Building Great Businesses in Partnership with Management

Patient Capital Relentlessly Focused on Long-Term Success

Operational Mindset Born from Experience

Who we are

Over 20 years investing patient capital

Our story began in 1994 when Keystone’s founders acquired a niche business services company and ran it as day-to-day executive management. They grew the business dramatically through organic growth and multiple accretive acquisitions and eventually merged it into a large publicly traded company. These entrepreneurial roots created what Keystone is today – we invest in market leading companies in close partnership with management. We take each investment personally. We do not have a short-term outlook, preferring to exercise the patience and dedication needed to build highly successful companies. We have operating experience, so we can roll up our sleeves alongside our management partners, respecting and learning from their deep expertise while providing our full support and guidance.

Keystone’s investments all share one thing in common – a mutual commitment by management and Keystone to build a sustainable, market-leading business thoughtfully and patiently. Our story is just beginning. We are hungry to continue aggressively investing in first-class companies, partnering with great teams, and enjoying the journey along the way.

 

Keystone's approach

INVEST

GROW

SUPPORT

Keystone is single-mindedly focused on working hand-in-hand with business leaders to create long-term value. Investing patient, long term capital affords us tremendous flexibility. It provides us with a risk-return profile in sync with management and allows us to make decisions based on long-term goals while forging true partnerships with our management teams through good times and bad.

Our partnership approach extends to the third-party service providers with whom we work. We have steadfast, long-standing banking relationships providing us strength, security, and reliable financial support, even in uncertain economic times. For investment bankers, brokers, and other intermediaries, we pride ourselves on only committing to what we can deliver. Our size, entrepreneurial approach, and focus results in quick decisions and certainty to close for sellers which we have consistently demonstrated over the last 25+ years.

Providing a strong value proposition for everyone we do business with is paramount. It is how we create value in ways beyond the numbers.

The Keystone difference

Operating Partnership

Timely and professional execution

Long-term investment horizon

We believe existing management possesses inherent knowledge that is difficult – if not impossible – to replicate. We rely on our management partners to run the day-to-day operations. However, as a business evolves, it can often benefit from an experienced partner well-versed in tackling the complexities and challenges of effectively managing a growing business. Keystone’s ‘roll-up our sleeves’ mentality means that when needed, the firm is capable of providing support to management across operations, finance, strategic planning and acquisition execution. Keystone’s professionals bring a wealth of experience in operating and building businesses.
Because our reputation is paramount, Keystone only commits to doing what we know we can deliver. Our professionals have a proven, 30+ year track-record of investing in sectors across the economy, as well as a sterling reputation and deep referral network across the financial markets. Keystone’s nimble size, entrepreneurial culture, and lack of internal approval committees allow us to be a quick and dependable buyer, often closing transactions in 30 days or less.
As the management team of a middle-market business, you don’t have an artificial time horizon on your business, so why should your financial partner? Keystone’s commitment of patient capital ensures we and the management team are fully aligned in making the right decisions for the long-term health and success of the business.

What you can expect

  • Business owners
  • Intermediaries
  • Management teams
  • Financing partners
We are your partners with 100% alignment of interests and a long-term, patient orientation to develop and grow a market-leading business. We value what you have created and do not tell you how to run your business. We want to help you build on the foundation you have established while honoring the reputation and values that have made your company successful thus far. Our approach to the transaction process is not long and drawn out. You should anticipate an efficient and reliable closing at the business valuation to which we commit.
Keystone’s reputation is our most significant asset, and we pride ourselves on delivering on what we say. As entrepreneurs ourselves, we understand the trials and tribulations of running your own business and can relate to your clients who are often family-run and entrepreneur-led business owners. Our management-centered approach and experience patiently working alongside business leaders frequently differentiate us as an owner’s partner of choice. Intermediaries should expect to dialogue with a firm whose certainty of closing, at the value to which we commit, is second to none. Our due diligence centers around the key business characteristics critical to long-term success, which when combined with our long-standing financing and service provider relationships, supports an efficient transaction process.
Expect to partner with a firm that believes strong leadership is the single most important factor in determining our collective success. Direct ownership in the business is the ultimate motivator, and we incentivize key management team members with equity as an important ingredient for success. We believe existing management possesses inherent knowledge that is difficult – if not impossible – to replicate. We respect your expertise and never in our history have we invested in a company without strongly supporting the management team. We have the utmost confidence in the management teams in whom we invest, and ultimately, strategic direction is your decision.
Financing partners should expect an equity investor whose commitment of patient capital means we stick with our companies through good times and bad. We take each investment personally and work tirelessly to support our investments with operational support, strategic direction, and additional equity capital when merited.

What you can expect

Business owners
We are your partners with 100% alignment of interests and a long-term, patient orientation to develop and grow a market-leading business. We value what you have created and do not tell you how to run your business. We want to help you build on the foundation you have established while honoring the reputation and values that have made your company successful thus far. Our approach to the transaction process is not long and drawn out. You should anticipate an efficient and reliable closing at the business valuation to which we commit.
Intermediaries
Keystone’s reputation is our most significant asset, and we pride ourselves on delivering on what we say. As entrepreneurs ourselves, we understand the trials and tribulations of running your own business and can relate to your clients who are often family-run and entrepreneur-led business owners. Our management-centered approach and experience patiently working alongside business leaders frequently differentiate us as an owner’s partner of choice. Intermediaries should expect to dialogue with a firm whose certainty of closing, at the value to which we commit, is second to none. Our due diligence centers around the key business characteristics critical to long-term success, which when combined with our long-standing financing and service provider relationships, supports an efficient transaction process.
Management teams
Expect to partner with a firm that believes strong leadership is the single most important factor in determining our collective success. Direct ownership in the business is the ultimate motivator, and we incentivize key management team members with equity as an important ingredient for success. We believe existing management possesses inherent knowledge that is difficult – if not impossible – to replicate. We respect your expertise and never in our history have we invested in a company without strongly supporting the management team. We have the utmost confidence in the management teams in whom we invest, and ultimately, strategic direction is your decision.
Financing partners
Financing partners should expect an equity investor whose commitment of patient capital means we stick with our companies through good times and bad. We take each investment personally and work tirelessly to support our investments with operational support, strategic direction, and additional equity capital when merited.
The most important key to success in this industry is having a partner that you can trust. A team that you can rely on for support that has a disciplined acquisition strategy and expertise in financial markets. And when this is combined with Keystone’s strong financial foundation and an operating philosophy and culture that is geared to long-term success, then you have a winning combination.
Kevin McDonough
President, Keystone Bakery Holdings

Testimonials and endorsements reflect Keystone's and portfolio company management's opinions and beliefs regarding the company and the investment. Such opinions and beliefs are subjective, do not represent a complete assessment of the company, the market or Keystone's overall investment performance and cannot be independently verified. Such statements are being offered as references for purposes of demonstrating the benefits of working with the Keystone team and not on the basis of being an investor in a portfolio company or, if applicable, a Keystone fund. Portfolio company executives receive/received a salary and economics from the portfolio company. No executives were paid for their testimonial or endorsement. There is a conflict of interest in these unpaid testimonials and endorsements in that all speakers stand to benefit from Keystone's success and for the portfolio company executives specially, their company is owned or partially owned by a Keystone fund.

Acquisition criteria

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  • Platform investments – EBITDA of $3M - $15M
  • Add-on investments – company specific; reference individual company profile pages

Company Size
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  • Growth potential (especially through acquisition)
  • Customer and supplier diversity
  • Low cyclicality/seasonality
  • High integrity and quality reputation

Key
Characteristics

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  • Strong existing team preferred
  • Core leadership continuity post-transaction
  • Collaborative approach to business-building
  • Motivated by equity ownership

Management
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  • Engineering and technical services
  • Professional and technology-enabled services
  • Business and commercial services
  • Industrial technology and engineered products
  • Food and beverage
  • Healthcare

Areas of
Interest

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  • Majority control investments preferred
    • Entrepreneur/owner recapitalization
    • Corporate divestitures
    • Structured minority investments

    Transaction Types
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    Slider
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    • Platform investments – EBITDA of $2M - $15M
    • Add-on investments – company specific; reference individual company profile pages

    Company Size
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    • Growth potential (internal or through acquisition)
    • Leading market position
    • No or low cyclicality
    • Quality reputation – “Proud to own”
    • High return on assets

    Key
    Characteristics

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    • Strong existing team preferred
    • Core leadership continuity post-transaction
    • Collaborative approach to business-building
    • Motivated by stock ownership

    Management
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    • Professional services & consulting
    • Business services
    • Industrial technology & manufacturing
    • Food & beverage
    • Consumer products

    Areas of
    Interest

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    • Majority control investments preferred
      • Entrepreneur/owner recapitalization
      • Corporate divestitures
      • Special situations

    Transaction Types
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    Portfolio companies

    Exit Date
    January 2020
    Headquarters
    Oakbrook Terrace, IL

    Investment Date: January 2018

    Business Overview
    Arbour Group is a leading provider of regulatory compliance services for the global life sciences industry. Arbour specializes in the areas of software validation, packaged compliance solutions, and software testing/auditing to ensure client compliance with applicable global regulatory bodies. Arbour partners with name-brand clients in the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and medical device fields both domestically and internationally.

    Exit
    Exited to PhamaLex Group, a portfolio company of AUCTUS Capital Partners AG, in 2020

    Keystone Contact: Jason S. Van Zant
    Exit Date
    August 2017
    Headquarters
    Elkhart, IN

    Investment Date: January 2003

    Business Overview
    Atlas Die is a manufacturer of steel rule and rotary dies for the packaging and folding carton industries.

    Exit
    Atlas Die was acquired by Auxo Investment Partners in 2017

    Exit Date
    August 2019
    Headquarters
    Cleveland, OH

    Investment Date: October 2008

    Business Overview
    Avalon is a manufacturer of investment castings and precision machined investment cast components. Through a series of acquisitions, Avalon has become one of the largest commercial and industrial investment casting manufacturers in the country.

    Exit
    Exited to Sigma Electric Manufacturing Corporation in 2019

    Keystone Contact: Dennis J. Howe
    President/Ceo
    Ken Plasse
    Headquarters
    Granite City, IL

    Investment Date: September 2023

    Business Overview

    Baily is a manufacturer of authentic, high-quality Asian appetizer products including rolls, wonton wrappers, noodles, and fortune cookies, which are primarily sold into foodservice channels.

    Baily International Website

    Acquisition Areas of Interest

    • Ethnic food manufacturing businesses
    Keystone Contact: Chaoran Jin
    President/Ceo
    Jeff King
    Headquarters
    Kansas City, MO

    Investment Date: September 2023

    Business Overview

    BarkleyOKRP is an integrated marketing services firm offering brand strategy, creative, CRM, media, and data analytics services to clients across industries including CPG, financial services, healthcare, restaurants & retail, and travel & tourism. The company has over 650 employees across five offices and is a certified B-Corp.

    BarkleyOKRP Website

    Acquisition Areas of Interest

    • Performance marketing (Social, SEM, SEO, Email)
    • Marketing data analytics
    • CRM and loyalty
    • Mobile and digital products
    • Marketing technology development (Commerce, CMS, CRM)
    • Programmatic media

    Acquisitions During Ownership

    • OKRP (2024): Strategic and creative oriented marketing agency
    Keystone Contact: Bill Sommerschield
    Exit Date
    September 2017
    Headquarters
    Portland, OR

    Investment Date: December 2000

    Business Overview
    Capsa Healthcare is the market leader in point-of-care IT, medication management systems and pharmacy automation. With an installed based over three hundred thousand units worldwide, Capsa Healthcare serves an array of healthcare environments including hospitals, extended care facilities, retail and mail-order pharmacies.

    Exit
    Capsa Healthcare was acquired by Levine Leichtman Capital Partners in 2017

    President/Ceo
    Steve Craig
    Headquarters
    Marlton, NJ

    Investment Date: December 2015

    Business Overview
    Cherry Hill Programs is the market leader in providing mall-based holiday photography services and products. Cherry Hill Programs manages on-premises Santa and Easter Bunny photography programs for over 330 mall locations throughout North America.

    Cherry Hill Programs Website

    Acquisition Areas of Interest

    • Related photography services
    • Holiday services and products
    • Mall facility services
    • Tourism photography
    • School & sports photography

    Acquisitions During Ownership

    • Cherry Hill Programs (2015): Original platform investment
    • Noerr Programs (2016): Acquisition of holiday photography services provider
    • Worldwide Photography (2018): Acquisition of holiday photography services provider
    • Photogenic (2019): Acquisition of leading provider of tourism photography services
    President/Ceo
    Catherine Edwards
    Headquarters
    Auburn, AL

    Investment Date: March 2021

    Business Overview

    ClearWater Solutions (“CWS”) is an outsourced operations and maintenance (“O&M”) service provider to municipal  and private water and wastewater facilities across multiple states in the greater Southeastern U.S. CWS leverages its O&M expertise to take over plant operations for its clients, bringing superior service and knowledge to operate facilities more efficiently, cost effectively and in better compliance than what municipalities achieve with in-house efforts. CWS also provides public works outsourced services, CCTV, tank maintenance and construction services for clients in addition to its core outsourced water and wastewater facility O&M services.

    ClearWater Solutions Website

    Acquisitions During Ownership

    • Midwest Water Operations (2021)
    • Engineering Solutions International (2022)
    • Utility One (2022)
    • Blackman Laboratory (2022)
    • Blue Heron Management Services (2023)

    Acquisition Areas of Interest

    • Water/wastewater O&M service providers in complementary geographies
    • Providers of ancillary municipal services
    Keystone Contact: Erik Gernant
    Exit Date
    2016
    Headquarters
    Dalton, GA

    Investment Date: April 2005

    Business Overview
    Controlled Products is a leading manufacturer of synthetic turf for recreational, leisure, landscape and athletic end-use applications.

    Exit
    Controlled Products was acquired by Clearview Capital in 2016

    President/Ceo
    Chris Rayasam
    Headquarters
    Chicago, IL

    Investment Date: January 2016

    Business Overview
    Consor is a North American transportation and water engineering and inspection firm providing services including planning and design, structural assessment, and construction services. The firm was created in 2018 when four entrepreneur-led businesses came together with the vision of building an engineering firm with the scale to win high-profile projects on the national stage while staying true to their entrepreneurial roots and maintaining their commitment to providing exceptional service to their clients and local communities.  Today, Consor has more than 1,600 employees across the United States and Canada.

    Consor Website

    Acquisition Areas of Interest

    • Transportation engineering and inspection firms
    • Water-wastewater and water resources engineering specialists
    • Rail/transit engineering and inspection specialists
    • Traffic engineering and ITS specialists
    • Aviation engineering and inspection specialists
    • Environmental engineering specialists

    Acquisitions During Ownership

    • Target Engineering Group (2016): Original investment, construction engineering and inspection in Florida
    • AIA Engineers (2017): Transportation design, planning, and construction inspection in Texas
    • Infrastructure Engineers (2018): Bridge inspection leader with a national footprint
    • Johnson-Adams (2018): Construction engineering and inspection in Florida
    • Structural Grace (2019): Bridge design and construction inspection in Arizona
    • TKW Consulting Engineers (2019): Water/wastewater engineering in Florida
    • U.S. Underwater Services (2020): Commercial diving specializing in municipal water tank inspections in Texas
    • Apex Design (2020): Traffic, ITS, planning, and construction inspection in Colorado
    • Murraysmith (2020): Transportation and water engineering and construction inspection in the Pacific Northwest
    • Civic (2021): Transportation engineering and construction inspection in Tennessee
    • CPM Associates (2022): Construction management and program management in California
    • Project Engineering Consultants (2022): Transportation and water engineering and inspection in Utah, Arizona, and Nevada
    • American Consulting (2023): Transportation planning and design primarily in Florida and Georgia
    Keystone Contact: Scott L. Gwilliam
    Exit Date
    May 2018
    Headquarters
    Delanco, NJ

    Investment Date: December 2010

    Business Overview
    Costume Gallery is leading provider of dance costumes and dancewear. Costume Gallery strategically focuses on dancewear for recitals – the pinnacle showcase of students’ talents and education for the school year. The company designs, markets and manufactures recital costumes for 8,000+ dance studios around the country.

    Exit
    Costume Gallery was acquired by an undisclosed buyer in 2018.

    Exit Date
    2014
    Headquarters
    Houston, TX

    Investment Date: December 2011

    Business Overview
    Eagleton Engineering was an engineering services company who focused on the midstream/pipeline segment of the oil and gas industry.

    Exit
    Eagleton was acquired by Jacobs Engineering Group (NYSE:JEC) in 2014

    Exit Date
    October 2022
    Headquarters
    Williston, VT

    Investment Date: June 2015

    Business Overview
    Environments for Health, LLC (e4h) is an architectural design and facilities planning firm focused on the healthcare and life sciences markets. E4H has completed over 2,000 projects including community hospitals, for-profit hospitals, ambulatory surgery centers, rehabilitation facilities, medical office buildings, skilled nursing facilities, senior living communities, and hospices.

    e4h Website

    Exit
    E4H has been acquired by the MOREgroup

    Keystone Contact: David A. Greer
    President/Ceo
    Adam Ditto
    Headquarters
    Alpharetta, GA

    Investment Date: January 2020

    Business Overview
    Foundation Dental Partners is a dental support organization which was founded with the goal of providing doctor-owners with a unique, dentist-friendly partnership alternative. Foundation provides a range of administrative and support services to multiple dental practices with a primary focus on the Southeastern U.S.

    Foundation Dental Partners

    Acquisition Areas of Interest

    • Single and multi-location private-pay dental practices
    Keystone Contact: Kevin S. Overby
    Exit Date
    November 2019
    Headquarters
    Danvers, MA

    Investment Date: August 2016

    Business Overview
    Greeley is a leading healthcare consulting firm that partners with hospital administrative and clinical teams to solve problems and improve processes related to accreditation and regulatory compliance, medical staff optimization and physician alignment, and credentialing and privileging. Greeley’s offering includes consulting services, interim staffing, business process outsourcing, education services, and external peer review. Greeley’s mission is to work with hospitals and hospital systems to optimize internal processes and workflows, simplify documentation, improve physician and patient satisfaction, and maximize profitability. The company serves hospitals and hospital systems of all sizes across all 50 states.

    Exit
    Exited to The Chartis Group in 2019

    Keystone Contact: Bill Sommerschield
    President/Ceo
    Michael Sicher
    Headquarters
    Schaumburg, IL

    Investment Date: August 2023

    Business Overview
    Identiti offers signage program management, maintenance, and related facility services. Identiti’s value proposition to its blue-chip client base includes full-service management of exterior and interior signage programs as well as service and maintenance requirements executed on a national basis.

    Identiti Website

    Acquisition Areas of Interest

    • Signage companies (asset-light or production oriented)
    • Facility maintenance (FM) services providers
    • Light roll-out / construction services providers
    Keystone Contact: Jason S. Van Zant
    President/Ceo
    Alban Mehmeti & Hans Nelson
    Headquarters
    Chicago, IL

    Investment Date: December 2020

    Business Overview
    Inspire11 is a digital transformation and innovation consultancy helping Fortune 500 clients better leverage modern technology infrastructure, data science and analytics, and experience design to transform business processes. In 2020, Inspire11 was recognized in the Inc. 5000 list as the 10th fastest growing business, and the fastest growing services business, in the United States over the past three years.

    Inspire11 Website

    Acquisition Areas of Interest

    • Digital Transformation Consultancies
    • Channel Partner Consultancies (AWS/Snowflake, Google Cloud, DataRobot, Slack, etc.)
    • Specialized Technology Developers
    • Data Science Experts
    Keystone Contact: Bill Sommerschield
    President/Ceo
    Dominic Mazzolini
    Headquarters
    Mentor, OH

    Investment Date: December 2021

    Business Overview

    Integra Testing Services is a national provider of testing, adjusting and balancing (TAB) services to the commercial HVAC market. In addition, Integra also provides other niche inspection and testing services including commissioning, water balancing, and building façade pressure testing.

