Vestar Capital-backed Roland Foods Acquires ifiGOURMET, a Provider of High-quality Products for the Bakery and Pastry Industries
NEW YORK, Aug. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — Roland Foods, LLC ("Roland Foods"), a purveyor of fine global ingredients for over 85 years and a portfolio company of Vestar Capital Partners, announced today that it has acquired ifiGOURMET, a leading importer and master distributor of high-quality products for professional use in the bakery, pastry, confectionery, and ice cream industries. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
ifiGOURMET will be combined with AUI Fine Foods, Roland Foods' sweet division, and ifiGOURMET's owner and CEO Rick Brownstein will remain with the company going forward.
"This strategic acquisition will strengthen AUI Fine Foods' footprint in the key Chicago and San Francisco markets and expands our sweet product offering, which will allow us to better serve existing and new customers nationwide," said Keith Dougherty, CEO of Roland Foods. "We believe tremendous opportunities exist in the gourmet food and ingredients market today, and the addition of the ifiGOURMET team will better position Roland Foods for growth."
An importer of gourmet dessert products and ingredients from around the world, ifiGOURMET serves more than 1,500 in-store bakery, restaurant chain and foodservice customers nationwide. It operates two distribution centers in Chicago, IL, and San Francisco, CA.
"We are proud to support Roland Foods' expansion with the acquisition of ifiGOURMET, and we look forward to continuing our partnership with Keith and the entire Roland Foods and AUI Fine Foods team as they continue to identify new strategic acquisition opportunities," said Ken O'Keefe, Vestar Managing Director and Chief Operating Officer, and Member of the Board of Roland Foods.
"Joining AUI Fine Foods and the Roland Foods' family will provide ifiGOURMET with the resources and relationships needed to take our organization to the next level," said Mr. Brownstein. "Roland Foods and AUI share our culture and strong commitment to customer service and deeply understand our business, and we're excited about the future."
About Roland Foods
Since 1934, Roland Foods has been a purveyor of premium, high-quality global ingredients. With a curated portfolio of over 2,400 products carefully sourced worldwide, the brand is a trusted resource relied upon by chefs and home cooks. An established brand in the Fine Foods category, Roland Foods aims to inspire culinary curiosity and creativity in the kitchen. To learn more about Roland Foods, please visit https://rolandfoods.com/
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.
360training Acquires ACLS Medical Training & Safety Provisions - Extending Healthcare & EHS Offerings
AUSTIN, Texas, May 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- 360training, a leading online regulated training provider, has acquired ACLS Medical Training and Safety Provisions (owners of the brand Hard Hat Training), two well-respected providers of medical training and workplace safety, respectively. Through these acquisitions, 360training will accelerate it's goal of helping to provide safer, more productive work environments that protect employees and customers, benefiting everyone.
By integrating the content and expertise of ACLS Medical Training and Safety Provisions into its existing platform, 360training will provide learners with an even more comprehensive range of courses and certifications across multiple industries. Tom Anderson, CEO of 360training, explains what drew him to these companies:
"We are excited to welcome ACLS Medical Training and Safety Provisions to the 360training family. Their expertise in workplace safety and medical training complements our existing offerings and strengthens our position as a leading provider of online training solutions."
The acquisitions are part of 360training's strategic growth plan to expand its course offerings and reach more learners across different industries. "Our mission at 360training is to help improve, inform, and maintain the condition, health, and safety of all workers, and our passion is universal. The acquisition with ACLS and Safety Provisions will aid us in reaching more workers than ever before," adds Samantha Montalbano, COO Health and Safety Advocate of 360training.
With a more extensive course catalog and a wider range of certifications, the company is well positioned to help learners across multiple industries achieve their professional goals and meet regulatory requirements. 360training is supported in it's growth initiatives through the strategic equity partnership with GreyLion Partners LP and Vestar Capital Partners.
Why Choose Safety Provisions?
360training acquired Safety Provisions mainly because the same goals fundamentally drive the two companies. They share the mission of reducing workplace accidents and fatalities by providing easily accessible, high-quality online safety training solutions.
In addition, all Safety Provisions courses are:
- OSHA Compliant
- User Friendly
- 100% Online
- Affordably Priced
Why Choose ACLS Medical Training?
