporation and Carnival Cruise Line after serving in senior financial roles at L Brands Inc. She currently serves on the Board of Directors of McCormick & Company and is a member of its Audit committee.
Bramman has earned numerous notable awards for her achievements throughout her career, including being named a member of Fortune’s Most Powerful Women and named the 2019 CFO of the Year by the Puget Sound Business Journal. She received a BBA in accounting from Texas Christian University and an MBA from University of California, Los Angeles.
Nox Health Acquires Somryst, the Only FDA-Cleared Digital Insomnia Treatment
ALPHARETTA, Ga. , May 25, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Nox Health, a global sleep health leader, has acquired Somryst, the first FDA-cleared Prescription Digital Therapeutic (PDT) that delivers effective, first-line treatment for adults with chronic insomnia. This acquisition deepens the Nox value-based healthcare programs, as it seeks to reframe sleep as a critical and powerful intervention strategy for chronic health conditions management.
“The acquisition of Somryst aligns seamlessly with Nox's mission of promoting science-based solutions that address chronic diseases through sleep care management. As an outcomes-driven company with ten years of real-world data, it was important for us to find a solution with equal depth in validation and outcomes data, thereby setting it apart from other CBT-I solutions,” said Sigurjon Kristjansson, CEO of Nox Health.
Insomnia is a highly prevalent complaint associated with significant adverse health outcomes. CBT-I is recognized as the treatment of choice, but it remains underutilized due to lack of therapists with adequate CBT-I expertise. By delivering CBT-I via a mobile application, Somryst offers health care providers a novel treatment delivery modality to enhance the treatment of chronic insomnia for patients who lack access to clinician-delivered CBT-I.
Use of Somryst durably improves insomnia symptoms in adults with chronic insomnia who do not have contraindicated sleep, medical, and/or psychiatric disorders. Pivotal study results show that over 40% of Somryst-treated patients no longer met criteria for chronic insomnia post- treatment, and over 60% demonstrated a clinically meaningful insomnia treatment response with no adverse events reported.
With outcomes that speak for themselves, Somryst represents a promising clinical modality for the treatment of adults with chronic insomnia who are receiving standard outpatient care.
Nox aims to bring Somryst to a wider audience, starting with its existing Enterprise client base and expanding to other opportunities throughout their business. This marks a major milestone in the Nox growth journey and will further scale their future success.