    Integra Website

    Acquisition Areas of Interest

    • Testing, adjusting and balancing firms
    • Medical gas and clean room certification/testing firms
    • Specialized inspection and testing firms servicing the built environment
    • General testing/inspection/certification/compliance (TICC) firms

    Acquisitions During Ownership

    • Neudorfer Engineers (2021): Leading TAB provider in the Pacific Northwest
    • Fulton & Associates (2021): Leading TAB provider in Ohio
    • International Test & Balance (2022): Leading TAB provider in Chicago and Michigan
    • Seneca Balance (2022): Leading TAB provider in Baltimore and Washington D.C.
    • RSA (2022): Leading TAB provider in Sacramento
    • C&W Tesco (2023):  Leading TAB provider in Virginia
    • Richard Flanders (2023):  Leading TAB provider in Orlando
    • J.F. Coffey (2023): Leading TAB provider in Boston
    • American Test & Balance (2023): Leading TAB provider in Boston
    Keystone Contact: Jason S. Van Zant
    Exit Date
    March 2021
    Headquarters
    Houston, TX

    Investment Date: June 2019

    Business Overview
    JOBS Group is a specialized commercial facilities services provider focused on high-rise façade maintenance (including window cleaning and waterproofing), metal surface maintenance, elevator cab interior refurbishment, and other related property maintenance services.

    JOBS Group Website

    Exit

    JOBS Group was merged into Valcourt Building Services, an affiliate of Littlejohn & Co., in 2021. Keystone retained an equity interest in the combined organization.

    Keystone Contact: Jason S. Van Zant
    Exit Date
    2008
    Headquarters
    Montgomeryville, PA

    Investment Date: March 2000

    Business Overview
    Judson Technologies was a manufacturer of detectors and sensors.

    Exit
    Judson was acquired by Teledyne Technologies (NYSE: TDY) in 2008

    President/Ceo
    John Katter
    Headquarters
    Mendota Heights, MN

    Investment Date: June 2019

    Business Overview
    KENDELL is a value-added specialty distributor of door openings, door hardware and related access control products for institutional and commercial applications in the built environment.

    KENDELL Website

    Acquisition Areas of Interest

    • Value-added commercial/institutional door and door hardware distributors
    • Electronic security/access control integrators
    • Locksmiths and specialty door service organizations

    Acquisitions During Ownership

    • Washington Architectural Hardware (2019): Leader in commercial door and door hardware distribution in the Pacific Northwest
    • Newport Distribution (2020): Full-service commercial door and door hardware provider in Chicago
    • Watson Security (2020): Aftermarket electronic access control and mechanical security service provider
    • Hardware Distributors (2021): Leader in commercial door and door hardware distribution in North Carolina
    • Craftmaster Hardware (2022): Leader in aftermarket door hardware distribution in New England
    Keystone Contact: Jason S. Van Zant
    Exit Date
    2010
    Headquarters
    Manchester, NH

    Investment Date: December 2000

    Business Overview
    Keystone Bakeries was a supplier of cupcakes, donuts, and cookies to the in-store bakery channel.

    Exit
    Keystone Bakeries was acquired by Maplehurst Bakeries, a subsidiary of George Weston Limited (TSX: WN), in 2010

    Exit Date
    September 2022
    Headquarters
    Philadelphia, PA

    Investment Date: June 2016

    Business Overview

    Keystone Natural is a manufacturer of healthy, plant-based protein products including tofu, meatless veggie burgers, and other soy-based and vegetarian items. The Company sells into the retail and foodservice channels under the Nature Soy, VeggieLand, Franklin Farms, and Superior Tofu brands.

    Exit
    Keystone Natural was acquired by House Foods Holding USA in 2022

    Keystone Contact: Chaoran Jin
    Exit Date
    July 2020
    Headquarters
    Montvale, NJ

    Investment Date: March 2014

    Business Overview
    KFT is the world leader in the design, installation and service of live fire training simulators and related technologies. The Company provides critical fire training technologies to fire academies, municipalities, governments, and industrial customers on a global basis. KFT’s industry leading products are installed in locations throughout the world.

     

    Exit Date
    July 2023
    Headquarters
    Houston, TX

    Investment Date: September 2019

    Business Overview

    Lane Power & Energy Solutions, Inc. is a leading provider of underground hydrocarbon storage solution for petrochemical facilities, midstream operators, and governmental agencies.

    Exit

    Lane Power & Energy Solutions, Inc. was acquired by Tiberius in 2023.

    Keystone Contact: David A. Greer
    President/Ceo
    Patrick Venetucci
    Headquarters
    Chicago, IL

    Investment Date: December 2018

    Business Overview
    Integrated marketing and technology development agency with deep expertise in the healthcare sector.

    Merge Website

    Acquisition Areas of Interest

    • Custom Technology Development
    • MarTech Platforms (Adobe, Salesforce, Veeva)
    • Life Sciences Marketing & Commercialization
    • Performance Marketing
    • Data & Analytics

    Acquisitions During Ownership

    • Beam (2019): Acquisition of an experience design and digital development agency
    • Sandbox (2020): Healthcare focused integrated digital agency
    • Blue Moon (2021): Performance marketing agency
    • Perkuto (2021): Marketing operations consultancy (Marketo & Workato)
    Keystone Contact: Bill Sommerschield
    Exit Date
    December 2021
    Headquarters
    Columbia, MD

    Investment Date: May 2013

    Business Overview
    Movilitas Consulting provides end-to-end supply chain, track and trace and mobility solutions.  Movilitas Consulting solutions enhance customers’ control of their extended supply chain, help ensure compliance with global regulations, and optimize field-based business processes helping to accelerate the pace of business performance.

    Movilitas Consulting Website

    Exit

    Movilitas joined Engineering USA, an affiliate of Bain Capital, LP in 2021.

    Keystone Contact: Scott L. Gwilliam
    President/Ceo
    Aman Arora
    Headquarters
    Orlando, FL

    Investment Date: August 2022

    Business Overview

    Novatio is a hyperautomation consultancy with deep expertise in process consulting & mapping, software implementation & customization, and ongoing support and managed services. The Company partners with leading enterprise, healthcare, and SLED (state, local, and education) clients. Novatio maintains close strategic partnerships with robotic process automation (RPA) and intelligent automation software platforms, primarily UiPath and Automation Anywhere.

    Novatio Website

    Acquisition Areas of Interest

    • Strategic process efficiency consulting firms
    • Niche emerging automation technology consulting firms or managed services providers
    • Microsoft Power Automate consultancies
    Keystone Contact: Bill Sommerschield
    President/Ceo
    Clark Webb & Robert Alpert
    Headquarters
    Dallas, TX

    Investment Date: March 2020

    Business Overview

    P10 (NYSE:PX) is a specialized multi-asset class private markets solutions provider, offering a comprehensive suite of niche private equity, venture capital, private credit, and impact investing strategies.

    P10 Holdings

    Acquisition Areas of Interest

    • Specialized alternative asset management firms

    Acquisitions During Ownership

    • Five Points Capital (2020): Leading alternative asset management firm focused on providing debt and equity capital to U.S.-based, lower-middle market companies
    • TrueBridge Capital Partners (2020): Leading alternative asset management firm focused on high-performing, access constrained venture capital opportunities
    • Enhanced Capital Group (2020): Premier impact investing platform focused on credit and equity investments across a diverse impact-oriented product offering
    • Bonaccord Capital Partners (2021): Investment management firm focused on acquiring non-control equity interests in mid-sized private markets sponsors
    • Hark Capital (2021): Provider of credit solutions to mid-life private equity, growth equity, venture, and other funds
    Keystone Contact: Scott L. Gwilliam
    Exit Date
    April 2021
    Headquarters
    Columbia, MD

    Investment Date: October 2011

    Business Overview
    Peak-Ryzex provides end-to-end enterprise mobility, managed services, printing and mobile data capture solutions for performance-driven organizations focused on the optimization of supply chain and field-based business processes.  Peak-Ryzex’s in-depth industry-specific experience, state-of-the-art solutions and managed services, and exemplary customer support provide transformational business solutions and results that deliver greater ROI and outstanding value.

    Exit
    Peak-Ryzex was acquired by Sole Source Capital, LLC in 2021.

    Keystone Contact: Scott L. Gwilliam
    President/Ceo
    Jeff Grossi
    Headquarters
    Mississauga, ON

    Business Overview
    Pinchin is an environmental consulting firm offering a broad array of site assessment-related environmental, engineering, building science, and health & safety services across the real estate and land development lifecycle. Pinchin operates out of 60 offices throughout the United States and Canada.

    Pinchin Website

    Acquisition Areas of Interest

    • US or Canada-based providers of environmental consulting and engineering services focused on the buildings and land markets
    • Specialty environmental, industrial hygiene, and health & safety services providers

    Acquisitions During Ownership

    • PM Environmental (2021): A leading environmental risk consulting services provider in Michigan and the Southeastern US
    • Pinchin (2022): A leading national provider of environmental, engineering, building science, and health & safety services in Canada
    • Ransom Consulting (2023): A leading multi-disciplinary environmental consulting and engineering firm operating across Northeastern U.S.
    Keystone Contact: David A. Greer
    Exit Date
    2007
    Headquarters
    Phoenix, AZ

    Investment Date: June 1999

    Business Overview
    Polymicro Technologies was a manufacturer of optical fibers for industrial applications.

    Exit
    Polymicro was acquired by Molex, Inc. (NASDAQ:MOLX) in 2007

    Exit Date
    1997
    Headquarters
    Northbrook, IL

    Investment Date: February 1995

    Business Overview
    Record Masters was a leading national provider of healthcare record storage and retrieval services.

    Exit
    Record Masters was merged into Iron Mountain, Inc. (NYSE:IRM) in 1997

    Exit Date
    October 2017
    Headquarters
    Indianapolis, IN

    Investment Date: October 2008

    Business Overview
    Rocore Inc. is a manufacturer of industrial heat exchangers and provider of heat exchanger repair services. The company’s products consist primarily of highly engineered radiators, heat exchangers and cooling products made of copper, aluminum and brass. Rocore serves a diverse customer base in the following end markets: on/off highway, rail, after market and power generation.

    Exit
    Rocore Inc. was acquired by Triton in 2017

    Keystone Contact: David A. Greer
    President/Ceo
    Tim Hill
    Headquarters
    Grand Rapids, MI

    Investment Date: December 2013

    Business Overview
    Scott Group is a designer and manufacturer of high end, custom carpets and rugs. They are a leading supplier to the business aviation, high-end residential and commercial (including luxury retail), and yacht markets both in the U.S. and abroad.

    Scott Group Website

    Acquisition Areas of Interest

    • Suppliers of luxury high end interior soft goods products – e.g. leather, fabrics
    • Suppliers to the architecture and design / showroom industry

    Acquisitions During Ownership

    • Scott Group Custom Carpets (2013): Original Platform Investment
    • Hokanson Carpets (2014): Acquisition of a leading designer and producer of customized rugs and carpets for the high-end residential market
    • PWV Studios (2017): Acquisition of a boutique manufacturer of handmade carpets for the aviation and interior design markets
    • Red Rock (2022): Acquisition of a leading provider of business aviation carpet for refurbishment applications
    Keystone Contact: Jason S. Van Zant
    President/Ceo
    Kevin McDonough
    Headquarters
    Bohemia, NY

    Investment Date: October 2021

    Business Overview

    Tribute is a manufacturer of authentic New York style kettle-boiled, hearth-baked bagels sold into the in-store bakery, club store, foodservice, and convenience store channels.

    Tribute Baking Company

    Acquisition Areas of Interest

    • Branded or private label baked goods businesses

    Acquisitions During Ownership

    • Always Bagels (2021): Wholesale bagel producer with facilities in New York and Pennsylvania
    • Original Bagel (2021): Wholesale bagel producer out of New Jersey
    • Hometown Foods (2021): Wholesale bagel and specialty cake producer out of Miami
    Keystone Contact: Chaoran Jin
    President/Ceo
    Gavin Campbell
    Headquarters
    East Hanover, NJ

    Investment Date: December 2021

    Business Overview
    VDA is a vertical transportation (elevator, escalator, and lift) consulting firm that provides services to the new construction, modernization, maintenance, and inspection markets for building owners, investors/developers, and end users. VDA has branch offices conveniently located in major markets across the U.S. and employs over 320 professionals.

    VDA Website

    Acquisition Areas of Interest

    • Elevator inspection and witness testing service providers
    • Specialty/boutique providers of building sciences consulting services

    Acquisitions During Ownership

    • Sierra Consulting Group (2022): Provider of elevator inspection and consulting services in the New York metropolitan market
    • Barbre Consulting (2022): Leading provider of vertical transportation and inspection services in the Texas market
    • Omega Industries (2023): Inspection and consulting services provider in New York metro area
    • ALLSAFE/Dominion (2023): Leading inspection services provider in Baltimore/Washington D.C. area
    Keystone Contact: Jason S. Van Zant
    Exit Date
    2015
    Headquarters
    New York, NY

    Investment Date: October 2006

    Business Overview
    Vidaris was a building sciences consulting firm encompassing curtain wall/façade, sustainable design and failure analysis disciplines.

    Exit
    Vidaris was acquired by Cortec Group in 2015

    Exit Date
    2014
    Headquarters
    Kenosha, WI

    Investment Date: June 2004

    Business Overview
    Converter and distributor of meat packaging products

    Exit
    Vista was acquired by ViskoTeepak in 2014

    Keystone was more than just a financial partner – they are long-term partners, both operationally and financially, in helping build our business. Even during the tough economic periods Keystone was our best cheerleader. They truly were the best partners for our business.
    Gary Nelson
    President, Polymicro Technologies

    Testimonials and endorsements reflect Keystone's and portfolio company management's opinions and beliefs regarding the company and the investment. Such opinions and beliefs are subjective, do not represent a complete assessment of the company, the market or Keystone's overall investment performance and cannot be independently verified. Such statements are being offered as references for purposes of demonstrating the benefits of working with the Keystone team and not on the basis of being an investor in a portfolio company or, if applicable, a Keystone fund. Portfolio company executives receive/received a salary and economics from the portfolio company. No executives were paid for their testimonial or endorsement. There is a conflict of interest in these unpaid testimonials and endorsements in that all speakers stand to benefit from Keystone's success and for the portfolio company executives specially, their company is owned or partially owned by a Keystone fund.

    The Keystone team

    Megan C. Anderson Compliance, ESG, and Finance Coordinator

    Megan C. Anderson joined Keystone Capital in 2009. Prior to Keystone, Megan was an Executive Assistant with UBS Private Wealth Management in Florida and Chicago. Megan’s previous experience includes working for Morgan Stanley and Discover Financial Services.

    Education
    Indiana University, BA

    Go to Megan's LinkedIn profile
    Matthew Blanks Vice President

    Matt Blanks joined Keystone Capital in 2021. Prior to joining Keystone, Matt was an investment banking analyst at Lazard, where he worked on a variety of mergers and acquisitions for public and private companies.

    Education
    University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; BA Finance, 2020

    Go to Matthew's LinkedIn profile
    Kent P. Dauten Chairman

    Kent P. Dauten co-founded Keystone Capital in 1994 and serves as a Chairman of the firm. As part of Keystone, Kent served as the C.E.O. and President of the firm’s first portfolio company, Record Masters, building it into the nation’s leading healthcare records management company. After the merger of this business into Iron Mountain, he served as the President of their Healthcare Division. Kent’s previous experience includes fifteen years with First Chicago Venture Capital and its spin-off Madison Dearborn Partners, Inc., a multi-billion dollar private equity firm which he also co-founded.

    With these firms he completed investments in 28 companies in various industries, including food processing, healthcare services and industrial manufacturing.

    Education
    Harvard University; MBA, 1979
    Dartmouth College; BA, 1977

    Erik Gernant Principal

    Erik Gernant joined Keystone Capital in 2015.  During his time at Keystone, Erik took on a temporary full-time role with Consor Engineers, a Keystone portfolio company in the infrastructure engineering sector.  At Consor, Erik was responsible for leading the acquisition efforts, coordinating integration workstreams, and supporting the executive team in a variety of ways.  Now back at Keystone full-time, Erik is closely involved in growing the firm’s presence in the engineering, construction, and professional services sectors.  Previously, Erik worked as an investment banking analyst and associate in the technology group at JMP Securities where he focused on merger and acquisition advisory and public equity offerings.

    Education
    University of Notre Dame, BA

    David A. Greer Managing Director

    David A. Greer joined Keystone Capital in 2005 and serves as a Managing Director of the firm. Prior to Keystone, he was General Manager of the RFID business unit for Motorola, Inc. and Executive Vice President of Participate Systems, Inc.

    His previous experience includes advising Fortune 100 clients as a member of The Boston Consulting Group and the mergers & acquisitions department of Goldman Sachs. Additionally, David served for five years as a surface warfare officer in the U.S. Navy.

    Education
    Northwestern University; MBA, 1995
    U.S. Naval Academy; BS, 1988

    Go to David's LinkedIn profile
    Scott L. Gwilliam Managing Partner

    Scott L. Gwilliam co-founded Keystone Capital in 1994 and serves as a Managing Partner of the firm with primary responsibility for our investment activities. Scott served as the Chief Financial Officer of the firm’s first portfolio company, Record Masters, from its founding in 1995 through its sale to Iron Mountain in 1997.

    Prior to Keystone, Scott was a member of the investment banking and corporate finance department at Kidder, Peabody & Company where he was actively involved in initial public offerings, mergers and acquisitions, and corporate reorganizations. He also worked for Madison Dearborn Partners, Inc., a leading Chicago private equity firm, as well as with several entrepreneurial businesses in various roles.

    Education
    Northwestern University; MBA, 1995
    University of Virginia; BS, 1991

    Go to Scott's LinkedIn profile
    Patrick Helle Analyst

    Patrick joined Keystone Capital in 2022.

     

    Education
    University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; BS Finance, 2022

    Go to Patrick's LinkedIn profile
    Maggie Horak Analyst

    Maggie joined Keystone Capital in 2022.

     

    Education
    University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; BS Accountancy, 2022

    Dennis J. Howe Managing Director

    Dennis J. Howe joined Keystone Capital in 2013 and serves as a Managing Director of the firm with a primary focus on supporting portfolio companies with operational and strategic direction. Prior to Keystone, he was with Danaher as Vice President of Business Management and Project Planning for Videojet and Vice President and General Manager of Thomson Linear Components.

    His previous experience includes working for The Boston Consulting Group on strategy assignments for industrial, financial and consumer goods clients and at BASF Corporation working as an Operations Manager and as a Product Development engineer.

    Education
    Northwestern University; MBA, 2000
    Villanova University; BS Chemical Engineering, 1992

    Chaoran Jin Managing Director

    Chaoran Jin joined Keystone Capital in 2009 and serves as a Managing Director of the firm. Prior to Keystone, she worked for Owens Corning as the Site Leader and General Manager of two large manufacturing operations in Chicago.

    Chaoran’s previous experience includes working for McKinsey & Company advising a broad range of clients in consumer, retail and technology sectors, the mergers & acquisitions division of Citigroup in Hong Kong, and product development at Motorola’s mobile division.

    Education
    University of Chicago; MBA, 2003
    University of Illinois; MS Electrical Engineering, 1999
    Tsinghua University (Beijing, China); BS Biology, 1996

    Go to Chaoran's LinkedIn profile
    Laura B. Johnson Vice President of Finance

    Laura B. Johnson joined Keystone Capital in 2022 and serves as a Vice President of Finance of the firm with primary responsibility for portfolio company finance, accounting, and acquisition financial due diligence. Prior to Keystone Laura was the Director of Finance, Operations Group at Sheridan Capital Partners, a health care focused private equity firm based in Chicago.

    Her previous experience includes over 8 years in KPMG’s Deal Advisory practice providing financial due diligence for private equity clients.

    Education
    University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; BS Accountancy
    University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; MSA

    Go to Laura's LinkedIn profile
    Todd Lanscioni Managing Director

    Todd Lanscioni joined Keystone Capital in 2022 and serves as a Managing Director of the firm. Prior to Keystone, he worked for JZ Partners/Jordan Industries.