ACLS Medical Training's online courses are crafted with the same care and attention to detail that 360training demands for all its courses. By acquiring ACLS Medical Training, 360training adds to its library of healthcare courses, with the additions of the following courses for medical professionals:
- Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support
- Basic Life Support
- Pediatric Advanced Life Support
- Neonatal Resuscitation Program
About Safety Provisions
Safety Provisions, Inc. is dedicated to improving workplace safety through comprehensive training and promoting an engaging safety culture. The company is best known for establishing the brand Hard Hat Training. With a vision to eliminate accidents and fatalities in the workplace and an elite team of EHS experts, Hard Hat Training offers instruction and training resources to companies of all sizes.
About ACLS Medical Training
ACLS Medical Training empowers individual paramedics, nurses, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, and physicians to improve safety in hospitals. Their goal is to teach medical professionals in an innovative learning experience that helps to enhance the systems of care that save lives.
Hennepin Partners acted as ACLS Medical Training's exclusive advisor through this acquisition.
IRI and NPD Rebrand as Circana, the Leading Advisor on the Complexity of Consumer Behavior
[CHICAGO] – March 7, 2023 – Following their merger in August 2022, Information Resources, Inc. ("IRI") and The NPD Group ("NPD") today unveiled a new combined company name and brand identity: Circana.
Circana™ is the leading advisor on the complexity of consumer behavior. Through unparalleled technology, advanced analytics, cross-industry data and deep expertise, Circana provides clarity that helps clients take action and unlock business growth.
“We are proud to begin this new chapter together as Circana, a name that conveys our 360-degree, full-circle understanding of the consumer and market, and our unique ability to bring clients a complete view of the consumer, store and wallet,” said Kirk Perry, president and chief executive officer, Circana (formerly IRI® and NPD®). “In today’s dynamic global retail and media environment, our value proposition has never been stronger. Circana is undeniably best positioned to advise the world’s leading brands and retailers across almost every industry on how to identify opportunity, ignite innovation and grow well into the future.”
Leveraging the vast data and expertise of its heritage firms, Circana tracks millions of products spanning 2,000+ categories across 500,000+ stores in 20 countries, with insights powered by the industry’s most advanced technology platform, Liquid Data®. Today, Circana advises almost 7,000 brands and retailers worldwide.
Tod Johnson, chairman of Circana’s board of directors, added, “The combination of IRI and NPD created a category of one. In the months since the merger, we have demonstrated — for our clients and for our team — the immense value of bringing our firms together. Moving forward with a unified name and brand signifies that Circana is committed to delivering on the full value of our powerful combination for all of our stakeholders, with a relentless focus on innovation and growth.” The Circana brand was created in partnership with global brand consulting firm Landor & Fitch.
Management, Supported by Vestar Capital and Windhover Capital, Recapitalizes Titan Frozen Fruit, a Market-Leading Frozen Berry Processor and Ingredient Provider
NEW YORK, Jan. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Management and existing shareholders of Titan Frozen Fruit, along with Vestar Capital Partners, a leading U.S. middle market private equity firm, and Windhover Capital, a private equity firm focused on the food, beverage, pet and consumer sectors, jointly announced today that they have agreed to recapitalize Titan, a market-leading, value-added frozen berry processor and ingredient provider to the food and beverage industry. Titan's co-founders will retain a significant stake in the Company and will continue to serve in their respective positions. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
Founded in 2013 and headquartered in Santa Maria, CA, Titan is one of the country's leading and fastest-growing frozen berry processors, providing value-added frozen ingredients to a spectrum of industrial, foodservice and retail clients. Titan is at the forefront of innovation in the industry and offers a wide breadth of products that are critical elements to its customers' end products, which include smoothies, juices, ice cream, yogurt and jams.
"Our vision is to continue to build the next generation fruit processing and ingredients company, offering a wide variety of value-added and innovative products to our customers, and our partnership with Vestar and Windhover is the next step in that journey," said Jon Larsen, CEO and Co-Founder of Titan. "They are enthusiastically committed to our business strategy and will provide the financial backing, strategic thinking, industry relationships and track record needed to build on our momentum."
