Experienced Investment Professionals To Focus Exclusively On Highly Branded Consumer Products Companies
VMG Equity Partners, a private equity firm that uses its operating and marketing skills to acquire and build branded consumer products companies in the lower middle market, announced today that it has successfully completed fundraising for VMG Equity Partners, L.P. With total commitments of $325 million, the fund exceeded its initial target of $300 million.
VMG Equity was founded in 2005 by David Baram, Scott Elaine Case, Michael Mauzé and Robert Schult, whose diverse consumer product backgrounds drive the firm’s investment strategy. The firm has an exclusive focus on highly–branded consumer products companies in the lifestyle, wellness, food and beverage, personal care, pet and leisure industries with enterprise values of $20 to $150 million.
"Our team has worked together over the years to create strong and profitable consumer products companies and this fund is a strong endorsement of our ability to maximize the inherent value of branded companies in our targeted sectors where we have prior investment and operating experience," said Mr. Schult, Managing Director, VMG Equity Partners. "We look forward to working closely with entrepreneurs to implement strategic growth initiatives that will create companies that are attractive to global consumer products companies."
VMG Equity’s fund has an investor base of university endowments, corporate pension funds, state pension plans, and global financial institutions. Park Hill Group served as placement agent for VMG Equity Partners.
"Brand equity is an intangible asset that is often mis-valued by traditional financial analysis, and the complementary skill sets of our partners are a powerful combination of the management and marketing expertise needed to build strong brands in today’s competitive market," said Mr. Mauzé, Managing Director, VMG Equity Partners. "Our first fund exceeded our expectations and we are extremely gratified by the support from our investors who understand our core investment model and who believe we can create superior value in our target industries."
Adding further leverage to VMG Equity’s ability to strengthen the value of its brands is its strategic partnership with The Firm, a Los Angeles-based talent management, consumer brand development and intellectual property creation firm. This unique relationship provides access to key influencers and trendsetters in order to promote the firm’s portfolio of brands in a manner and at a cost not generally available to lower middle market consumer products companies.
VMG Equity Partners also includes principals Emmy Cattani and Kara Cissell-Roell who have both worked closely with the VMG Equity Partners managing directors for several years.
Included in its portfolio is Timbuk2, a San Francisco-based manufacturer and marketer of everyday carry–all bags and accessories including: bicycle messenger bags, laptop messenger bags, backpacks and luggage. The company sells its products to specialty outdoor and bicycle retailers, corporations and directly to consumers through an innovative website. VMG is actively evaluating a number of other potential investments.
About VMG Equity Partners
VMG Equity Partners is a private equity investment firm with an exclusive focus on acquiring highly branded consumer products companies in the lower middle market. The firm’s defined set of attractive target industries include lifestyle, wellness, food/beverage, personal care, pet and leisure. The firm is led by a seasoned group of partners who have worked together for five years and whose complementary operating, marketing, and investing skills help to source proprietary transactions and enhance the value of the brands they acquire. The firm currently has $325 million of committed equity capital. VMG Equity Partners is headquartered in San Francisco and Los Angeles. For more information, visit http://www.vmgequity.com.