    Todd's prior experience includes working for LaSalle Bank in Chicago. Todd has extensive lower middle market private equity investing experience in a broad range of industries including testing/inspection/certification (TIC), flow control, industrial and business services, and healthcare.

     

    Education
    University of Chicago; MBA Finance
    Indiana University; BS Finance

    Sean Lyons Vice President

    Sean Lyons joined Keystone Capital in 2020. Previously, Sean worked as an investment banking analyst at Moelis & Company.

    Education
    University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; BA Accountancy & Finance, 2018

    Go to Sean's LinkedIn profile
    Jennifer Maes Accounting Manager

    Jennifer Maes joined Keystone Capital in April 2019 as Accounting Manager. Prior to joining Keystone, she worked at GTCR, where she focused on investor relations activities as well as portfolio analysis.  Prior to GTCR, she worked at PricewaterhouseCoopers as a Senior Tax Associate.

    Education
    Depaul University; MS Accountancy
    Benedictine University; BBA Accounting

    Kevin S. Overby Vice President

    Kevin Overby joined Keystone Capital in 2016. Previously, Kevin worked as an investment banking analyst in the technology & business services group at Robert W. Baird & Co. While at Baird, Kevin focused on mergers and acquisitions, equity offerings and other financial advisory services for public and private companies. Prior to Baird, Kevin was an Investment Analyst at Aether Investment Partners in Denver.

    Education
    University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, BA

    Katie Perry CFO & CCO

    Katie Perry joined Keystone Capital in 2023 and serves as CFO and CCO of the firm with the primary responsibility for financial reporting, fund operations, and administration.  Prior to Keystone, Katie was the CFO & CCO of Entrepreneurial Equity Partners and Silver Oak Services Partners, both private equity firms in Chicago.

    Her previous experience includes serving as a Vice President Portfolio Controller of Pearlmark Real Estate Investment Company, as well as working as an auditor for Clifton Larson Allen.

    Education
    Iowa State University; BS Accountancy

    Brian Prendergast Associate

    Brian Prendergast joined Keystone Capital in 2019. Previously, Brian worked as an investment banking analyst in the technology group at William Blair & Co.

    Education
    University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; BA Finance & Accountancy, 2017

    Go to Brian's LinkedIn profile
    Bill Sommerschield Managing Director

    Bill Sommerschield joined Keystone Capital in 2014 and serves as a Managing Director of the firm with a primary focus on Keystone’s investment activities.

    Prior to joining Keystone, Bill was a Vice President at Lake Capital, a Chicago-based private equity firm, where he focused on the firm’s investment activities and served on the Board of Directors of Engine Group, ORC International, HMI, and Addison Group. Bill also worked in the investment banking divisions of Morgan Stanley and Credit Suisse where he was actively involved in mergers and acquisitions as well as debt and equity financings in the business services, industrial, and education industries. Prior to Morgan Stanley, Bill was a Co-Founder of Wonder LLC, an experiential children’s retail company, where he led concept development, strategic and financial planning, and capital raising activities.

    Education
    Miami University, BA

    Go to Bill's LinkedIn profile
    Sherri Stewart Chief Talent Officer

    Sherri Stewart joined Keystone Capital in 2022 and serves as Chief Talent Officer of the firm.  Her primary responsibilities include talent strategy, leadership development, senior level talent acquisition, culture and team integration. Prior to Keystone, Sherri spent over 25 years in corporate HR leadership roles and management consulting with a focus on leadership and talent strategy.

    Her previous experience includes serving as Vice President, Talent Strategy for Horizon Therapeutics, as well as advising private equity and other high growth businesses in maximizing talent and organizational effectiveness.

    Education
    Xavier University MBA
    Ohio University; BA in Business Management

     

    Go to Sherri's LinkedIn profile
    Carter Strode Associate

    Carter Strode joined Keystone Capital in 2023. Prior to joining Keystone, Carter was an investment banking analyst and associate at Kroll (previously known as Duff & Phelps), where he worked on a variety of mergers and acquisitions for family and entrepreneurial owned companies.

    Education
    Indiana University; BS Finance, 2020

    Go to Carter's LinkedIn profile
    Jason S. Van Zant Managing Director

    Jason Van Zant is a Managing Director of the firm with responsibility for sourcing, executing, and managing platform investments for Keystone in addition to various general firm management responsibilities. Jason leads Keystone's investment efforts in the Commercial and Industrial Services sector and is passionate about “buy-and-build” strategies executed in partnership with owner-operators. Jason is a member of the firm's investment committee and chairs the valuation committee. Jason joined Keystone in 2008 from Lincoln International, a middle-market investment banking firm headquartered in Chicago.

    Education
    University of Iowa, BBA

    Go to Jason's LinkedIn profile
    Andrew C. Wehr Chief Financial Officer - Portfolio Accounting & Finance

    Andrew C. Wehr joined Keystone Capital in 2014 and serves as Chief Financial Officer - Portfolio Accounting & Finance of the firm with primary responsibility for portfolio company finance and accounting support and acquisition financial due diligence. Prior to Keystone Andrew was International Accounting Manager of Groupon, Inc.

    His previous experience includes serving as Chief Financial Officer for Midwest Mechanical Group Inc, as well as working for Ernst & Young for over 5 years in its advisory and assurance practice.

    Education
    Indiana University, BS

    Go to Andrew's LinkedIn profile

    Keystone news

    February 2024

    Keystone Capital Closes Oversubscribed Fund III

    Keystone News
    read more

    October 2023

    Keystone Capital Announces Partnership with Baily International

    Portfolio Companies
    read more

    August 2023

    Keystone Capital Announces Partnership with Identiti Resources

    Portfolio Companies
    read more

    May 2023

    Pinchin Continues Expansion Into U.S. Through Partnership With Ransom Consulting

    Acquisitions
    read more

    January 2023

    Keystone Capital Welcomes Todd Lanscioni

    Keystone News
    read more

    November 2022

    Keystone Capital Named to Inc.’s 2022 List of Founder-Friendly Investors

    Keystone News
    read more

    October 2022

    Keystone Capital Successfully Exits Its Investment in Environments for Health

    Portfolio Companies
    read more

    October 2022

    Integra Testing Services Completes Acquisition of RSA

    Acquisitions
    read more

    September 2022

    Keystone Capital Successfully Exits Its Investment in Keystone Natural Holdings

    Portfolio Companies
    read more

    August 2022

    Keystone Capital Announces Partnership with Novatio Solutions

    Portfolio Companies
    read more

    June 2022

    Keystone Capital Launches New Bakery Platform

    Portfolio Companies
    read more

    April 2022

    VDA Acquires Sierra Consulting Group

    Acquisitions
    read more

    February 2022

    Keystone Capital Announces Partnership with Pinchin and PM Environmental

    Portfolio Companies
    read more

    February 2022

    Keystone Announces Formation of Integra Testing Services

    Portfolio Companies
    read more

    January 2022

    Keystone Capital Successfully Exits Its Investment in Movilitas

    Portfolio Companies
    read more

    January 2022

    ClearWater Solutions Announces Acquisition of Midwest Water Operations

    Acquisitions
    read more

    December 2021

    Keystone Capital Announces Partnership with VDA

    Portfolio Companies
    read more

    October 2021

    Keystone Capital Announces Acquisition of Perkuto by Portfolio Company MERGE

    Acquisitions
    read more

    August 2021

    Keystone Announces Acquisition of Blue Moon Digital by Portfolio Company MERGE

    Acquisitions
    read more

    June 2021

    Keystone Capital Management, LP Closes Debut Institutional Fund

    Keystone News
    read more

    April 2021

    Keystone Capital Successfully Exits Its Investment in Peak-Ryzex

    Portfolio Companies
    read more

    April 2021

    JOBS Group Merges with Valcourt Building Services

    Acquisitions
    read more

    January 2021

    KENDELL Announces Acquisition of Watson Security

    Acquisitions
    read more

    January 2021

    Keystone Capital Announces Partnership with Inspire11

    Portfolio Companies
    read more

    January 2021

    JOBS Group Announces Two Acquisitions

    Acquisitions
    read more

    June 2020

    Keystone Capital Partners with JOBS Building Services; Welcomes CEO Eric Crabb

    Portfolio Companies
    read more

    March 2020

    Merge Announces Acquisition of Sandbox Group

    Acquisitions
    read more

    February 2020

    Keystone Capital Exits Arbour Group

    Portfolio Companies
    read more

    January 2020

    Keystone Capital Announces Sale of Greeley

    Portfolio Companies
    read more

    January 2020

    Keystone Capital Announces Formation of Foundation Dental Partners

    Portfolio Companies
    read more

    October 2019

    Cherry Hill Programs Partners with Santa Claus to Launch WhereIsSanta.com

    Portfolio Companies
    read more

    October 2019

    Keystone Capital Announces Partnership with Lane Power & Energy Solutions, Inc.

    Portfolio Companies
    read more

    August 2019

    Keystone Capital Announces Partnership with Hometown Foods USA

    Keystone News
    read more

    August 2019

    Keystone Capital Announces Sale of Avalon

    Keystone News
    read more

    August 2019

    Keystone Capital 2019 Professional and Staffing Updates

    Keystone News
    read more

    June 2019

    Cherry Hill Programs Announces Acquisition of Photogenic

    Acquisitions
    read more

    June 2019

    Keystone Capital Announces Partnership with KENDELL

    Keystone News
    read more

    May 2019

    Keystone Natural Holdings Acquires WestSoy

    Acquisitions
    read more

    May 2019

    CONSOR Announces Acquisition of Structural Grace

    Acquisitions
    read more

    May 2019

    Merge Announces Acquisition of Beam

    Acquisitions
    read more

    December 2018

    Keystone Capital Announces Partnership With MERGE

    Keystone News
    read more

    March 2018

    E4H Architecture Announces Acquisition of RSG Architects

    Acquisitions
    read more

    January 2018

    Keystone Capital Announces Partnership with Arbour Group LLC

    Acquisitions
    read more

    December 2017

    Keystone Natural Holdings Acquires J.P. Veggies and Superior Tofu

    Acquisitions
    read more

    October 2017

    Keystone Capital Announces the Sale of Rocore Inc.

    Keystone News
    read more

    September 2017

    Keystone Capital Announces the Sale of Capsa Healthcare

    Keystone News
    read more

    August 2017

    Keystone Capital Announces the Sale of Atlas Die LLC

    Keystone News
    read more

    January 2017

    Keystone Capital is Pleased to Announce the Following Internal Promotions!

    Keystone News
    read more

    August 2016

    Keystone Capital Announces Partnership with The Greeley Company

    Keystone News
    read more

    June 2016

    Keystone Capital Announces Partnership with Nature Soy

    Keystone News
    read more

    June 2016

    Formation of Environments for Health Architecture

    Portfolio Companies
    read more

    January 2016

    Keystone Capital Announces Partnership with Target Engineering Group

    Keystone News
    read more

    December 2015

    Keystone Capital Announces Partnership with Cherry Hill Photo

    Keystone News
    read more

    December 2015

    Peak-Ryzex Announces Acquisition of M-Netics

    Acquisitions
    read more

    August 2015

    Capsa Solutions Announces the Acquisition of Rubbermaid Healthcare

    Acquisitions
    read more

    July 2015

    Peak-Ryzex Announces Acquisition of Manage Mobility

    Acquisitions
    read more

    July 2015

    Keystone Capital Announces Partnership With MorrisSwitzer

    Keystone News
    read more

    June 2015

    Rocore Announces Acquisition of CTI Industries

    Acquisitions
    read more

    May 2015

    Keystone Capital Announces Sale of Vidaris

    Keystone News
    read more

    October 2014

    Keystone Capital Welcomes Two New Hires

    Keystone News
    read more

    September 2014

    Scott Group Completes Acquisition of Hokanson Carpets

    Acquisitions
    read more

    July 2014

    Keystone Portfolio Company Capsa Solutions Announces Acquisition of Kirby Lester

    Acquisitions
    read more

    April 2014

    Avalon Precision Casting Completes Acquisition of Precision Metalsmiths

    Keystone News
    read more

    March 2014

    Keystone Capital Announces Acquisition of Kidde Fire Trainers

    Acquisitions
    read more

    February 2014

    Keystone Capital Announces Sale of Eagleton Engineering

    Keystone News
    read more

    January 2014

    Keystone Capital Announces Partnership With Scott Group Custom Carpets

    Keystone News
    read more

    September 2013

    Keystone Capital Welcomes Two New Hires

    Keystone News
    read more

    July 2013

    Keystone Capital Announces Two Add-On Acquisitions

    Acquisitions
    read more

    April 2013

    Keystone Capital Announces New Office Location

    Keystone News
    read more

    January 2013

    Vidaris Announces Acquisition Of Lucius Pitkin, Inc.

    Acquisitions
    read more

    September 2012

    Craft Cast Completes Merger With Avalon Precision Casting Company

    Portfolio Companies
    read more

    August 2012

    PEAK Technologies Completes Acquisition of Catalyst

    Acquisitions
    read more

    December 2011

    PEAK Technologies Completes Acquisition of Ryzex

    Acquisitions
    read more

    December 2011

    Keystone Capital, Inc. Announces Two Platform Acquisitions Completed

    Keystone News
    read more

    September 2011

    Keystone Capital Update: Capsa Solutions, LLC Announcement

    Portfolio Companies
    read more

    April 2011

    Keystone Capital Announces Israel Berger & Associates Transaction

    Portfolio Companies
    read more

    April 2011

    Eric Holter Joins Keystone Capital

    Keystone News
    read more

    December 2010

    Keystone Capital, Inc. Announces Recapitalization of Costume Gallery

    Portfolio Companies
    read more

    September 2010

    Keystone Capital, Inc. Realizes Its Ten Year Investment in Keystone Bakery Holdings, LLC

    Keystone News
    read more

    November 2009

    Capsa Solutions, LLC Acquires Artromick International, Inc.

    Acquisitions
    read more

    September 2009

    Keystone Bakery Holdings, LLC Acquires Heartland Baking, LLC

    Acquisitions
    read more

    April 2009

    Chaoran Jin Joins Keystone Capital

    Keystone News
    read more

    January 2009

    Jason Van Zant Joins Keystone Capital

    Keystone News
    read more

    October 2008

    Keystone Capital, Inc. Acquires Rocore Holdings

    Acquisitions
    read more

    October 2008

    Keystone Capital, Inc. Acquires Craft Cast Company

    Acquisitions
    read more

    February 2008

    Judson Technologies, LLC is Acquired by Teledyne Scientific & Imaging, LLC

    Keystone News
    read more
    Load more +
    Keystone Capital Closes Oversubscribed Fund III
    February 2024

    Keystone Capital Management, LP (“Keystone” or the “Firm”), a lower middle market alternative investment manager, is pleased to announce the one and final closing of Keystone Fund III (“Fund III” or the “Fund”) at its hard cap of $630 million in capital commitments. Fund III was oversubscribed with fundraising completed in four months, and Keystone professionals continuing to represent the largest single investor in the Fund.

    Founded in 1995, Keystone will continue its strategy of investing primarily in North American businesses across five industry sectors:  Engineering and Technical Services, Tech-enabled Services, Commercial Services, Industrial Technology and Food and Beverage. Since inception, Keystone has been focused on sectors where it can execute its “buy and build” strategy as exemplified by its 170 acquisitions across 42 different industry leading platforms.

    “We are humbled by the overwhelming support from our limited partners in this challenging fundraising market.   We raised this fund in just under four months and are proud to have 100% of our Fund II institutional investors return.  We were also able to broaden our investor base with the addition of several new endowments, foundations, insurance companies, and family offices.   We believe our success in the raise is a real testament to our deep and tenured team and our disciplined approach to investing,” noted Scott Gwilliam, Managing Partner of Keystone.

    “For over 25 years, Keystone invested only the personal capital of its employees.   It is incredibly gratifying to see the Firm transition to outside, third-party capital and not change its time-tested strategy.  We remain committed to the lower middle market, to pursue opportunities where we can execute ‘buy and build’ consolidations, to rolling up our sleeves and helping our leadership teams drive organic and inorganic growth and operational efficiencies and to building life-long relationships and partnerships with our founders, management teams, financing sources, and now limited partners,” added Kent Dauten, Chairman of Keystone.

    Kirkland & Ellis LLP provided legal counsel on the fundraise for Fund III, and the Fund was raised without a placement agent.  For more information, please see our website at keystonecapital.com or follow us on LinkedIn.

    Contact Information

    Alicia Galloway
    agalloway@keystonecapital.com

     

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    Keystone Capital Announces Partnership with Baily International
    October 2023

    Keystone Capital Management, L.P. (“Keystone”) is pleased to announce an investment partnership with Baily International (“Baily” or the “Company”), a producer of authentic, high-quality Asian appetizer products.

    Baily is a long-standing and nationally recognized brand in the Asian appetizer market and has served its customers for more than 40 years. Headquartered in Granite City, IL, the Company employs more than 300 people and operates out of a collective approximately 200K square feet of production space across two facilities in the Saint Louis area and another in Georgia. Baily’s core offering is made up of staple Asian food products including egg rolls, wonton wrappers, noodles, and fortune cookies, which are supplied to a diverse base of loyal foodservice distributors throughout the United States. For more information on Baily, please visit www.bailyfoods.com.

    “Partnering with Keystone brings tremendous opportunity for Baily,” noted Steve Cameron, CEO of Baily. “Keystone’s extensive experience in food manufacturing and approach to building businesses the right way gives me great confidence that together we can create the best version of Baily and serve our customers even better than before.”

    Steve purchased Baily from its original founder in 2016 and has grown the business as CEO since. He will continue to operate the company as CEO with Keystone as a supportive partner for growth.

    “We are absolutely thrilled to partner with the team at Baily,” commented Chaoran Jin, Managing Director at Keystone Capital. “This business has so much opportunity to expand upon the legacy built over several decades, and we’re honored to have the opportunity to play a part in that.”

    Baily will be actively seeking acquisition opportunities in the ethnic food manufacturing space. Parties with knowledge of relevant potential investment opportunities are encouraged to contact Keystone.

    Terms of the transaction are not being disclosed. Senior debt financing was provided by CIBC Bank USA and Siemens Financial Services, Inc., and legal counsel was provided to Keystone by DLA Piper LLP.

    Contact Information

    Chaoran Jin
    (312) 219-7976
    cjin@keystonecapital.com

    Erik Gernant
    (312) 468-6266
    egernant@keystonecapital.com

    Matt Blanks
    (312) 219-7987
    mblanks@keystonecapital.com

    Maggie Horak
    (312) 219-7961
    mhorak@keystonecapital.com

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    Keystone Capital Announces Partnership with Identiti Resources
    August 2023

    Keystone Capital Management, L.P. (“Keystone”) is pleased to announce it has completed an investment partnership with Identiti Resources, LLC (“Identiti” or “the Company”), a market leader in signage program management, maintenance, and related facility services.

    Founded in 1991, Identiti has been owned and operated by the Sicher family for over 30 years.  Identiti’s value proposition to its blue-chip client base includes full-service management of exterior and interior signage programs as well as service and maintenance requirements executed on a national basis. The Company is headquartered in Schaumburg, IL and employs over 110 associates. For more information on Identiti, visit www.identiti.net.

    Keystone is pleased to partner with second-generation owners Michael and Zachary Sicher, who are retaining a significant interest in the Company and will continue to lead Identiti going forward.

    “We believe we have found an ideal partner in Keystone,” remarked Michael Sicher, CEO. “Their successful track record in buy-and-build strategies in the facilities services industry as well as their unique approach to partnering with companies like Identiti attracted us to Keystone from the very beginning.”

    Zachary Sicher, Chief Administrative Officer, added: “This partnership will allow Identiti to capitalize on the immense opportunity for growth and consolidation that exists in our industry, which is something we desire to lead. We are looking forward to executing on that opportunity in partnership with Keystone.”

    Identiti represents a continuation of Keystone’s platform investment expertise in the facility and ‘built environment’ services industries. “We’re very impressed with what the Sicher family has accomplished and Identiti aligns well with Keystone’s experience,” commented Jason Van Zant, Managing Director of Keystone Capital. “We are proud to be partnering with Michael and Zack and look forward to further building on Identiti’s successful legacy.”