"Titan is a dynamic and well-managed business that has built a terrific service and innovation-driven reputation in the frozen berry and food ingredients sector. We are looking forward to partnering with the Titan team and Vestar to continue to drive supplier partnerships and market leadership through a collaborative and research-oriented approach to adding value," said Chris Harned, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Windhover. "We aspire to grow Titan significantly through internal expansion projects, diversification into related value-added food ingredients, complementary acquisitions and other partnerships."
Dan O'Connell, Founder and CEO of Vestar, said, "In a short period of time, Titan has disrupted the fruit processing and ingredient industry in large part due to the strength of the team. We are excited to partner with Windhover and Jon and the entire team at Titan to build on the Company's strong foundation, which is rooted in deep domain expertise, strong partnerships with growers and suppliers, and a relentless commitment to quality, reliability and innovation. Titan is at an attractive inflection point, and we believe that, in partnership with Windhover, we can help to augment and accelerate management's well-proven growth strategy."
Dorsey & Whitney LLP served as legal counsel and Cascadia Capital acted as financial advisor to Titan. Karr Tuttle Campbell served as legal counsel to Windhover. Kirkland & Ellis LLP served as legal counsel to Vestar.
About Titan Frozen Fruit
Based in Santa Maria, CA and founded in 2013, Titan is a market leader in frozen berry processing. The Company buys berries from a network of large commercial growers in California and Baja California and processes the berries into a variety of pack styles (aseptic and pasteurized purées, purée concentrate, thermal particulate, individual quick frozen and block quick frozen). Titan sells the processed berries to a diversified roster of food and beverage manufacturers, foodservice/QSRs and retail/club stores. For more information on Titan, please visit www.titanfrozen.com.
About Windhover Capital
Windhover Capital is a food, beverage, pet and consumer focused private equity firm based in Seattle, Milwaukee and New York. Windhover's strategy is to partner with management teams and owners to build strategic value, improve profitability and accelerate growth. For more information on Windhover, please visit www.windhovercap.com.
360training Acquires AdvanceOnline — Expanding Online Training Footprint with New DOT CMV Courses
AUSTIN, Texas, Dec. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — One of the leading Environmental, Health, and Safety online regulated training providers, 360training, has acquired AdvanceOnline. Through this acquisition, 360training continues to grow their OSHA Online Outreach program and expands their extensive library to include DOT transportation safety training courses, including CMV Driver and CMV Motor Carrier Management.
AdvanceOnline Solutions provides professional and educational environmental health and safety services to corporations, associations, and government agencies involved in the construction, transportation, manufacturing, energy, and utility industries.
AdvanceOnline offers high-quality online training. They were among the first to be accepted by the OSHA Outreach Program for issuing official DOL OSHA course completion cards. With over 120 courses in their catalog, AdvanceOnline is a welcome addition to the 360training family of companies.
Ryan Linders, CMO at 360training, adds, "The acquisition of AdvanceOnline demonstrates our commitment to continue to add high quality programs and brands to 360training. It presents a fantastic opportunity to expand our capabilities and market share in the Environmental, Health & Safety industry vertical and opens the door for us to offer complimentary courses and products, available under the 360training brand, to our corporate customers, Affiliates, and Resellers."
AdvanceOnline History
AdvanceOnline provides exceptional e-Learning and video-based content to help companies comply with federal health and safety regulations, including OSHA Outreach titles like OSHA 10-Hour Construction, OSHA 30-Hour Construction, OSHA 10-Hour General. They are one of a few companies with authorization from OSHA to provide these courses and offer NYC (New York City) Site-Safety Training. Their DOT content was developed in conjunction with the Department of Transportation. "AdvanceOnline aligns perfectly with 360training's goal to provide engaging and comprehensive training programs that prevent workplace injury and enhances public safety." Samantha Montalbano, COO of 360training.
Acquisition by 360training
360training is focused on accelerating growth in support of its mission to provide enhanced training solutions across regulated markets. The acquisition of AdvanceOnline aligns with that mission because the two companies share similar goals.
"The synergy between 360training and AdvanceOnline makes sense. AdvanceOnline was founded to help companies comply with strict health and safety regulations which echoes 360training's mission of enabling a safe environment through regulatory training. By joining together, we're able to enhance workplace safety for communities across the nation." Tom Anderson, CEO of 360training.