    Identiti will be actively seeking acquisition opportunities in the signage industry as well as in general facility maintenance services. Parties with knowledge of relevant potential investment opportunities are encouraged to contact Keystone.

    Terms of the transaction are not being disclosed. CIBC Capital Markets provided advisory services to Identiti. Senior debt financing was provided by CIBC Bank USA and legal counsel was provided to Keystone by DLA Piper LLP.

    Contact Information

    Jason Van Zant
    (312) 219-7974
    jvanzant@keystonecapital.com

    Kevin Overby
    (312) 219-7966
    koverby@keystonecapital.com

    Sean Lyons
    (312) 219-7967
    slyons@keystonecapital.com

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    Pinchin Continues Expansion Into U.S. Through Partnership With Ransom Consulting
    May 2023

    Keystone Capital Management, L.P. (“Keystone”) is pleased to announce that its portfolio company Pinchin Ltd. (“Pinchin”) has recently completed the acquisition of Ransom Consulting, LLC (“Ransom”), a multi-disciplinary environmental consulting and engineering firm operating out of six offices across the Northeastern U.S. Founded in 1988, Ransom provides a diverse array of site remediation and related engineering services to commercial, government, and industrial clients.

    Pinchin is an Ontario-headquartered environmental compliance consulting firm that offers a broad array of site assessment-related services focused on the building and land development lifecycle. Pinchin’s partnership with Ransom expands its U.S. presence to 18 offices and 160+ employees in addition to 42 locations and 870+ employees in Canada.

    "The Ransom acquisition lays the foundation for Pinchin's expansion into the northeast US market," noted Jeff Grossi, CEO of Pinchin. "Ransom fits ideally onto the Pinchin platform, extending Pinchin's presence and supporting our goal to become the predominant North American services provider in the Buildings and Land market for all phases of the real estate lifecycle."

    "Integrating with Pinchin provides Ransom an opportunity to deliver additional capabilities and services, providing even greater value to our existing clients, while expanding our footprint," stated Stephen Ransom, CEO of Ransom. "We are proud of our legacy and look forward to exciting new opportunities as a Pinchin company."

    “We are thrilled to have the Ransom Consulting team join our Pinchin platform; this acquisition is an important furtherance of our geographic expansion strategy,” commented David Greer, Managing Director of Keystone Capital.

    Keystone and Pinchin continue to actively seek acquisition opportunities in the environmental consulting and engineering services industry with a focus on U.S.-based businesses. Parties with knowledge of relevant potential investment opportunities are encouraged to contact Keystone.

    Terms of the transactions are not being disclosed. Legal counsel was provided by DLA Piper LLP (US).

    Contact Information

    David Greer
    (312) 219-7972
    dgreer@keystonecapital.com

    Kevin Overby
    (312) 219-7966
    koverby@keystonecapital.com

    Matt Blanks
    (312) 219-7987
    mblanks@keystonecapital.com

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    Keystone Capital Welcomes Todd Lanscioni
    January 2023

    Keystone Capital Management, L.P. (“Keystone”) is pleased to announce that Todd Lanscioni has joined the firm as a Managing Director.

    Mr. Lanscioni has nearly 25 years of lower middle market private equity investing experience in a broad range of industries including testing/inspection/certification (TIC), flow control,  industrial  and business services, and healthcare. Mr. Lanscioni has demonstrated an impressive track record across all aspects of the lower middle market private equity profession, including investment strategy development, recruitment of operating partners, deal sourcing, transaction structuring, deal execution and post-close growth initiatives.

    “We are thrilled with the addition of Todd to the Keystone team,” noted Scott Gwilliam, Managing Partner of Keystone. “Todd brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the Keystone team and his investment philosophy is remarkably consistent with that which we have carefully and strategically cultivated at Keystone for the past 30 years. Lastly, there is an unquestionably strong cultural alignment between Todd and the Keystone team.”

    Prior to joining Keystone, Mr. Lanscioni spent over 20 years with JZ Partners/Jordan Industries, a lower middle market private equity investment firm, as a Managing Director. Prior to his tenure with JZ Partners/Jordan Industries, Mr. Lanscioni worked for LaSalle Bank in Chicago. Mr. Lanscioni received an MBA in Finance from the University of Chicago’s Graduate School of Business and a BS in Finance from Indiana University.

    “After a nearly 25-year successful run with JZ Partners/Jordan Industries, I am very excited to begin this next chapter of my career with Keystone Capital,” remarked Mr. Lanscioni. “The Keystone team brings a unique perspective to middle market investing, and I am confident we will build many outstanding businesses in the years ahead.”

    Mr. Lanscioni can be reached at 312-219-7983 or at tlanscioni@keystonecapital.com.

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    Keystone Capital Named to Inc.’s 2022 List of Founder-Friendly Investors
    November 2022

    Keystone Capital Management, L.P. (“Keystone”) is pleased to announce that it has once again been named to Inc.’s 2022 List of Founder-Friendly Investors, a recognition of Keystone’s continued commitment to partnering with and empowering entrepreneurs in the middle market. Keystone’s philosophy and investment approach are rooted in entrepreneurship and personal ownership, with nearly all of the partners having operational experience and Keystone’s principals collectively representing the single largest investor in its Fund.

    “We are honored to again be recognized as a Founder-Friendly Investor,” commented Scott Gwilliam, Managing Partner. “We believe that our entrepreneurs possess knowledge that is difficult – if not impossible – to replicate. Throughout our decades-long track record, we have remained committed to backing their vision and aligning our interests fully with our management partners.”

    Introduced in 2019, the Founder-Friendly Private Equity Firms list quickly established itself as one of Inc.’s most resourceful franchises. It has become a go-to guide for entrepreneurs who want to grow their companies while retaining an ownership stake.

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    Keystone Capital Successfully Exits Its Investment in Environments for Health
    October 2022

    Keystone Capital (“Keystone”) is pleased to announce that its portfolio company Environments for Health Architecture, LLC (“E4H”) has been acquired by the MOREgroup, a partnership of architecture, design, and engineering firms. Terms of the transaction have not been disclosed.

    E4H is the largest architectural design and facilities planning firm focused on the healthcare and life sciences markets. E4H has completed over 2,000 projects nationally including community hospitals, for-profit hospitals, ambulatory surgery centers, rehabilitation facilities, medical office buildings, skilled nursing facilities, senior living communities, and research laboratories.

    Keystone initially partnered with E4H in 2015 and through organic initiatives and strategic acquisitions expanded into a national firm. E4H represents another example of Keystone’s commitment in investing in the Business and Professional Services sector serving the built environment.

    “We are extremely appreciative of our partnership with the E4H management team in building a market leading business” noted David Greer, Managing Director of Keystone. “During our partnership with E4H, we expanded our capabilities and technical expertise to bring state-of-the-art facilities designed to enhance the well-being of our client’s patients, staff, and families. We wish the best to the E4H team on their new chapter with the MOREgroup.”

    Dan Morris, Chairman of E4H commented, “Keystone Capital has been a great partner for E4H over the last seven years. With Keystone’s help, we have integrated four add-on acquisitions, which has broadened our core market and accelerated our growth. We worked in partnership with their team to execute on strategic and operational initiatives while driving value for employees, clients, and shareholders.”

    Legal services were provided to E4H and Keystone by DLA Piper.

    Contact Information

    David Greer
    (312) 219-7972
    dgreer@keystonecapital.com

    Sean Lyons
    (312) 219-7967
    slyons@keystonecapital.com

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    Integra Testing Services Completes Acquisition of RSA
    October 2022

    Keystone Capital Management, L.P. (“Keystone) is pleased to announce that its portfolio company Integra Testing Services, LLC (“Integra”) has completed the acquisition of RSAnalysis and RSACx (collectively “RSA”). Integra, a specialized testing, adjusting, and balancing and mechanical systems analysis firm, was formed by Keystone in November 2021 with the initial acquisitions of Neudorfer Engineers and Fulton & Associates.

    RSA is a comprehensive HVAC testing, adjusting, and balancing (TAB) services provider. RSACx is an independent building performance commissioning firm. Both companies are headquartered in the Sacramento, California area with branch offices located in San Francisco, Las Vegas, Reno and Salt Lake City.

    The addition of RSA expands Integra’s presence nationally adding 60 employees and five locations to Integra’s existing 145 employees and 9 office locations across the United States. RSA represents the fifth acquisition into the Integra platform since its formation by Keystone.

    “The transaction with RSA is a game-changer for Integra,” commented Jason Van Zant, Managing Director, Keystone. “RSA makes Integra the largest independent testing, adjusting and balancing firm in the United States with true coast-to-coast coverage. We are thrilled to welcome their team to Integra.”

    Integra is interested in further acquisitions of companies providing highly specialized, critical building testing services. Parties with knowledge of such opportunities are encouraged to contact Jason Van Zant at Keystone.

    Contact Information

    Jason Van Zant
    (312) 219-7974
    jvanzant@keystonecapital.com

    Matt Blanks
    (312) 219-7987
    mblanks@keystonecapital.com

    Patrick Helle
    (312) 219-7963
    phelle@keystonecapital.com

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    Keystone Capital Successfully Exits Its Investment in Keystone Natural Holdings
    September 2022

    Keystone Capital ("Keystone") is pleased to announce that its portfolio company Keystone Natural Holdings ("KNH") has been acquired by House Foods Holding USA, the North American subsidiary of House Foods Group Inc.

    Keystone Capital established the KNH platform through the acquisition of Nature’s Soy® in 2016, a regional plant-based food manufacturer focused on the ethnic channel. Through three strategic add-on acquisitions and meaningful organic investment, KNH significantly expanded its product offering and channel reach. In 2019, KNH invested in a new manufacturing facility in Folcroft, Pennsylvania to capitalize on organic growth opportunities. The sale of KNH represents another successful outcome for Keystone Capital within its Food & Consumer investment efforts.

    “We are proud of the work we have done at Keystone Natural Holdings,” said Chaoran Jin, Managing Director of Keystone Capital. “During our partnership, we invested significantly to expand KNH’s brand presence, manufacturing capacity, product development capabilities, as well as the leadership team in order to provide a broad range of healthy, innovative plant-based food products for grocery, club, and food service customers. We are extremely appreciative of the hard work, dedication, and commitment from the KNH management team in building a market leading business. We wish them the best for their new chapter with House Foods.”

    Kenny Sung, Chief Executive Officer of KNH, who will continue to lead KNH, added, “Keystone Capital has been a great partner to work with, helping us successfully expand into additional strategic segments, which has positioned us to better serve our retail and food service customers in the ethnic and mainstream channel. With Keystone Capital’s help, we have integrated three add-on acquisitions, which has broadened our core market and accelerated our growth. We look forward to working with House Foods to continue our growth trajectory.”

    Through this acquisition, House Foods will expand its portfolio of value-added tofu and plant-based food products and accelerate its US market expansion plans. The combined company will have eight manufacturing facilities across North America.

    Investment banking services were provided to KNH by Whipstitch Capital and legal services were provided to KNH and Keystone by DLA Piper.

    Contact Information

    Chaoran Jin
    (312) 219-7976
    cjin@keystonecapital.com

    Brian Chung
    (312) 219-7975
    bchung@keystonecapital.com

    Michael Weston
    (312) 219-7982
    mweston@keystonecapital.com

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    Keystone Capital Announces Partnership with Novatio Solutions
    August 2022

    Keystone Capital Management, L.P. (“Keystone”) is pleased to announce an investment partnership with Novatio Solutions (“Novatio” or “the Company”). Novatio is a fast-growing hyperautomation consultancy with deep expertise in automation strategy, software implementation, and ongoing support of automation programs.  Novatio primarily works in partnership with UiPath and Automation Anywhere, the leading robotic process automation (“RPA”) and intelligent automation software platforms.

    Founded in 2015, Novatio has quickly grown into an automation consulting leader, providing its roster of enterprise, healthcare, and SLED (state, local, and education) clients with full-lifecycle automation solutions consisting of process discovery & mining, software implementation & customization, bot development, and ongoing managed support & execution services. Novatio’s differentiated delivery and talent development model is supported by a best-in-class automation technology training program. The Company’s rapidly expanding team includes more than 100 resources across the U.S. and India. For more information on Novatio, visit www.novatiosolutions.com.

    “We are delighted to partner with a patient and experienced investor in Keystone Capital to help build on the success Novatio has enjoyed to date,” remarked Gokul Solai, CEO of Novatio. “Intelligent automation is still in its infancy and this partnership is an important step to ensure we will continue to be at the forefront of the industry. We look forward to continuing to develop new and exciting solutions to expand the impact that process consulting and automation can have within our client partners’ organizations.”

    Novatio represents a furtherance of Keystone’s investment success in the tech-enabled services sector. “Novatio is exceptionally well-positioned to capitalize on the significant opportunity in the intelligent automation industry,” commented Bill Sommerschield, Managing Director at Keystone Capital. “We are thrilled to partner with Gokul and his team to collaboratively build a preeminent service provider in this dynamic and fast-growing marketplace.”

    Terms of the transaction are not being disclosed. Senior debt financing was provided by CIBC Bank USA and legal counsel was provided by DLA Piper. Novatio was advised by Equiteq in connection with this transaction.

     

    Contact Information

    Bill Sommerschield
    (312) 219-7973
    bsommerschield@keystonecapital.com

    Michael Weston
    (312) 219-7982
    mweston@keystonecapital.com

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    Keystone Capital Launches New Bakery Platform
    June 2022

    Keystone Capital Management, L.P. (“Keystone”) is pleased to announce it has launched Tribute Baking Company (“Tribute” or the “Company”), a market leading producer of authentic New York style kettle-boiled, hearth-baked bagels and specialty cake products sold into the in-store bakery, club store, foodservice, and convenience store channels. Tribute was formed through the combination of three family-owned wholesale bakeries: Always Bagels (“Always”), Original Bagel (“Original”), and Hometown Foods (“Hometown”).

    For the last 25+ years, Always, Original, and Hometown have led the wholesale bagel market in quality. Together, Tribute employs more than 300 people and operates out of a collective 190K square feet across four SQF Level II facilities in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Miami. The Company sells its product in a par-baked and fully baked frozen format to some of the most notable retailers and foodservice distributors on the East Coast, nationally, and internationally. The combined footprint of Tribute provides the advantage to its customers of four dedicated facilities, creating a resilient supply chain in the bagel category.

    Anthony Pariti, Co-Founder of Always, noted, “We are thrilled to begin our partnership with Keystone. We see tremendous opportunity to build on the strong foundation developed over the last several decades. Keystone’s differentiated approach of patiently investing alongside management with a focus on long-term value creation is a great fit for our employees and our customers.”

    “Partnering with Keystone and Always opens exciting opportunities for our collective businesses,” added Dave Harris and Bruce Levenbrook, President and CEO of Original, respectively. “Our combined decades of experience and legacy of quality are unparalleled in today’s marketplace. Additionally, Keystone’s deep understanding of the wholesale bakery business will provide us with an experienced strategic partner as we work together to achieve our goals for organic growth and complementary acquisitions.”

    The formation of Tribute also represents a continuation of Keystone’s partnership with Hometown Foods, a multigenerational wholesale bakery based out of Miami. Hometown’s scaled manufacturing footprint brings substantial additional bagel manufacturing capacity and a portfolio of specialty cake products to the broader platform.

    Keystone’s bakery experience stretches back to the early 2000s through Keystone Bakeries Holdings (“KBH”), starting with a partnership with Freed’s Bakery, a market leader in fully finished cupcakes sold to the in-store bakery channel. Over the next decade, Keystone executed two transformative add-on acquisitions in the donut and cookie segment, driving significant growth prior to exiting the business to Weston Foods (TSX: WN) in 2010. Kevin McDonough, formerly the President of KBH, will lead Tribute going forward.

    “Keystone is excited to partner with these terrific family businesses to continue building on their legacy of quality and authenticity,” commented Chaoran Jin, Managing Director at Keystone Capital. “We see the same amount of opportunity in the wholesale bakery space that we saw 20 years ago and are eager to execute on our organic growth initiatives and targeted acquisitions.”

    Terms of the transaction are not being disclosed. Senior debt financing was provided by CIBC Bank USA and Capital One NA, and legal counsel was provided to Keystone by Honigman LLP. Original Bagel was advised by Billow Butler & Company in connection with this transaction.

     

    Contact Information

    Chaoran Jin
    (312) 219-7976
    cjin@keystonecapital.com

    Brian Chung
    (312) 219-7975
    bchung@keystonecapital.com

    Kevin Overby
    (312) 219-7966
    koverby@keystonecapital.com

    Michael Weston
    (312) 219-7982
    mweston@keystonecapital.com

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    VDA Acquires Sierra Consulting Group
    April 2022

    Keystone Capital Management, L.P. (“Keystone”) is pleased to announce that its portfolio company VDA, Inc. (“VDA”), a market leader in providing technical consulting and inspection services to the elevator and vertical transportation industry, has acquired Sierra Consulting Group (“Sierra”).

    Sierra represents the first add-on acquisition completed by VDA since initially partnering with Keystone. “Sierra adds significant capability to VDA’s mandated inspection and modernization consulting capabilities,” commented Jason Van Zant, Managing Director of Keystone. “We look forward to having Joe Caracappa and his leadership team join the exceptional leadership team at VDA.”

    Completed in November 2021, VDA represents Keystone’s fifth platform investment in the building sciences consulting and engineering services industry. VDA is actively seeking add-on acquisition opportunities in the building sciences consulting and inspection industry. Parties with knowledge of relevant potential investment opportunities are encouraged to contact Keystone.

    About VDA

    Operating over a history spanning 40+ years, VDA is headquartered in East Hanover, NJ and has grown to include 30+ offices across the country. VDA specializes in all types of vertical transportation services, including elevator/escalator/lift modernization, new construction, maintenance evaluations, mandated inspections, and general consulting for a variety of end markets. For more information on VDA, visit www.vdassoc.com.

    About Sierra

    Sierra Consulting Group is a full-service elevator and escalator consulting company, providing inspection witnessing, advisory and project management services to building owners and property management firms overseeing residential and commercial buildings throughout metropolitan New York. Founded in 2004 by industry veteran Joseph Caracappa, the Company provides technical expertise on various job types ranging from witnessing inspections as an impartial third party, to evaluating and managing comprehensive vertical transportation modernization projects.

     

    Contact Information

    Jason Van Zant
    (312) 219-7974
    jvanzant@keystonecapital.com

    Sean Lyons
    (312) 219-7967
    slyons@keystonecapital.com

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    Keystone Capital Announces Partnership with Pinchin and PM Environmental
    February 2022

    Keystone Capital Management, L.P. (“Keystone”) is pleased to announce it has partnered with two leading environmental consulting services providers, Pinchin Ltd. (“Pinchin”) and PM Environmental, LLC (“PM”).

    Pinchin and PM have been collectively operating for 70+ years, providing environmental risk management, engineering, and health & safety consulting services to corporate real estate owners, developers, end users, and government agencies in the United States and Canada.

    Headquartered in Mississauga, Ontario, Pinchin operates out of 34 offices nationally across Canada. PM, headquartered in Lansing, Michigan, is a regional market leader serving clients out of twelve offices in Michigan and the Southeastern U.S. For more information, visit www.pinchin.com and www.pmenv.com.

    "This is an exciting first step in our goal of building the predominant North American services provider in the building and land market for all phases of the real estate lifecycle,” noted Jeff Grossi, CEO of Pinchin. “We are fortunate to have found likeminded partners in both PM and Keystone”.

    Mike Kulka, Co-Founder and CEO of PM, added: “With this partnership, we see a significant opportunity to better serve our clients through greater geographic reach and a broader set of capabilities”.

    All members of the Pinchin and PM executive teams will remain in leadership positions of the combined company. Joining forces will provide both Pinchin and PM’s clients with broader geographic coverage and enhanced capabilities across the real estate lifecycle.

    “We are thrilled to be partnering with the teams at Pinchin and PM,” commented David Greer, Managing Director of Keystone Capital. “Keystone has significant experience in the engineering and technical services space, and we believe there is a considerable opportunity to continue building on the great legacies that both of these firms have established.”

    Keystone will be actively seeking acquisition opportunities in the environmental consulting and engineering services industry. Parties with knowledge of relevant potential investment opportunities are encouraged to contact Keystone.

    Terms of the transactions are not being disclosed. Senior debt financing was arranged by CIBC Bank USA and legal counsel was provided by Honigman LLP and Goodmans LLP.

     

    Contact Information

    David Greer
    (312) 219-7972
    dgreer@keystonecapital.com

    Kevin Overby
    (312) 219-7966
    koverby@keystonecapital.com

    Matt Blanks
    (312) 219-7987
    mblanks@keystonecapital.com

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    Keystone Announces Formation of Integra Testing Services
    February 2022

    Keystone Capital Management, L.P. (“Keystone”) is pleased to announce the formation of Integra Testing Services (“Integra”), a market leader in the testing, adjusting, and balancing (“TAB”) of commercial HVAC systems as well as related testing and commissioning services for the built environment.

    Integra was formed through initial partnerships with Fulton & Associates (Mentor, OH) and Neudorfer Engineers (Seattle, WA). Fulton, founded in 1996, is a leader in the Ohio market and is led by Dominic Mazzolini. Neudorfer, founded in 1970, is a leader in the Pacific Northwest market and is led by Bill Neudorfer. For more information on Integra, visit www.integratesting.com.

    Dominic Mazzolini will lead the Integra platform as Chief Executive Officer. Additionally, Integra is pleased to announce that Travis Nichols has joined as Chief Financial Officer. Mr. Nichols was previously the Chief Financial Officer of Rocore Holdings, a former Keystone portfolio company exited in 2017.

    Integra is also pleased to announce the subsequent acquisition of International Test & Balance (“ITB”), a market leader in TAB services in Chicago and Michigan. ITB is led by Chairman Gary Tarazi and CEO Christopher Yacu.

    “I am tremendously excited about the coming together of Fulton and Neudorfer and for the potential of the Integra platform,” commented Mr. Mazzolini. “The Integra platform will allow other TAB & ‘built environment’ companies to join us in providing our services to an even larger customer base,” commented Mr. Neudorfer, President of Neudorfer Engineers.

    The formation of Integra represents a continuation of Keystone’s established expertise in the built environment testing and field services market. “Integra is well-aligned with Keystone’s historical and current investment experience in the commercial services industry, and we are thrilled by the opportunity to partner with this management team,” commented Jason Van Zant, Managing Director of Keystone Capital.

    Integra is actively seeking acquisition opportunities in built environment testing and inspection services as add-on acquisitions. Parties with knowledge of relevant potential investment opportunities are encouraged to contact Keystone.

    Terms of the transaction are not being disclosed. Senior debt financing was provided by CIBC Bank USA and legal counsel was provided by Honigman, LLP.

     

    Contact Information

    Jason Van Zant
    (312) 219-7974
    jvanzant@keystonecapital.com

    Matt Blanks
    (312) 219-7987
    mblanks@keystonecapital.com

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    Keystone Capital Successfully Exits Its Investment in Movilitas
    January 2022

    Keystone Capital (“Keystone”) is pleased to announce that its portfolio company Movilitas (“Movilitas”) has been acquired by Engineering USA, the North American subsidiary of the Engineering Group. Terms of the transaction have not been disclosed.

    Movilitas is an industry leader in digital supply chain and digital manufacturing consulting services and solutions.  Keystone initially invested in Movilitas in 2013.  Throughout the ownership period, Keystone and Movilitas partnered to significantly grow the business both organically and through strategic acquisitions in the U.S. and Europe. Movilitas represents another example of Keystone’s commitment in investing in the Business and Professional Services sector.

    “We are extremely appreciative for the hard work, dedication and commitment from the Movilitas management team in building a market leading business and delivering a great outcome for shareholders” commented Scott Gwilliam, Managing Partner of Keystone. “We wish the Movilitas management team the best for their new chapter.”

    “During our hold period, we worked with Movilitas to expand and enhance the management team, including bringing in CEO Ross Young, who Keystone had previously partnered with at Peak-Ryzex.  We are proud of the work we accomplished along with the Movilitas management team to accelerate organic growth and execute strategic acquisitions to expand market share, geographic reach and service offerings to our enterprise clients,” said Chaoran Jin, Managing Director of Keystone.

    Ross Young, Chief Executive Officer of Movilitas added, “The team at Keystone has been a great business partner for Movilitas. They found the perfect balance of providing guidance paired with autonomy that enabled our management team to successfully drive the agreed upon strategic and financial initiatives. With Keystone’s counsel, we also found the right strategic partner in Engineering Group as part of the Industries eXcellence Global division for the next chapter of our growth.”

    Investment banking services were provided to Movilitas and Keystone by Stifel, Nicolaus & Company, Inc., and legal services were provided to Movilitas and Keystone by Honigman LLP.

    About Movilitas

    Movilitas is a global consulting services and solutions company helping enterprises transform their business to meet the demands of today's dynamic economy. Movilitas is recognized as a long-standing trusted SAP partner and strategic advisor for digital supply chain transformation. The company’s industry expertise and accelerators for SAP solutions and applications, such as Movilitas.Cloud, help businesses to future-proof operations, maintain compliance and realize new growth opportunities.

     

    Contact Information

    Scott Gwilliam
    (312) 219-7971
    sgwilliam@keystonecapital.com

    Chaoran Jin
    (312) 219-7976
    cjin@keystonecapital.com

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    ClearWater Solutions Announces Acquisition of Midwest Water Operations
    January 2022

    Keystone Capital Management, L.P. (“Keystone”) is pleased to announce that its portfolio company, ClearWater Solutions, LLC (“CWS”), has acquired Midwest Water Operations, LLC (“MWO”), a Missouri-based provider of outsourced operations & maintenance services for water and wastewater facilities. The combined business serves municipalities and private utilities in 12 states with approximately 400 employees across the greater Southeastern United States.

    “This partnership is an incredible opportunity for our organizations to enhance our combined service offerings and draw on a larger footprint to better serve these communities which we are so passionate about,” Steve Cawood, CEO of CWS commented. “We believe this merger will accelerate our organic expansion and provide additional career development and growth opportunities for our people,” remarked Rick Ailiff, President of CWS.

    “We are thrilled to be joining forces with the people at CWS. It has been a pleasure getting to know one another throughout this process, and we see many similarities in how these two organizations operate,” noted Ben Kuenzel, President of MWO. “MWO has historically been focused on O&M for private water and wastewater utilities. With CWS, not only can we serve private utilities across a broader geographic footprint, but we also see tremendous opportunity to serve municipal clients in our key states,” added Terry Merritt, Vice President of MWO.

    “We are incredibly excited about the joint vision CWS and MWO share – to become a leading operations & maintenance company that serves as a true extension of the communities in which we live” said Erik Gernant, Vice President of Keystone. “This combination helps ensure both organizations have the resources and scale to achieve their vision, ambitiously grow, provide opportunities for their employees, and better serve their communities in new and exciting ways.”

    Terms of the transaction are not being disclosed. Legal counsel was provided to CWS and Keystone by Honigman LLP.

     

    Contact Information

    Scott Gwilliam
    (312) 219-7971
    sgwilliam@keystonecapital.com

    Erik Gernant
    (312) 219-7969
    egernant@keystonecapital.com

    Sean Lyons
    (312) 219-7967
    slyons@keystonecapital.com

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    Keystone Capital Announces Partnership with VDA
    December 2021

    Keystone Capital Management, L.P. (“Keystone”) is pleased to announce it has completed an investment partnership with VDA, Inc. (“VDA” or “the Company”), a market leader in providing technical consulting and inspection services to the elevator and vertical transportation ("VT") industry.

    VDA’s client base includes leading real estate owners, developers and end users across the United States. Operating over a history spanning 40+ years, VDA is headquartered in East Hanover, NJ and has grown to include 30+ offices across the country. VDA specializes in all types of vertical transportation services, including elevator/escalator/lift modernization, new construction, maintenance evaluations, mandated inspections, and general consulting for a variety of end markets. For more information on VDA, visit www.vdassoc.com.

    “Our partnership with Keystone could not have been completed at a better time,” remarked Mike Smith, CEO of VDA. “We believe there is great opportunity for further growth and consolidation in our market, and that with Keystone, VDA is well positioned to play a leadership role in this consolidation.”

    Rob Cuzzi, President of VDA, added: “We envision expanding VDA’s capabilities beyond our core services into complimentary consulting services valued by our clients. With the long-term and patient model that Keystone espouses, we will be even better positioned to capitalize on these opportunities.”

    VDA represents Keystone’s fifth platform investment in the building sciences consulting and engineering services industry. “VDA is an ideal fit with Keystone’s experience in the building sciences and inspection industries,” commented Jason Van Zant, Managing Director of Keystone Capital. “We are proud to be associated with VDA, a long-standing leader in the vertical transportation consulting market, and look forward to further our shared goal of building on VDA’s successful legacy.”

    VDA will be actively seeking acquisition opportunities in the building sciences consulting and inspection industry as add-on acquisitions. Parties with knowledge of relevant potential investment opportunities are encouraged to contact Keystone.

    Terms of the transaction are not being disclosed. Senior debt financing was provided by CIBC Bank USA and legal counsel was provided by Honigman Miller Schwartz and Cohn, LLP.

    Contact Information

    Jason Van Zant
    (312) 219-7974
    jvanzant@keystonecapital.com

    Sean Lyons
    (312) 219-7967
    slyons@keystonecapital.com

     

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    Keystone Capital Announces Acquisition of Perkuto by Portfolio Company MERGE
    October 2021

    Keystone Capital Management, L.P. (“Keystone”) is pleased to announce that its portfolio company, MERGE, has acquired Perkuto, a leading provider of marketing operations services and software solutions primarily within Marketo and Workato software platforms. The addition of Perkuto expands MERGE’s marketing operations and marketing technology platform capabilities while also deepening the combined company’s partnership with Adobe. The combined company will have more than 725 employees across eight locations in North America.

    Perkuto is a premier marketing operations agency that helps enterprise and high-growth organizations such as Facebook, Adobe, Sony Biotechnology and Siemens, expand marketing capacity, implement Marketo best practices, and resolve integration challenges with Workato. Perkuto is an Adobe Platinum Partner with Marketo Engage Specialization and a Workato Gold Partner. In addition to the company’s service offerings, Perkuto has developed two proprietary software products, Jeto and Digesto, which augment the core Marketo software. The company is headquartered in Montreal and has employees throughout Canada and the United States. For more information on Perkuto, please visit Perkuto.com.

    The acquisition bolsters MERGE’s offerings within marketing technology platforms as well as adding additional expertise within the technology client vertical. In turn, MERGE offers Perkuto and its client partners increased creative, executional and technology development capabilities. Combined, the entities offer a 360-degree view of multiple markets with deep expertise within the healthcare, financial services, technology, and consumer verticals.

    “Getting marketing technology platforms to work in concert is a challenge for senior marketing and digital executives,” said Patrick Venetucci, Chief Executive Officer of MERGE. “Uniting Perkuto’s Marketo expertise with MERGE’s content management system expertise elevates our ability to merge storytelling and technology such that it converts traffic to transactions for clients.”

    All members of the MERGE and Perkuto executive teams will remain in leadership positions with Patrick Venetucci serving as Chief Executive Officer of the combined company, which will operate under the MERGE brand.

    MERGE is an independent, integrated marketing and technology development agency with deep domain expertise in the healthcare, financial services, and consumer verticals. MERGE combines historically marketing-oriented capabilities (brand strategy, performance marketing, omni-channel campaign execution, content creation, programmatic media, and reporting & data visualization) with a strong technology and development-focused offering (digital strategy, customer experience & design, marketing stack software implementation, and custom software development). The combined business will be headquartered in Chicago with additional offices in Atlanta, Boston, Denver, Kansas City, New York, Los Angeles, and Montreal. For more information please visit MERGEworld.com.

    Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Legal counsel was provided to MERGE and Keystone by Honigman LLP. Perkuto was advised by MergerTech Group, LLC.

    Contact Information

    Bill Sommerschield
    (312) 219-7973
    bsommerschield@keystonecapital.com

    Brian Prendergast
    (312) 219-7968
    bprendergast@keystonecapital.com

     

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    Keystone Announces Acquisition of Blue Moon Digital by Portfolio Company MERGE
    August 2021

    Keystone Capital Management, L.P. (“Keystone”) is pleased to announce that its portfolio company, MERGE, has acquired Blue Moon Digital, Inc. (“Blue Moon Digital”), a leading performance marketing, data science, and digital agency based in Denver. This acquisition significantly enhances MERGE’s performance marketing and data science capabilities and deepens the firm’s retailer and pharma vertical expertise. The combined company will have more than 650 employees across seven locations in the United States.

    Blue Moon Digital is a leading performance marketing, data science, and digital agency with a focus on driving traffic and transactions for their clients. They bring a full suite of performance marketing offerings ranging from digital strategy, paid media, email, SEO, analytics, data science and marketplaces. Blue Moon Digital is also a two-time partner of the year for Domo with deep data capabilities around media mix modeling, attribution, and demand forecasting. They have an impressive client roster including: Astellas, Kate Spade, the North Face, and TransUnion among others. For more information on Blue Moon Digital, please visit Bluemoondigital.co.

    The acquisition bolsters MERGE’s offerings within performance marketing and data science as well as adding additional expertise within the consumer vertical, particularly within apparel. In turn, MERGE offers Blue Moon Digital and its client partners increased creative, executional and technology development capabilities. Combined, the entities offer a 360-degree view of multiple markets with deep expertise within the healthcare, financial services, and consumer verticals.

    “At a time when businesses are rapidly adopting an e-commerce mindset, Blue Moon Digital’s strategic performance marketing expertise augments MERGE’s digital capabilities and expands our consumer practice,” said Patrick Venetucci, Chief Executive officer of MERGE. “Fusing Blue Moon Digital’s command of e-commerce and data analytics with MERGE’s content and technology capabilities facilitates our ability to drive traffic and transactions for clients in a powerful way and differentiates MERGE as an agency partner.”

    “Blue Moon Digital is a terrific complement to MERGE providing advanced performance marketing and data science capabilities to an impressive roster of world-class, industry-leading clients. We look forward to watching their success as they collaborate to serve clients across their spectrum of storytelling and technology capabilities.” commented Bill Sommerschield, Managing Director at Keystone.

    All members of the MERGE and Blue Moon Digital executive teams will remain in leadership positions with Patrick Venetucci serving as Chief Executive Officer of the combined company, which will operate under the MERGE brand.

    MERGE is an independent, integrated marketing and technology development agency with deep domain expertise in the healthcare, financial services, and consumer verticals. MERGE combines historically marketing-oriented capabilities (brand strategy, performance marketing, omni-channel campaign execution, content creation, programmatic media, and reporting & data visualization) with a strong technology and development-focused offering (digital strategy, customer experience & design, marketing stack software implementation, and custom software development). The combined business will be headquartered in Chicago with additional offices in Atlanta, Boston, Denver, Kansas City, New York, and Orange County. For more information, please visit MERGEworld.com.

    Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Legal counsel was provided to MERGE and Keystone by Honigman LLP. Blue Moon Digital was advised by Garros Group, LLC and Fortis Law Partners, LLC. Please see the link to our external press release.

    Contact Information

    Bill Sommerschield
    (312) 219-7973
    bsommerschield@keystonecapital.com

    Brian Prendergast
    (312) 219-7968
    bprendergast@keystonecapital.com

     

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    Keystone Capital Management, LP Closes Debut Institutional Fund
    June 2021

    Keystone Capital Management, LP (“Keystone” or the “Firm”) is pleased to announce that it has held a first and final close of its debut institutional fund, Keystone Capital Fund II, LP (“Fund II”), with $420 million of capital commitments. In line with its history of investing personal capital and its commitment to alignment of interests across all stakeholders, the principals of Keystone collectively represent the largest single investor in Fund II.

    Founded in 1994 by Kent Dauten and Scott Gwilliam, Keystone has historically operated as an entrepreneurial holding company, utilizing the personal capital of its partners to acquire high quality, market-leading businesses. Over the course of its history, Keystone has completed over 110 acquisitions across a wide range of sectors including engineering & technical services, tech-enabled services, commercial services & engineered products, and food & beverage manufacturing. Keystone intends to continue the strategy it has employed over the past twenty-seven years with the goal of creating long-term value by creatively building great businesses.

    “The decision to raise outside capital was a natural step in our evolution and we have been truly humbled by the support we have received from our new investors,” noted Kent Dauten, Chairman of Keystone. “We are thrilled to be partnering with such a reputable group of like-minded investors who support our long-term, patient capital strategy.”

    “We are incredibly excited about the future of Keystone,” added Scott Gwilliam, Managing Partner. “With Fund II, we look forward to continuing our approach of providing operational and growth-oriented support to business owners and management teams, while also serving as a thoughtful, diligent steward of third-party capital.”

    Keystone has completed its first two platform investments for Fund II through its recent partnerships with Inspire11 and ClearWater Solutions. The Firm has also been active with its existing portfolio, completing ten add-on acquisitions in the fourth quarter of 2020 and recently announcing the sale of two platform investments, Peak-Ryzex and JOBS Group.

    Kirkland & Ellis LLP provided legal counsel on the fundraise for Fund II.

    Contact Information

    Kent Dauten
    (312) 219-7970
    kdauten@keystonecapital.com

    Scott Gwilliam
    (312) 219-7971
    sgwilliam@keystonecapital.com

     

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    Keystone Capital Successfully Exits Its Investment in Peak-Ryzex
    April 2021

    Keystone Capital, Inc. is pleased to announce that its portfolio company Peak-Ryzex, Inc. (Peak) has been acquired by Sole Source Capital, LLC. Terms of the transaction have not been disclosed.

    Keystone originally invested in Peak in October 2011, a leading provider of automatic identification, data capture (“AIDC”) and factory automation solutions. Keystone and Peak subsequently completed six add-on acquisitions over the past nine years significantly growing the size of the business and establishing it as the industry leader. Peak represents another successful investment for Keystone within its Commercial and Industrial (C&I) Services efforts.

    Founded in 1981, Peak delivers innovative automated data collection solutions to Fortune 500 customers along with small and medium-sized businesses, providing critical technology that allows businesses to become more efficient and responsive. Peak is a technology systems integrator of barcoding, data collection, and factory automation equipment, delivering innovative digital supply chain and mobile workforce solutions across North America and Europe. Peak is headquartered in Columbia, MD and has seven locations in the US and two in the U.K.

    “We are extremely appreciative for the hard work, dedication and commitment from the Peak management team in building a market leading business and delivering a successful outcome for shareholders” commented Chaoran Jin, Managing Director of Keystone. “We wish the Peak management team the best for their new chapter with Sole Source.”

    Juliann Larimer, Chief Executive Officer of Peak-Ryzex added, “Over the last 9+ years Keystone has been a true partner to Peak in every sense of the word, from sourcing acquisitions through helping to shore up our operations, enabling us to drive record profits and growth. As important, together we have built a “customer-first” culture that is ready to take the business to the next level, and our successful exit is a reflection of that partnership in action.”

    Investment banking services were provided to Peak and Keystone by Stifel, Nicolaus & Company, Inc., and legal services were provided by Honigman LLP.

    Contact Information

    Scott Gwilliam, Managing Partner
    (312) 219-7971
    sgwilliam@keystonecapital.com

    Chaoran Jin, Managing Director
    (312) 219-7976
    cjin@keystonecapital.com

    Brian Chung, CFO
    (312) 219-7975
    bchung@keystonecapital.com

    Brian Prendergast, Associate
    (312) 219-7968
    bprendergast@keystonecapital.com

     

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    JOBS Group Merges with Valcourt Building Services
    April 2021

    Keystone Capital is pleased to announce that its portfolio company JOBS Group (JOBS) has been merged with Valcourt Building Services (Valcourt), which recently received a growth equity investment from private investment firm Littlejohn & Co. Terms of the transaction have not been disclosed.