About AdvanceOnline
Headquartered in Houston, TX, AdvanceOnline Solutions provides professional and educational environmental health and safety services to corporations, associations, and government agencies involved in the construction, transportation, manufacturing, energy, and utility industries. With over 75 years of collective experience in safety training development, delivery and consulting, their team develops high-quality, affordable web-based and classroom training for students and corporations to maintain and exceed compliance to government, industry, and company defined safety standards and requirements.
About 360training
Since 1997, 360training.com, Inc. provides individuals and businesses with online regulatory-approved training, facilitating a safe, healthy environment for their communities. We have delivered over 11 million training plans across multiple brands, including 360training, Meditec, AgentCampus, VanEd, OSHAcampus, OSHA.com, TIPS, and Learn2Serve. Please visit www.360training.com or their social media accounts on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn to learn more.
Dr. Praeger’s Sensible Foods Appoints Steve Polonowski as Chief Customer Officer
Elmwood Park, NJ – December 21, 2022 – Dr. Praeger’s Sensible Foods (“Dr. Praeger’s” or the “Company”), a leading brand specializing in delicious, nutritious plant-based frozen foods made from simple ingredients, announced today that Steve Polonowski has joined the Company as Chief Customer Officer. Dr. Praeger’s is a portfolio company of Vestar Capital Partners.
“Steve brings an impressive track record of building health-oriented brands through strategic customer partnerships and building strong teams. His diverse experience with better-for-you brands in different categories, customers and channels will be a huge asset for the team at Dr. Praeger’s,” said Dr. Praeger’s CEO Andy Reichgut.
Mr. Polonowski has worked at global, industry leading consumer packaged goods companies including PepsiCo and Glanbia Performance Nutrition, and most recently at smaller brands such as Amazing Grass, Simple Mills and BetterBrand. In his most recent position, he served as President and Chief Commercial Officer at BetterBrand, where he partnered with the founder to build an emerging and disruptive brand in the marketplace. Prior to that, he was the Chief Sales Officer for Simple Mills, another Vestar portfolio company. Steve holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and an MBA from Michigan State University.
“I am incredibly excited to join Andy and the Dr. Praeger's team to accelerate growth of this fantastic brand,” said Mr. Polonowski. “We are uniquely positioned to help consumers eat healthier by simply making veggies into great tasting and convenient food."
About Dr. Praeger’s
For over 25 years, Dr. Praeger’s Sensible Foods has offered delicious and convenient frozen food options for the whole family. Founded by two heart surgeons determined to make healthy food easily accessible, Dr. Praeger’s is a leader in the all-natural, vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and kosher frozen food categories and has a wide range of products including Veggie Burgers, Bowls, Cakes, Puffs and Hash Browns, sustainable Seafood items, kids Littles and more. For more information visit www.drpraegers.com.
About Vestar Capital Partners
Vestar Capital Partners is a leading U.S. middle-market private equity firm specializing in management buyouts and growth capital investments. Vestar invests and collaborates with incumbent management teams and private owners to build long-term enterprise value, with a focus on Consumer, Business & Technology Services, and Healthcare. Since inception in 1988, Vestar funds have invested $11 billion in 90 companies – as well as more than 200 add-on acquisitions – with a total value of approximately $52 billion. For more information on Vestar, please visit www.vestarcapital.com.
Stratus Acquires San Antonio-based Comet Signs
CLEVELAND--(BUSINESS WIRE)--December 07, 2022-- Stratus, the leading facilities services and brand implementation services firm, today announced the acquisition of Comet Signs, based in San Antonio, Texas. The combined organization now consists of over 1,100 employees throughout the United States.
With the acquisition of Comet Signs, Stratus will accelerate its growth in the Southwest and Western United States, leveraging Comet's substantial presence in key Texas areas including Austin, Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, and Tyler. Comet's expanded production capabilities and self-perform installation fleet will begin to serve Stratus' roster of blue-chip, nationwide brands in the region, and will help the company grow its overall business. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. The Comet acquisition represents Stratus' third major acquisition since late 2019.