    Keystone formed JOBS in June 2019 after its initial investment in Jobs Building Services, LLC, a leading commercial window cleaning and facility maintenance provider in Houston, TX. Keystone subsequently completed three add-on acquisitions to JOBS over the course of the next 18 months, approximately doubling the size of the business. JOBS represents another successful investment for Keystone within its Commercial and Industrial (C&I) Services efforts.

    Based in Houston, TX, JOBS specializes in high-rise façade maintenance including window cleaning and waterproofing, metal surface maintenance, elevator cab interior refurbishment, and other related property maintenance services. The JOBS portfolio of companies operates under the AMST, April Building Services, EDS, JOBS Building Services, and Scottie’s Building Services trade names, primarily in Texas and the Carolinas.

    Established in 1986 and headquartered in McLean, VA, Valcourt provides a full range of recurring and essential exterior building maintenance services that require vertical access capabilities, including window cleaning, waterproofing and safety services to Class-A commercial offices, high-rise residential condominiums, hospitality businesses, healthcare facilities and other clients. Valcourt received an investment from Littlejohn & Co. LLC in January 2021.

    “We are extremely happy with the outcome of the JOBS investment,” commented Jason Van Zant, Managing Director of Keystone. “We wish Eric Crabb and the JOBS management team the best for their new chapter with the Littlejohn and Valcourt teams.” Keystone has retained a minority equity interest in the combined Valcourt / JOBS business.

    Eric Crabb, Chief Executive Officer of JOBS Group added, “Keystone was a terrific partner for JOBS and our partnership with Keystone was strong. We are excited, however, to work with the experienced team at Valcourt and bring together leading building services brands in the U.S.”

    Investment banking services were provided to JOBS and Keystone by Truist Securities, and legal services were provided to JOBS and Keystone by Honigman LLP.

    Contact Information

    Jason Van Zant, Managing Director
    (312) 219-7974
    jvanzant@keystonecapital.com

    Kevin Overby, Vice President
    (312) 219-7966
    koverby@keystonecapital.com

     Andrew Wehr, Vice President
    (312) 219-7980
    awehr@keystonecapital.com

    Brian Prendergast, Associate
    (312) 219-7968
    bprendergast@keystonecapital.com

     

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    KENDELL Announces Acquisition of Watson Security
    January 2021

    Keystone Capital (“Keystone”) is pleased to announce that its portfolio company, KENDELL, has completed the acquisition of Watson Security Group, a leader in electronic access control integration and mechanical security services based in Seattle, WA. KENDELL is a leader in the commercial door and door hardware distribution industry based in Minneapolis, MN.

    The acquisition of Watson is a strategic extension of KENDELL’s core door openings distribution market position into the aftermarket service industry and reinforces KENDELL’s commitment to providing full-service, full-lifecycle solutions to its client base. Additionally, the acquisition further solidifies KENDELL’S leading market position in the Pacific Northwest, complementing its existing door and door hardware distribution business in Tacoma, WA.

    “Watson represents an intriguing strategic move for KENDELL,” commented Jason Van Zant, Managing Director at Keystone Capital. “This acquisition will enable KENDELL to provide more value-add and full lifecycle solutions to clients, as well as further differentiate KENDELL from competition.”

    Watson Security is KENDELL’s third add-on acquisition since partnering with Keystone in April 2019. KENDELL is actively seeking additional acquisition opportunities and parties with knowledge of potential investment opportunities are encouraged to contact Keystone Capital. Areas of interest for additional add-on acquisitions include: (i) commercial door and door hardware distribution, (ii) electronic security and access control integration, and (iii) commercial locksmiths and physical access / door service organizations.

    Contact Information

    Jason Van Zant
    (312) 219-7973
    jvanzant@keystonecapital.com

    Michael Weston
    (312) 219-7982
    mweston@keystonecapital.com

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    Keystone Capital Announces Partnership with Inspire11
    January 2021

    Keystone Capital, Inc. (“Keystone”) is pleased to announce it has completed a strategic investment in Inspire11 (“Inspire” or “the Company”), a leading digital transformation and technology innovation consultancy with more than 200 employees across offices in Chicago, Minneapolis, and Atlanta as well as offshore development centers in Macedonia and Kosovo.

    Through a unique combination of strategy and development expertise, Inspire helps clients better leverage modern technology infrastructure, data science, and experience design to transform their business. The Company’s capabilities span the full lifecycle of a client’s digital transformation journey and include digital strategy consulting, infrastructure & data architecture implementation, custom development, data science & monetization, and digital product ideation & creation. Inspire delivers its solutions to Fortune 500 clients across market sectors with specific expertise in healthcare, financial services, and food & beverage. In 2020, Inspire11 was recognized in the Inc. 5000 list as the #10 fastest growing business, and #1 fastest growing services business, in the United States over the past three years.

    Alban Mehmeti, Co-Founder and CEO, noted, “We are thrilled to begin our partnership with Keystone. Our shared entrepreneurial culture and Keystone’s patient investment philosophy are a perfect fit for our people and clients.”

    “Keystone’s deep understanding of our business and their financial support will enable us to pursue exciting new growth initiatives and continue to capitalize on the broad market shift towards adopting modern technology infrastructure and data monetization”, added Hans Nelson, Co-Founder and President.

    “Keystone is delighted to partner with Inspire11 to help them build on their incredible success bringing a truly differentiated approach to technology consulting to an enviable group of clients,” commented Bill Sommerschield, Managing Director at Keystone Capital. “We see tremendous opportunity ahead for Inspire to continue to scale and develop through internal growth and talent development initiatives, as well as select complementary acquisitions.”

    Co-Founders Alban Mehmeti, Hans Nelson, and Kevin Schaffer will continue to lead the business forward. For more information on Inspire11, please visit inspire11.com.

    Terms of the transaction are not being disclosed. In connection with this transaction, senior debt financing was provided by Wintrust Bank, legal counsel was provided to Keystone by Honigman, and legal counsel was provided to Inspire11 by Jones Day.

    Contact Information

    Bill Sommerschield
    (312) 219-7973
    bsommerschield@keystonecapital.com

    Michael Weston
    (312) 219-7982
    mweston@keystonecapital.com

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    JOBS Group Announces Two Acquisitions
    January 2021

    Keystone Capital is pleased to announce that its portfolio company JOBS Group has completed two add-on acquisitions, Scottie’s Building Services (“Scottie’s”) and Exterior Diagnostic Services (“EDS”). Headquartered in Houston, JOBS is a leading provider of commercial building maintenance and restoration services, including window cleaning, metal and stone maintenance, elevator cab interior refurbishing, and façade maintenance/waterproofing.

    Established in 1986, Scottie’s and EDS are headquartered in Raleigh, NC. Scottie’s is a leading provider of commercial window cleaning, pressure washing, glass & metal restoration, and high dusting services. EDS is a leading provider of waterproofing and façade restoration  services for commercial and industrial applications and will complement JOBS’ exterior restoration services group. Scottie’s and EDS will significantly expand the geographic footprint, service capabilities, and management depth of JOBS.

    JOBS Group is actively seeking bolt-on acquisition opportunities within niche areas of the commercial facilities services and maintenance industry. Targeted services include window cleaning, pressure washing, façade maintenance, waterproofing, metal and architectural surface maintenance, elevator maintenance, and parking surface maintenance. Parties with knowledge of acquisition opportunities that may fit the JOBS Group strategy are encouraged to contact Keystone Capital.

    “We’re excited about the prospects of a ‘one plus two equals four’ combination in the case of JOBS, Scottie’s, and EDS,” commented Jason Van Zant, Managing Director, Keystone Capital. “This transaction is a critical step on our path to building a national commercial façade and surface maintenance platform and adds significantly to the depth of our capabilities and team.”

    Contact Information

    Jason Van Zant
    (312) 219-7974
    jvanzant@keystonecapital.com

    Kevin Overby
    (312) 219-7966
    koverby@keystonecapital.com

    Brian Prendergast
    (312) 219-7968
    bprendergast@keystonecapital.com

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    Keystone Capital Partners with JOBS Building Services; Welcomes CEO Eric Crabb
    June 2020

    Keystone Capital, Inc. (“Keystone”) is pleased to announce it has completed an investment partnership with Jobs Building Services, LLC (d/b/a “JOBS” or “the Company”), a Houston-based niche facilities services provider focused on commercial properties.

    Founded in 1970, JOBS operates under the “JOBS” and “AMST” trade names and specializes in high-rise façade maintenance (including window cleaning and waterproofing), metal surface maintenance, elevator cab interior refurbishment, and other related property maintenance services. JOBS has built a market-leading position in the Houston market for its services based on a reputation for safety, reliability, and quality of work. The Company counts the area’s leading property management firms, building owners, and corporations as its clientele. For more information on JOBS, please visit www.jobs-amst.com.

    Keystone and JOBS are pleased to announce two exciting new events since the completion of our platform investment in June 2019. In December, JOBS completed the acquisition of April Building Services, Inc. (“April”), a leading provider of façade maintenance services in the Dallas-Ft. Worth market. Founded in 1988, April is led by Donald Brown (President) and Tony Schiber (Vice President).

    Secondly, Keystone and JOBS are pleased to welcome Eric Crabb as the Company’s new Chief Executive Officer effective June 1, 2020. Mr. Crabb has a wealth of facilities services experience, having most recently served as Executive Managing Director with Cushman & Wakefield. Prior to his role at Cushman & Wakefield, Mr. Crabb served as CEO of QSI Facilities which was acquired by Cushman & Wakefield in January 2019. Mr. Crabb also has over 10 years of facility services experience in managerial roles at ABM Industries.

    Current CEO and Founder LaRue Coleman will be assuming the role of Chairman of the Board, in which he will continue to have strategic involvement with key customers as well as the Company’s acquisition strategy. “There is great opportunity for consolidation in our industry,” noted Mr. Coleman. “As such, our goal was to find a financial partner and management structure to enable our company to lead this consolidation but also to protect what has made our company successful. We believe we have found an ideal partner in Keystone and an ideal CEO to lead us through this next phase in Eric Crabb. We’re also pleased to welcome Don, Tony and the entire April team to our platform and excited about the potential synergies that this partnership can create for our collective client base.”

    “I am thrilled to be joining JOBS and am looking forward to helping continue the legacy that LaRue and his team have built over the last 50 years.  JOBS has an existing leadership team with a deep breadth of both industry and company experience, having them remain a part of the next phase of transformation will be incredibly instrumental.  Additionally, having an equity partner like Keystone, who understands the industry and has a proven track record of building great companies, will be a significant advantage.  I started my career in Houston almost 20 years ago, so getting a chance to come back and work with the all the outstanding CRE individuals in the market is a real bonus for me personally, ” commented Mr. Crabb.

    “Keystone is excited to partner with LaRue Coleman, Eric Crabb and the team at JOBS,” commented Jason Van Zant, Managing Director of Keystone Capital. “JOBS has a stellar reputation in their market which we are committed to protecting. At the same time, we see great opportunity to grow the business substantially, and the entire management team shares that goal.”

    JOBS is actively seeking bolt-on acquisition opportunities within niche areas of the commercial facilities services and maintenance industry. Parties with knowledge of potential investment opportunities in these segments are strongly encouraged to contact Jason Van Zant or Kevin Overby at Keystone Capital.

    Terms of these transactions are not being disclosed. Senior debt financing has been provided by CIBC Bank USA and legal counsel was provided by Honigman LLP.

    Contact Information

    Jason Van Zant
    (312) 219-7974
    jvanzant@keystonecapital.com

    Kevin Overby
    (312) 219-7966
    koverby@keystonecapital.com

    Andrew Wehr
    (312) 219-7980
    awehr@keystonecapital.com

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    Merge Announces Acquisition of Sandbox Group
    March 2020

    Keystone Capital, Inc. (“Keystone”) is pleased to announce that its portfolio company, MERGE, has completed the acquisition of the Sandbox Group (“Sandbox”), a leading independent, full-service, strategic and digital agency based in Chicago.  The combination forms one of the largest independent agencies in North America with more than 600 employees in seven locations across the United States and Canada.

    Keystone initially acquired MERGE, a premium creative technology agency, in December 2018. The Company’s capabilities include business & digital strategy, marketing execution, analytics, experience design, technology development, and media services. MERGE delivers customer engagement solutions across market sectors with specific expertise in healthcare and financial services. MERGE is headquartered in Chicago with additional offices in Boston and Atlanta. For more information on MERGE, please visit Mergeworld.com.

    Sandbox is a leading independent, full-service agency which helps companies accelerate growth and drive business transformation. Sandbox has an impressive client roster which includes: Abbott Diabetes, American Express, Boston Scientific, Sprint, and LG among others. The agency operates from five locations across the United States and Canada: Chicago, New York, Kansas City, Toronto, and Orange County. For more information on Sandbox, please visit Sandbox.com.

    For several years MERGE and Sandbox have been on parallel paths building agencies that promote health, wealth, and happiness. Combined, the entities offer a true 360-degree view of multiple markets with deep expertise within the healthcare and financial services verticals. Joining forces will provide all clients stronger advanced digital capabilities, specifically in areas such as performance marketing and experience design.

    “Many CMOs are seeking to simultaneously elevate their brand and drive business growth, but efforts are often disjointed and diametrically opposed. The partnership of MERGE and Sandbox balances brand building and demand building marketing capabilities as a remedy to those challenges,” said Patrick Venetucci, Chief Executive Officer of MERGE. “Uniting our complementary digital capabilities, MERGE is now even better positioned to help catapult our clients to the top of their categories.”

    “Sandbox is a terrific complement to MERGE rounding out our healthcare vertical with deep pharma expertise, providing advanced performance marketing capabilities, and adding shopper marketing through their work with Sprint and LG.  We look forward to aligning the agencies more closely in the coming months and watching their success as they collaborate to serve clients.” commented Bill Sommerschield, Managing Director at Keystone.

    All of the members of the MERGE and Sandbox executive teams will remain in leadership positions with Patrick Venetucci serving as Chief Executive Officer of the newly combined company, which will operate under the MERGE brand.

    Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Legal counsel was provided to MERGE and Keystone by Honigman Miller Schwartz and Cohn, LLP. Sandbox was advised by Lincoln International in connection with this transaction.

    Contact Information

    Bill Sommerschield
    (312) 219-7973
    bsommerschield@keystonecapital.com

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    Keystone Capital Exits Arbour Group
    February 2020

    The PharmaLex Group (“PharmaLex”), a leading specialist provider of development consulting and scientific affairs, regulatory affairs and pharmacovigilance, has completed the acquisition of Arbour Group, LLC (“Arbour” or “the Company”) from Keystone Capital, Inc. (“Keystone”). Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

    Arbour is a leading provider of regulatory compliance solutions for the global life sciences industry. The Company is headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, and has sales offices throughout North America along with global regulatory delivery centers in Dubai, UAE and Manila, Philippines.

    “Arbour Group is a well-recognized service provider with excellent reputation in the regulatory compliance market”, explained Dr Thomas Dobmeyer, CEO PharmaLex. “Their specialist expertise will enable us to drive business in the US whilst allowing us to expand our quality management and compliance service line worldwide. In addition it supports one of our key focus of developing connected health solutions to help customers drive efficiency gains within their own operations,” he added.

    Senior management team members Alexander Patterson, Ahsan Raza, and Christopher McNally will be continuing in their current operating roles and as shareholders in Arbour post-closing. “The merger with PharmaLex provides Arbour the ability to deliver broad-spectrum regulatory and pharmaceutical service offerings, which our global customer base is demanding as their operating environments become increasingly complex,” noted Alexander Patterson, Founder and CEO of Arbour Group. “We are delighted to be partnered with an organization that shares the values and market reputation, which we have maintained with our customers throughout our 23-year history.”

    “We are pleased with the outcome of the Arbour/PharmaLex transaction, as we believe that these organizations will be a terrific fit in a rapidly evolving industry. We wish both teams the best of luck with the combination,” noted Jason Van Zant, Managing Director, Keystone Capital.

    Legal counsel was provided to Keystone and Arbour by Honigman Miller Schwartz and Cohn, LLP, and Fairmount Partners served as Keystone and Arbour’s financial advisor. McDermott Will & Emery LLP served as PharmaLex’s legal counsel, and Rödl Langford de Kock LLP provided tax and accounting advice.

    Contact Information

    Jason Van Zant
    (312) 219-7974
    jvanzant@keystonecapital.com

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    Keystone Capital Announces Sale of Greeley
    January 2020

    Keystone Capital, Inc. ("Keystone"), a Chicago-based private investment firm, is pleased to announce that its portfolio company The Greeley Company (“Greeley”) has been acquired by The Chartis Group (“Chartis”). Chartis provides comprehensive advisory services and analytics to the healthcare industry. Terms of the transaction have not been disclosed.

    Greeley is a leading provider of clinical effectiveness, regulatory compliance, CMS remediation, and physician and medical staff services. Having served over 2,000 organizations nation-wide, Greeley's areas of expertise include clinical practice optimization, medical staff alignment, regulatory compliance and quality, accreditation, and credentialing and privileging.  The Greeley sale completed an active year for Keystone which saw the firm close four platform investments, four add on acquisitions, and two divestitures.

    Over the course of Keystone’s investment in Greeley the business completed a strategic add on acquisition, expanded the leadership team, invested in technology to streamline processes, and significantly increased both revenue and earnings. “We enjoyed partnering closely with management during our tenure together and we believe this is a great next step for Greeley and the team,” commented David Greer, Managing Director at Keystone Capital.

    Greeley and Keystone were represented by Lincoln International in the transaction. Legal advice was provided by Honigman, LLP.

    Contact Information

    David Greer
    (312) 219-7972
    dgreer@keystonecapital.com

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    Keystone Capital Announces Formation of Foundation Dental Partners
    January 2020

    Keystone Capital, Inc. (“Keystone”) is pleased to announce the formation of Foundation Dental Partners (“Foundation”), an Alpharetta, Georgia based dental support organization which has been founded to provide doctor-owners with a unique, dentist-friendly partnership alternative.  Keystone is excited to build Foundation alongside CEO Adam Ditto who brings 15+ years of dental management experience.

    As part of its formation, Foundation has partnered with two general dentistry practices in metro Atlanta and South Carolina which will continue to operate under their respective brand names while leveraging strategic, administrative, and back office support from Foundation. Keystone and Foundation are investing heavily in corporate infrastructure while pursuing additional practice acquisitions in attractive markets across the Southeastern U.S.

    “We are thrilled to begin our partnership with Keystone,” noted Adam Ditto, CEO of Foundation. “This has been a unique experience building Foundation from day one and Keystone’s patient, long-term approach to investing personal capital has been the perfect fit for Foundation and truly resonates with our partner practices.”

    “We are excited to get Foundation off the ground with two attractive practices,” commented Kevin Overby, Vice President at Keystone Capital. “We, Adam, and the rest of the Foundation team see a tremendous opportunity to provide an alternative to the traditional DSO model and believe we have created a business that will be the ‘partner of choice’ for doctor-owners.”

    Foundation is actively seeking acquisitions of single and multi-location, private-pay general dentistry practices with an initial focus on the Southeastern U.S. Parties with knowledge of potential opportunities are encouraged to contact Keystone Capital.

    Terms of the transaction are not being disclosed. Senior debt financing was provided by Wintrust Bank and legal counsel was provided to Keystone by Honigman LLP.

    Contact Information

    Kevin Overby
    (312) 219-7966
    koverby@keystonecapital.com

    Bill Sommerschield
    (312) 219-7973
    bsommerschield@keystonecapital.com

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    Cherry Hill Programs Partners with Santa Claus to Launch WhereIsSanta.com
    October 2019

    Marlton, New Jersey (October 30, 2019) – Santa Claus and Cherry Hill Programs have partnered to launch a new website www.WhereIsSanta.com, an innovative online resource to help guests pinpoint the perfect location for their visit with Santa.

    “WhereIsSanta.com is part of the company’s new marketing strategy and significant investment in the growth of our business; an investment unlike any of its kind in the 60-year history of our company,” shared Ed Warchol CEO at Cherry Hill Programs.