"Our teams immediately melded with each other -- we have a shared value system and strong beliefs in nurturing customer relationships and growth over time," noted Tim Eippert, CEO, Stratus. "Comet's reputation is stellar, and they've been careful and purposeful about growth, including hiring practices and employee satisfaction and retention."
Founded in 1958, Comet Signs, has expanded over time through organic growth and a series of mergers and acquisitions, and has become known as a leading exterior branding resource in the region. The company occupies a 180,000 square foot state-of-the-art production facility at its San Antonio headquarters, with an additional 70,000+ square feet of operations in Austin, Dallas, Houston, and Tyler, Texas.
"When Tim and I were getting to know each other, I could immediately picture myself and my team working side-by-side with Stratus," said Pete Sitterle, CEO, Comet Signs. "At Comet, we have grown by taking very good care of our customers. Tim and Stratus share that approach, the customer is always at the center of their minds. That's why this is such a great fit. We look forward to our customers taking advantage of everything Stratus has to offer, and we look forward to personally servicing Stratus' customers all across Texas."
Headquartered in Mentor, Ohio, Stratus has operations centers in Illinois, Ohio, Florida and New Jersey, and production facilities in Illinois and South Carolina. Stratus is a portfolio company of Vestar Capital Partners.
About Stratus
Stratus is a leading brand implementation and facilities services company offering signage solutions, energy services, repair and maintenance programs, and refresh and remodel capabilities across 50 states and 24 countries. With more than 50,000 projects completed annually, the Company provides versatile solutions for some of the world's largest and most recognized brands. Stratus is a portfolio company of Vestar Capital Partners. For more information, please visit www.stratusunlimited.com.
Nox Health Announces Strategic Investment from Vestar Capital to Accelerate Growth
ATLANTA and NEW YORK, Nov. 30, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Nox Health (or the “Company”), the global sleep health leader, announced today a strategic growth investment from Vestar Capital Partners, a leading U.S. middle-market private equity firm. The investment will help Nox accelerate development of its sleep diagnostic technology and services, and adoption of its value-based comprehensive sleep management solutions for employers and health plans. Financial terms of the investment were not disclosed.
“We are delighted to welcome Vestar as a strategic investment partner to help us accelerate our growth. We were looking for a partner with relevant and credible experience and found it in Vestar,” said Nox Health CEO Sigurjon Kristjansson. “Today’s fee for service healthcare economy places the onus on the consumer to navigate a gated health care experience — especially detrimental to sleep health. At Nox, we enable a consumer-centric experience, leveraging our state-of-the-art technology portfolio and value-based sleep management solutions to simplify access, reduce costs and improve health outcomes.”
“Lack of sleep is a silent killer. Sleep disorders are comorbid with seven of the 15 leading causes of death,” said Roger Holstein, Managing Director at Vestar Capital Partners. “Nox is not only a global leader in the science of sleep diagnostics, but it has also created a value-based, comprehensive sleep care management program which fulfills all the objectives of the healthcare ‘Triple Aim’ — a frictionless member experience, with demonstrated health outcomes at a measurably lower cost. We are excited to partner with Sigurjon and the entire Nox team to accelerate the Company’s mission and help millions of people wake up to a brighter world.”
“Sleep is an attractive healthcare category with sustainable long-term growth tailwinds and significant unmet demand,” said Mike Vaupen, Managing Director at Vestar Capital Partners. “Nox has built a differentiated and market-leading set of diagnostic devices, workflow software, and value-based care management services that support a patient’s entire sleep care journey. We look forward to supporting the Company in its next phase of growth.”
Canaccord Genuity served as financial advisor to Nox Health, and Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner LLP acted as its legal counsel. Solomon Partners served as financial advisor to Vestar, and Kirkland & Ellis LLP provided legal counsel.
About Nox Health
Nox Health is a global sleep health leader on a mission to improve the health of populations through better sleep. Every year, more than three million people in 50 countries benefit from Nox products and services. Headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, and with operations in Reykjavík, Iceland and Denver, Colorado, Nox provides a range of solutions from comprehensive sleep diagnostic technology for providers to value-based comprehensive sleep management programs for self-insured employers and payers. For more information on Nox, please visit www.noxhealth.com.