    WhereIsSanta.com now makes reserving a time with Santa Claus and pre-purchasing a photo package online easier than ever with one-click access to Santa’s FastPass, the company’s innovative online reservation platform.

    “Cherry Hill Programs designed WhereIsSanta.com to provide guests with all the tools necessary to navigate Santa’s busy schedule and make the most of this holiday tradition,” said Matt Windt, Cherry Hill Programs’ chief marketing officer. “Santa’s arrival in some areas comes as early as November 1st, while in other areas he delays his arrival while he tends to the elves and his reindeer at the North Pole. We’ve built WhereIsSanta.com to be the one-stop shop for our guests to find a convenient location to visit Santa Claus.”

    During each visit, a Cherry Hill Programs associate will capture professional photos of the experience, which will then be available for purchase in print & digital photo packages to make one-of-a-kind memories, to cherish for a lifetime.

    Warchol added, “Our new programs and the build-out of WhereIsSanta.com illustrates our commitment to growing our business and helping customers find Santa. Our team of 10,000 associates are excited to welcome guests at one of our nearly 900 locations nationwide.”

    Please note: Walk-in visits with Santa are always welcome. Reservations are optional and available at select locations.

    About Cherry Hill Programs

    Cherry Hill Programs is the industry-leader in experiential photography. In partnership with nearly 900 signature shopping and hotel destinations across North America, Cherry Hill Programs delivers more than 10 million magical experiences annually with authentic Santas and Easter Bunnies for the young and young-at-heart. Cherry Hill Programs (CHP) delivers unforgettable memories, captured with high-resolution digital images that guests cherish year after year. Delivering a magical experience. Every time.

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    Keystone Capital Announces Partnership with Lane Power & Energy Solutions, Inc.
    October 2019

    Keystone Capital, Inc. (“Keystone”) is pleased to announce it has completed the acquisition of Lane Power & Energy Solutions, Inc. (“LPES” or “the Company”), a leading provider of underground hydrocarbon storage solutions for petrochemical facilities, midstream operators, and governmental agencies.

    The LPES management team deploys 40 years’ experience and deep construction expertise to provide turnkey Engineering, Procurement, and Construction (EPC) services tailored to specific client needs.  From preliminary studies and initial siting to the construction and commissioning of power and energy facilities, LPES solves complex operational challenges for efficient power delivery and product storage. They work to provide the technical expertise, equipment, and construction know-how to successfully deliver projects around the world.  Michael Tritt, President of LPES, along with Executive Vice President Tim Reichwein, will continue to lead the talented team. For more information on LPES, please visit www.lanepes.com .

    Mike Tritt and Tim Reichwein noted, “We are thrilled to begin our partnership with Keystone Capital. We see tremendous opportunity to build on the strong foundation we have developed over many years. Keystone’s unique approach to patiently investing their personal capital alongside management with a focus on long-term value creation is the perfect fit for our employees and our clients. In addition, Keystone’s deep understanding of construction and engineering service businesses will provide us with an experienced strategic partner to help achieve our goals for organic growth and complementary acquisitions.”

    “Keystone is excited to partner with the experienced team at LPES to continue building on their success serving clients with differentiated hydrocarbon storage solutions” commented David Greer, Managing Director at Keystone Capital. “We and management see a substantial opportunity to further enhance our differentiated capabilities, expand our service offerings, and broaden our geographic reach through internal growth initiatives as well as targeted acquisitions.”

    Terms of the transaction are not being disclosed; legal counsel was provided to Keystone by Honigman Miller Schwartz and Cohn, LLP.

    Contact Information

    David Greer
    (312) 219-7972
    dgreer@keystonecapital.com

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    Keystone Capital Announces Partnership with Hometown Foods USA
    August 2019

    Keystone Capital, Inc. (“Keystone”) is pleased to announce it has completed an investment partnership with Hometown Foods USA, a manufacturer of bagels and cake products sold to in-store bakeries, club stores, and the foodservice channel.

    Operating over a history spanning ~25 years, Hometown Foods USA is currently run by the 4th generation of the Schwartzberg family and is based in Miami, Florida. Its product offering includes traditional Mrs. W’s Wonderlicious™ bundt cakes, New York style bagels, indulgent crème cakes, crumb bundt cakes, and loaf cakes. The Company supplies their high-quality products to some of the largest club store and grocery chains in the country. For more information on Hometown Foods USA, please visit www.hometownfoodsusa.com.

    “Joining forces with Keystone will provide us with a greater level of resources and capabilities to serve our client partners and bring Mrs. W’s Wonderlicious™ bundt cakes and our other high-quality bakery products to an even wider audience – all while preserving our unique culture and unwavering commitment to baking quality and innovation.” noted Troy Schwartzberg, President of Hometown Foods USA.

    Commenting on the deal, Chaoran Jin, Managing Director of Keystone, stated, “We are excited to partner with the Schwartzberg family and continue the legacy they’ve built at Hometown Foods.  We see a great opportunity to further enhance Hometown’s customer reach, product capabilities as well as channel expansion through organic growth and strategic acquisitions.”

    Keystone has reunited with Kevin McDonough who will operate as Executive Chairman and Strategic Advisor to Hometown Foods USA.  Kevin most recently served as the President of Weston Foods Frozen and Biscuit Businesses and prior to that he was the President of Keystone Bakeries Holdings, LLC (“KBH”).   Weston Foods acquired KBH, Keystone Capital’s bakery platform, in 2010.  Kevin noted “It’s exciting to again partner with Keystone to build a new platform in Bakery and I’m looking forward to working with Troy and the entire Hometown Foods team.”

    Keystone and Hometown Foods USA will actively seek acquisition opportunities in the bakery space. Parties with knowledge of potential investment opportunities in these segments are encouraged to contact Keystone Capital.

    Terms of the transaction are not being disclosed. Senior debt financing was provided by CIBC Bank USA and legal counsel was provided by Honigman Miller Schwartz and Cohn, LLP.

    Contact Information

    Chaoran Jin
    (312) 219-7976
    cjin@keystonecapital.com

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    Keystone Capital Announces Sale of Avalon
    August 2019

    Keystone Capital, Inc. ("Keystone"), a Chicago-based private investment firm, is pleased to announce that its portfolio company Avalon Precision Casting (“Avalon”) has been acquired by Sigma Electric Manufacturing Corporation (“Sigma”).  Sigma is a leading global manufacturer of precision machined casting and components headquartered in Garner, North Carolina. Terms of the transaction have not been disclosed.

    Avalon is a full-service investment casting platform, supplying ferrous and non-ferrous metals castings products to customers in the aerospace, defense, HVAC, power, agriculture, and oil & gas markets.  Avalon represents Keystone’s fifth successful exit of a highly engineered industrial products business, following the prior exits of Polymicro Technologies (2007), Judson Technologies (2008), Atlas Die (2017) and Rocore (2017).  “The Keystone and Avalon teams partnered to integrate several businesses and drive operational performance and market expansion,” commented David Greer, Managing Director at Keystone Capital. “We greatly enjoyed partnering closely with management during our tenure together and we believe this is a great next step for Avalon and the team.”

    The Avalon platform was created by Keystone’s investments in three precision investment casting businesses: Craft Cast (2008), Avalon Casting (2012) and Precision Metalsmiths (2014).    Over the course of Keystone’s investment in Avalon, those businesses were successfully integrated in addition to the completion of several operational improvement and lean manufacturing initiatives.

    Avalon and Keystone were represented by Mesirow Financial in the transaction. Legal advice was provided by Honigman Miller Schwartz & Cohn LLP.

    Contact Information

    David Greer
    (312) 219-7972
    dgreer@keystonecapital.com

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    Keystone Capital 2019 Professional and Staffing Updates
    August 2019

    Keystone Capital continues to see strong growth in new investment activity in 2019 following a record year in 2018. As a result, Keystone Capital is pleased to announce the following promotions and staffing updates!

    Kevin Overby Promoted to Vice President

    Kevin Overby has recently been promoted to Vice President after joining Keystone as an associate in 2016. Kevin has played a leadership role in three platform investments as well as several add-on acquisitions since joining the firm. Kevin has supported the continued transformation of our plant-based foods business, Keystone Natural Holdings, through the execution of three add-on acquisitions and multiple organic growth initiatives. Kevin is also deeply involved with Keystone’s most recent platform investment, KENDELL. With this promotion, Kevin will continue to focus on identifying new investment opportunities and driving the growth and performance of Keystone’s partner companies.

    Tyler Collingbourne

    Tyler Collingbourne joined Keystone Capital in late 2018 as an Associate. Tyler’s primary focus is in the identification, sourcing, and evaluation of investment opportunities and supporting the Keystone team and its partner companies. Since joining Keystone, Tyler has been involved in Keystone’s investment in MERGE as well as in the recent acquisition of a food products platform. Prior to Keystone, Tyler worked as an investment banking analyst at TM Capital Corp. focused on middle-market mergers and acquisitions advisory services.

    Jennifer Maes

    Jennifer Maes joined Keystone in April 2019 as an Accounting Manager. Her primary focus will be working with Keystone’s finance team, with a specific responsibility for Keystone’s internal accounting support. Prior to joining Keystone, Jennifer worked at GTCR, where she focused on investor relations activities as well as portfolio analysis. She also previously worked at PricewaterhouseCoopers as a Senior Tax Associate. Jennifer is a Certified Public Accountant and holds a Master of Accountancy from DePaul University and a B.B.A. in Accounting from Benedictine University.

    Brian Prendergast

    Brian Prendergast joined Keystone Capital in July 2019 as an Associate. Brian’s primary focus is in the identification, sourcing, and evaluation of investment opportunities and supporting the Keystone team and its partner companies. Previously, Brian worked as an investment banking analyst in the technology group at William Blair & Co. Brian graduated from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign with degrees in Finance & Accountancy.

     

    Contact Information

    Kevin Overby
    (312) 219-7966
    koverby@keystonecapital.com

    Tyler Collingbourne
    (312) 219-7967
    tcollingbourne@keystonecapital.com

    Jennifer Maes
    (312) 219-7981
    jmaes@keystonecapital.com

    Brian Prendergast
    (312) 219-7968
    bprendergast@keystonecapital.com

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    Cherry Hill Programs Announces Acquisition of Photogenic
    June 2019

    Keystone Capital, Inc. (“Keystone”) is pleased to announce that its portfolio company, Cherry Hill Programs, has completed the acquisition of Photogenic, a leading provider of souvenir photography to premier tourist attractions across the United States. Photogenic is headquartered in Chicago, IL.

    Keystone initially acquired Cherry Hill Programs, the market leader in providing mall-based holiday photography services and products, in December 2015. Cherry Hill has been managing on-premises Santa and Easter Bunny photography programs since 1961. Under Keystone’s ownership, Cherry Hill’s footprint has grown from 325 to 900+ mall locations across North America. The company is headquartered in Marlton, NJ. For more information on Cherry Hill, please visit cherryhillprograms.com.

    Photogenic is a leading provider of souvenir photography services to premier tourist attractions across the United States. Photogenic offers a photography solution that integrates seamlessly with its venue customers’ operations, enhancing the visitor experience and opening a new revenue stream for the venue. CEO, Steve Craig, began operating at Photogenic’s flagship location, Chicago’s Navy Pier Centennial Wheel, in 2002, and has since expanded the company’s presence to tourist attractions and boat tour operations across the United States, including Willis Tower, Entertainment Cruises, The Gateway Arch, The Alamo, Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center, Museum of Science & Industry, Phoenix Zoo, and Shedd Aquarium. Steve will remain with Photogenic leading the souvenir photography division. For more information on Photogenic, please visit PhotoGenicInc.com.

    The transaction brings together leaders in both the mall-based holiday photography and souvenir photography industries. Cherry Hill and Photogenic have each fostered cultures of operational excellence in their respective sectors, which leads to a natural alignment of values and strategic vision. Management looks forward to working collaboratively to continue delivering a best-in-class customer experience to both our mall and tourist attraction partners.

    “Providing a unique and memorable experience is key to attracting visitors to mall and tourist attraction locations alike,” said Ed Warchol, CEO of Cherry Hill. “Steve and Photogenic share our philosophy that the visitor experience must be world-class which requires seamless operations and state-of-the-art imaging technology with caring and attentive employees. We welcome Steve and the Photogenic team to the Cherry Hill family.”

    “I’m excited about Photogenic’s future as a part of Cherry Hill Programs”, said Steve Craig, CEO of Photogenic. “In bringing these two businesses together, we are committed to maintaining the entrepreneurial spirit and guest-first approach that the company was founded upon, while tapping into additional resources from Cherry Hill to better serve our tourist attraction partners and their guests as we continue to expand our portfolio of venue locations across North America.”

    Terms of the transaction are not being disclosed. Legal counsel was provided to Keystone by Honigman Miller Schwartz and Cohn, LLP in connection with this transaction.

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    Keystone Capital Announces Partnership with KENDELL
    June 2019

    Keystone Capital, Inc. (“Keystone”) is pleased to announce it has completed an investment partnership with KENDELL Doors & Hardware, Inc. (“KENDELL” or “the Company”), a value-added distributor of door openings, door hardware and related access control products for institutional and commercial applications in the built environment.

    Operating over a history spanning nearly 80 years, KENDELL is a leading door opening solutions specialist in the Minneapolis/St. Paul metropolitan market. KENDELL provides a host of value-added services, including design, specification, engineering, installation, inspection and pre-installation services to its client base of leading general contractors and institutions. In addition to its Minneapolis headquarters, KENDELL has established regional domestic offices in Winona, MN; Rochester, MN; Mankato, MN; Madison, WI; and Des Moines, IA. KENDELL also recently established a global initiative with the launch of Kendell International, operating out of offices in Dubai, UAE; Muscat, Oman; and Doha, Qatar. For more information on KENDELL, please visit www.kendelldrs.com.

    “Our partnership with Keystone could not have been consummated at a more opportune time,” noted John Katter, CEO of KENDELL. “We believe there is great opportunity for further growth and consolidation in the global security and access control market, and that KENDELL is well positioned to play a leadership role in this consolidation. With the long-term, patient and unique model that Keystone contributes to our organization, we will be even better positioned to capitalize on these trends.”

    To complement its organic growth plans, KENDELL announced the acquisition of Washington Architectural Hardware (“WAH”) in April 2019. The acquisition of WAH expands KENDELL’s reach into the fast-growing Pacific Northwest region and complements product offerings.

    “Without a doubt, Keystone is looking forward to our partnership with John Katter and the team at KENDELL,” commented Jason Van Zant, Managing Director of Keystone Capital. “We, John, and the rest of his team see a substantial opportunity to build a leader in this industry utilizing actionable organic growth initiatives as well as targeted strategic acquisitions.”

    Keystone and KENDELL will be actively seeking acquisition opportunities in the security door/door hardware distribution industry as well as in the electronic access control/integration industry. Parties with knowledge of potential investment opportunities in these segments are encouraged to contact Keystone Capital.

    Terms of the transaction are not being disclosed. Senior debt financing was provided by CIBC Bank USA and legal counsel was provided by Honigman Miller Schwartz and Cohn, LLP.

    Contact Information

    Jason Van Zant
    (312) 219-7974
    jvanzant@keystonecapital.com

    Kevin Overby
    (312) 219-7966
    koverby@keystonecapital.com

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    Keystone Natural Holdings Acquires WestSoy
    May 2019

    Keystone Natural Holdings (“KNH”), a portfolio company of Keystone Capital, Inc. (“Keystone”), is pleased to announce the completion of its acquisition of the WestSoy® tofu, seitan, and tempeh businesses from The Hain Celestial Group, Inc. (Nasdaq: HAIN) (“Hain Celestial”). The acquisition did not include the WestSoy® plant-based beverage business, which has been retained by Hain Celestial.

    KNH is a leading plant-based, better-for-you food company with operations in the United States and Canada. The company’s authentic and health-conscious products from storied brands such as Nature’s Soy®, Franklin Farms™, and Superior Natural™ are proudly sold through mainstream and ethnic channels via retail, mass market, natural, specialty, and food service outlets. The company continues to actively pursue strategic acquisitions to further expand its portfolio of innovative products and better serve consumers seeking alternative proteins for all meal occasions. Please visit www.keystonenatural.com for more information.

    This acquisition marks KNH’s third in the past 18 months and provides KNH with additional product capabilities as well as expanded manufacturing capacity in its existing tofu product line. All employees at the WestSoy® facility in Boulder, Colorado have been retained to continue to drive growth and product innovation. “We are excited to welcome WestSoy®’s exceptional people and better-for-you products to KNH,” said Kenny Sung, CEO of KNH. “Our strategy has been to focus on delivering innovative, high-quality, healthy plant-based food to the market. The WestSoy® acquisition is a great fit with that strategy.”

    Terms of the transaction are not being disclosed. Senior debt financing was provided by Wintrust Bank. Legal counsel was provided to Keystone by Honigman Miller Schwartz and Cohn, LLP.

     

    Contact Information

    Chaoran Jin
    (312) 219-7976
    cjin@keystonecapital.com

    Brian Chung
    (312) 219-7975
    bchung@keystonecapital.com

    Kevin Overby
    (312) 219-7966
    koverby@keystonecapital.com

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    CONSOR Announces Acquisition of Structural Grace
    May 2019

    Keystone Capital, Inc. (“Keystone”) is pleased to announce that its portfolio company, CONSOR Engineers, has completed the acquisition of Structural Grace. With Structural Grace’s proven and talented team of engineers, inspectors, and surveyors as a part of the CONSOR family, CONSOR continues to enhance its resume and expertise in bridge and transit projects and establishes a foundation for future expansion throughout the Western US.

    CONSOR is a North American transportation and water resources engineering firm providing services including planning and design, structural assessment, and construction services. The firm was created in 2018 when four entrepreneur-led businesses came together with the vision of building an engineering firm with the scale to win high-profile projects on the national stage while staying true to their entrepreneurial roots and maintaining their commitment to provide exceptional service to their clients and local communities. With more than 40 offices across the US and Canada, CONSOR is approaching 700 employees including more than 135 professional licensed engineers and was recently ranked #134 on ENR’s 2019 list of the top 500 design firms. The company continues to actively pursue like-minded business leaders to expand and strengthen its geographic footprint and diversify into complementary services. Please visit www.consoreng.com for more information.

    Structural Grace is an Arizona-based engineering firm specializing in bridge and transit projects. Through its 20-year history, Structural Grace has established itself as a reputable player in the Arizona marketplace, providing design, construction management and inspection, and construction staking services to its public and private clients. The addition of Structural Grace greatly strengthens CONSOR’s Western US presence and adds strong talent and leadership to CONSOR’s growing team. CONSOR is committed to building around the Structural Grace team and legacy to establish a leading presence in Arizona and the greater Western US. Please visit www.structuralgrace.com for more information.

    “We are extremely pleased to welcome Structural Grace to the CONSOR family,” commented Scott Gwilliam, Managing Partner of Keystone Capital. “From day one, it was apparent that Structural Grace was the ideal platform for our launch into Arizona. The combination of a strong presence in Phoenix and Tucson, a reputation for superior client and community service, and an employee-centric culture made them the perfect addition to our team at CONSOR.”

    “In selecting a partner for Structural Grace, it was imperative that we find a company with compatible business values, a company dedicated to employee development and client-service,” remarked Claudia Perchinelli, Principal and Co-founder of Structural Grace. “We have found that in CONSOR and look forward to the opportunities to better serve our clients and communities in a bigger way than we could before.”

    Terms of the transaction are not being disclosed. Senior debt financing was provided by a consortium led by CIBC, and legal counsel was provided to CONSOR by Honigman LLP. Structural Grace was advised in this transaction by Morrissey Goodale LLC.

    Contact Information

    Scott Gwilliam
    (312) 219-7971
    sgwilliam@keystonecapital.com

    Erik Gernant
    (312) 219-7969
    egernant@consoreng.com

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    Merge Announces Acquisition of Beam
    May 2019

    Keystone Capital, Inc. (“Keystone”) is pleased to announce that its portfolio company, Merge, has completed the acquisition of Beam, a premier experience design, digital marketing, and technology consultancy based in Boston.

    Keystone initially acquired Merge, a premium creative technology agency, in December 2018. The Company’s capabilities include business & digital strategy, creative advertising, marketing execution, content creation, analytics, custom technology development, and media services. Merge delivers customer engagement solutions across market sectors with specific expertise in healthcare. For more information on Merge, please visit Mergeworld.com.

    Beam is an experience design and digital marketing consultancy. Beam exists to make frictionless, fantastic, and effective digital experiences and help their clients win in a data-driven, customer-centered world. Core services provided by Beam include opportunity identification, experience strategy and design, CRM, and marketing/sales/analytics platform development. Current clients include Fidelity Investments, Boston Consulting Group, AMG, Charter Communications, and TPG/Beaver-Visitec, among others.  For more information on Beam, please visit beamland.com.

    The transaction bolsters the company’s offerings in experience strategy and design, CRM, and platform development. In turn, Merge offers Beam and its client partners increased creative and technology depth as well as robust media and contact planning capabilities. Both Merge and Beam bring extensive experience in the healthcare, financial services, travel and leisure, and consumer products sectors. The successful collaboration between the two companies on a number of clients over the past year led naturally to this partnership.

    “Engaging experiences are what attract customers and differentiate businesses today.” said Patrick Venetucci, CEO of Merge ”While features and functionality can be easily copied by competitors, a superior experience is difficult to replicate—and Beam excels at creating frictionless, innovative experiences. We are delighted to welcome Beam to the Merge family.”

    “Beam nicely complements Merge’s existing capabilities enhancing our experience design, strategy, and platform development capabilities. We are excited to watch the already successful collaboration between the two agencies flourish now that they are under a common flag.” commented Bill Sommerschield, Principal at Keystone Capital.

    Terms of the transaction are not being disclosed. Legal counsel was provided to Keystone by Honigman Miller Schwartz and Cohn, LLP, and Beam was advised by Palazzo in connection with this transaction.

    Contact Information

    Bill Sommerschield
    (312) 219-7973
    bsommerschield@keystonecapital.com

     

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    Keystone Capital Announces Partnership With MERGE
    December 2018

    Keystone Capital, Inc. (“Keystone”) is pleased to announce it has completed a partnership with MERGE (“MERGE” or “the Company”), a marketing and technology services agency with more than 270 employees across offices in Chicago, Boston, and Atlanta.

    MERGE is an integrated agency combining strategy, creativity, and technology to address clients’ business challenges and customer engagement needs. The Company’s capabilities include business & digital strategy, brand development, creative advertising, digital marketing execution, digital design & content creation, data analytics, custom technology development, and media services. Merge delivers omni-channel solutions across market sectors with specific expertise in healthcare. Ron Bess will be named Executive Chairman and will remain as CEO of MERGE. Patrick Venetucci, a 30-year industry veteran with previous global executive roles at Leo Burnett Worldwide and Dentsu Aegis, has joined the agency as CEO partnering with Ron to lead the business forward together. For more information on MERGE, please visit mergeworld.com.

    Ron Bess and Patrick Venetucci, CEOs of MERGE, noted, “We are thrilled to begin our partnership with Keystone Capital. We see tremendous opportunity to build on the strong foundation developed over the past two years. Keystone’s unique approach to patiently investing their personal capital alongside management with a focus on long-term value creation is the perfect fit for our employees and our clients. In addition, Keystone’s deep understanding of marketing and technology-enabled services will provide us with an experienced strategic partner to help achieve our goals for organic growth and complementary acquisitions.”

    “Keystone is excited to partner with the talented team at MERGE to continue building on their success serving clients at the intersection of marketing and technology” commented Bill Sommerschield, Principal at Keystone Capital. “We and management see a substantial opportunity to further enhance MERGE’s differentiated capabilities, end-market expertise, and client-centric service approach through internal growth and talent development initiatives as well as targeted acquisitions.”

    Terms of the transaction are not being disclosed. Senior debt financing was provided by Wintrust Bank, legal counsel was provided to Keystone by Honigman Miller Schwartz and Cohn, LLP, and MERGE was advised by JEGI in connection with this transaction.

    Contact Information

    Bill Sommerschield
    (312) 219-7973
    bsommerschield@keystonecapital.com

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    E4H Architecture Announces Acquisition of RSG Architects
    March 2018

    Keystone Capital is pleased to announce that its portfolio company E4H Architecture, LLC (“E4H”) has completed a merger with RSG Architects, LLC (“RSG”). Terms of the transaction are not being disclosed.

    E4H is a leading design, architecture, planning and consulting firm focused exclusively on the healthcare industry. The firm has 160 healthcare planners and architects in offices across the United States and has collectively completed more than 6,500 healthcare projects over the past four decades. The E4H portfolio includes over $6 billion in projects, encompassing community hospitals, academic medical centers, life science laboratories, R&D space, children's hospitals, mental health facilities, ambulatory care centers, rehabilitation facilities, assisted living, and medical office buildings. Services include healthcare planning, architecture, and interior design. In 2016, E4H was ranked by Modern Health as the largest architecture firm focused exclusively on the healthcare market. Please visit www.e4harchitecture.com for more information.

    RSG is a niche design, architecture and planning firm focused on the healthcare industry based in Chantilly, Virginia. RSG was founded by principals John Scoggin, Jeremy Bartz and Richard Whitaker and is a leader in the D.C./Northern Virginia area. RSG complements E4H’s strategy of adding regional leaders to the platform and realizing synergies across a national base of clients and projects.

    “We are extremely pleased about the E4H/RSG transaction and what it will do for our collective platform,” remarked Jason Van Zant, Managing Director of Keystone Capital. “As one of Keystone’s growing platforms in the A/E space, E4H has tremendous momentum as the market leader in healthcare architecture, and this transaction only reinforces it.”

    “We’ve built a strong practice in the Mid-Atlantic region and are excited to take our work to the next level by becoming part of a national firm that’s doing award winning healthcare design,” said John Scoggin, Principal, RSG Architects. “We are looking forward to offering E4H’s expertise and enhancing our capacity for our healthcare clients throughout the Mid-Atlantic region.”

    Terms of the transaction are not being disclosed. Senior debt financing was provided by CIBC, and legal counsel was provided to E4H by Honigman Miller Schwartz and Cohn, LLP.

    Contact Information

    Jason Van Zant
    (312) 219-7974
    jvanzant@keystonecapital.com

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    Keystone Capital Announces Partnership with Arbour Group LLC
    January 2018

    Keystone Capital, Inc. (“Keystone”) is pleased to announce that it has completed an investment in Arbour Group, LLC (“Arbour” or “the Company”).

    Arbour, based in Oakbrook Terrace, Illinois, is a leading provider of regulatory compliance services for the global life sciences industry. Arbour specializes in the areas of software validation, packaged compliance solutions, and software testing/auditing to ensure client compliance with applicable global regulatory bodies such as the U.S. FDA and the EU EMA (European Medicines Agency). Arbour partners with name-brand clients in the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and medical device fields both domestically and internationally.

    Arbour was originally founded in 1997 as a spin-out of accounting and tax advisory firm AM&G. In addition to its headquarters in the U.S., Arbour maintains sales offices throughout North America and international locations in Dubai, UAE and Manila, Philippines. For more information on Arbour, please visit the company’s website at www.arbourgroup.com.

    “We are excited about the potential for our partnership with Alex Patterson and the management team at Arbour Group,” commented Jason Van Zant, Managing Director at Keystone Capital. “Arbour is another great example of our continued focus on partnering with specialized technology enabled consulting and professional services firms. The growth and consolidation of the global regulatory compliance market, particularly in life sciences, will present ample opportunities for Keystone and management to expand this platform.”

    Senior management team members Alexander Patterson, Christopher McNally, and Ahsan Raza will be continuing in their current roles and as significant investors in Arbour post-closing. Mr. Patterson, President and CEO of Arbour, noted: “Arbour’s success over the past 20 years as a privately held company made Keystone a logical choice as a potential partner given their long-term, growth orientation. Keystone’s relevant experience with businesses like Arbour, including other regulatory compliance oriented businesses such as Greeley and Movilitas, was appealing to us and we are looking forward to the opportunity to grow our business with them.”

    Terms of the transaction are not being disclosed. Senior debt financing was provided by CIBC, legal counsel was provided to Keystone by Honigman Miller Schwartz and Cohn, LLP, and Arbour Group was advised by Scott-Macon Investment Banking in connection with this transaction.

    Contact Information

    Jason Van Zant
    (312) 219-7974
    jvanzant@keystonecapital.com

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    Keystone Natural Holdings Acquires J.P. Veggies and Superior Tofu
    December 2017

    Keystone Capital, Inc. (“Keystone”) is pleased to announce that its portfolio company, Keystone Natural Holdings, LLC (“KNH”), has completed its acquisitions of J.P. Veggies, Inc. (“VeggieLand”) and Superior Tofu Ltd. (“Superior”). VeggieLand and Superior join Nature Soy in KNH’s portfolio of leading manufacturers of healthy, plant-based protein products.

    Keystone initially acquired Nature Soy, a Philadelphia-based producer of high-quality soy and vegetarian food products, in June 2016. Nature Soy uses non-GMO ingredients and proprietary formulas to create tofu, soy milk, and rice noodles with unique and desirable flavor profiles. The Company supplies specialty retail and foodservice customers primarily on the East Coast and throughout the Midwest.  For more information on Nature Soy, visit www.naturesoy.com.

    VeggieLand is a leading manufacturer and distributor of meatless veggie burgers and appetizers. Founded in 1994 and based in Parsippany, New Jersey, VeggieLand has developed a diverse and growing portfolio of healthy meatless products sold into retail and foodservice channels through the Franklin Farms and Jens & Marie brands as well as private label. The partnership with VeggieLand will provide KNH with a broader product portfolio, greater channel reach, and expanded product innovation capabilities. For more information on VeggieLand, visit www.veggieland.com.

    Superior Tofu is a Vancouver-based manufacturer and supplier of tofu, soy milk, and other soy-based products.  Founded in 1982, Superior has an established, loyal base of specialty and mainstream retail and foodservice customers throughout Canada. With the unique combination of its authentic tofu-making heritage and commitment to world-class food safety, Superior is a natural fit alongside Nature Soy. For more information on Superior Tofu, visit www.superiortofu.com.

    The combined business will continue to be led by Kenny Sung, CEO of KNH. Existing management teams at VeggieLand and Superior have been retained to continue driving growth across the platform.  “These two acquisitions further enhance our ability to innovate and produce authentic, great tasting and healthy products,” said Kenny. “We are looking forward to providing a broader selection of complementary products across our collective customer base.”

    “We are extremely excited about the continued development of our plant-based protein platform through both organic growth and strategic acquisitions,” commented Chaoran Jin, Managing Director of Keystone. “Keystone is committed to investing further in this natural, better-for-you segment.”

    Terms of the transactions are not being disclosed. Senior debt financing was provided by Wintrust Bank and legal counsel was provided to Keystone by Honigman Miller Schwartz and Cohn, LLP. Tully & Holland, Inc. advised VeggieLand and CCC Investment Banking advised Superior Tofu in connection with these transactions.

    Contact Information

    Brian Chung
    (312) 219-7975
    bchung@keystonecapital.com

    Chaoran Jin
    (312) 219-7976
    cjin@keystonecapital.com

    Kevin Overby
    (312) 219-7966
    koverby@keystonecapital.com

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    Keystone Capital Announces the Sale of Rocore Inc.
    October 2017

     

    Keystone Capital, Inc. ("Keystone"), a Chicago-based private investment firm, is pleased to announce that its portfolio company Rocore Inc. (“Rocore”) has been acquired by funds advised by Triton, a leading European private investment firm. Terms of the transaction have not been disclosed.

    Rocore is a manufacturer of industrial heat exchangers and provider of heat exchanger repair services. The company’s products consist primarily of highly engineered radiators, heat exchangers and cooling products which are sold into a wide variety of markets including on/off highway, petrochemicals, rail, and power generation. Rocore represented Keystone’s fourth successful exit of a highly engineered industrial products business, following the prior exits of Polymicro Technologies (2007), Judson Technologies (2008), and Atlas Die (2017). For more information on Rocore, please visit www.rocore.com.

    “The Keystone and Rocore teams partnered to expand the service offering and drive into new markets. We are pleased that our patient, long term investment approach has created such a positive outcome for us and our management partners,” commented David Greer, Managing Director at Keystone Capital. “We greatly enjoyed our time with the Rocore team and are excited for them in their next chapter with Triton.”

    Over the course of Keystone’s investment in Rocore, substantial enhancements in segmentation, go-to-market strategy, and capital efficiency were completed. In addition, Keystone assisted Rocore with the acquisition of CTI Industries, a leader in shell and tube heat exchanger repair services, in 2015.

    “It’s a bittersweet moment as Rocore leaves a nine year relationship with Keystone, who worked alongside us to build the successful business we have today but also sees us moving into a new and exciting chapter for the company,” remarked Stuart Eden, CEO of Rocore. “Businesses are built on people, and that’s something Keystone truly understands.”

    Rocore and Keystone were represented by Lincoln International in the transaction. Legal advice was provided by Honigman Miller Schwartz & Cohn LLP.

    About Keystone Capital

    Keystone was founded in 1994 with the goal of acquiring high quality, market-leading niche businesses. Unlike a traditional private equity firm utilizing a fund-based investment model, Keystone operates more like an entrepreneurial holding company – utilizing the personal capital of its partners rather than outside third-party capital, capitalizing its investments with conservative capital structures, and with its principals actively involved in supporting the management teams of its portfolio companies. Keystone’s investments all share one thing in common – a mutual commitment by management and Keystone to thoughtfully and patiently build a sustainable, market-leading business. Our primary offices are located in Chicago, Illinois with a small office in Shanghai, China. More information can be obtained from our website at www.keystonecapital.com.

    Contact Information

    David Greer
    (312) 219-7972
    dgreer@keystonecapital.com

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    Keystone Capital Announces the Sale of Capsa Healthcare
    September 2017

    Keystone Capital, Inc. ("Keystone"), a Chicago-based private investment firm, is pleased to announce that its portfolio company Capsa Solutions, LLC (d/b/a Capsa Healthcare or “Capsa”) has been acquired by Levine Leichtman Capital Partners (“LLCP”). Terms of the transaction have not been disclosed.

    Capsa is a leading provider of mobile workstations, medication management products, and pharmacy automation solutions for healthcare settings worldwide.  The Company’s workflow solutions improve efficiency and effectiveness for over 3,000 customers, including leading health systems, senior care communities, and major retail and institutional pharmacies.  Capsa is headquartered in Portland, Oregon and has additional production facilities in Columbus, Ohio and Agua Prieta, Mexico.

    “Keystone’s success partnering with Capsa’s management team to build a market leading healthcare technology and equipment company is another terrific example of Keystone’s patient, long-term investment philosophy at work,” commented Scott Gwilliam, Managing Partner of Keystone Capital. “We wish the management team and Levine Leichtman the best with the business and are proud to have been partnered with Capsa for the past 17 years.”

    Capsa was the culmination of a 17-year investment horizon for Keystone, during which sales and EBITDA increased 13-fold through a combination of organic growth and add-on acquisitions. The business originally began with Keystone’s purchase of IRSG Holdings in 2000, followed by the acquisitions of MMI Med Carts (2008), Artromick International (2009), Kirby Lester (2014), and Rubbermaid Healthcare (2015). Capsa is led by CEO Andrew Sherrill and a talented management team across the business who will continue to lead Capsa moving forward.

    “The success we’ve experienced at Capsa would not have been possible without Keystone’s unwavering support of our team as we sought to build Capsa with an eye always towards our long-term goals,” remarked Sherrill. “The alignment of interest Keystone’s investment approach created with management made Keystone an ideal partner for us during this phase of our growth.”

    Capsa was represented by Harris Williams & Co. in the sale of the business. Legal advice was provided by Kirkland & Ellis LLP and Honigman Miller Schwartz & Cohn LLP.

    About Keystone Capital

    Keystone Capital is a private investment firm which operates with the goal of acquiring high quality, market-leading niche businesses and partnering with these businesses over a long-term horizon, where appropriate. Unlike a traditional private equity firm utilizing a fund-based investment model, Keystone utilizes the personal capital of its partners rather than outside third-party capital, capitalizes its investments with conservative capital structures, and engages actively in supporting the management teams of its portfolio companies. Keystone has completed over 25 platform investments in its history, supported by over 70 add-on acquisitions. Keystone’s primary offices are located in Chicago, Illinois. More information can be obtained from our website at www.keystonecapital.com.

    Contact Information

    Scott Gwilliam
    (312) 219-7971
    sgwilliam@keystonecapital.com

     

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    Keystone Capital Announces the Sale of Atlas Die LLC
    August 2017

    Keystone Capital, Inc. ("Keystone") is pleased to announce that it has exited its investment in Atlas Die, LLC (“Atlas”) after 14 years of successful ownership. Terms of the transaction have not been disclosed.

    Atlas is a manufacturer of steel rule and rotary dies for the packaging and folding carton industries. Headquartered in Elkhart, IN, Atlas began producing steel rule dies in 1952. Atlas pioneered the use of lasers in die production and has a broad product offering targeted at various converting industries, such as paperboard, labels, business forms, flexible circuits, greeting cards, and gaskets. Bernal, Inc. (“Bernal”), a subsidiary of Atlas, is a leader in the manufacture of engineered rotary dies for many of the same end markets and is based in Rochester Hills, MI.

    Atlas was originally acquired by Keystone and Atlas management in January 2003. During the course of the fourteen year investment horizon, Keystone led the acquisition of several strategic add-ons for Atlas, including Southeastern Die (2004) and Bernal (2013). “Atlas is a great example of Keystone’s long-term investment philosophy,” commented David Greer, Managing Director, Keystone Capital. "We enjoyed our time with Ken Smott and the Atlas team, but we know that the business is well-positioned for the future under new ownership.”

    Atlas was acquired by Auxo Investment Partners, an operationally focused private investment firm based in Grand Rapids, MI. Livingstone Partners, a leading middle market investment bank, represented Atlas in the sale. “Keystone’s patient approach, and dedication to the long-term best interests of the business were invaluable to Atlas,” remarked Ken Smott, CEO of Atlas. “Their investment of personal capital made Keystone an ideal, patient partner for our business.”

    Contact Information

    David A. Greer
    (312) 219-7972
    dgreer@keystonecapital.com

     

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    Keystone Capital is Pleased to Announce the Following Internal Promotions!
    January 2017

    2016 was a record year for Keystone Capital.  We acquired more businesses, deployed more capital and traveled more miles supporting our portfolio than at any time in our history.  We are extremely proud of what we have accomplished and even more optimistic about our continued success in 2017.  We could not have achieved these results without the great work of our staff, and with that we are excited to announce the following well-deserved promotions at Keystone: Chaoran Jin and Jason Van Zant have been promoted to Managing Director, and Dennis Howe and Bill Sommerschield have been promoted to Principal.  

    Chaoran Jin Promoted to Managing Director

    Chaoran joined Keystone in 2009.  Chaoran has been the lead professional supporting the operational and acquisition needs of our consumer products business, Costume Gallery, and most recently, our Asian foods platform, Nature Soy.  She has also played an active role with Peak Technologies and Movilitas Consulting, and is the lead professional managing our activities and office in China.  “Chaoran brings Keystone deep foundational insight into business strategy development. She has also created tangible value to our broader portfolio by driving our Asian sourcing and sales initiative,” commented David Greer, Managing Director at Keystone. Prior to Keystone, Chaoran worked for Owens Corning, McKinsey & Company, Citigroup and Motorola.

    Jason Van Zant Promoted to Managing Director

    Jason joined Keystone in 2008, and over his time at Keystone has closed 15 transactions for the firm.  Jason is the primary lead professional on E4H, our health care architectural firm, and The Scott Group, our luxury goods business.  “Jason has been a huge asset to our acquisition efforts over the years.  He has significantly enhanced our marketing and new business development approach, and more recently brought the same energy to the overall support of some of our businesses”, commented Scott Gwilliam, Managing Director and Co-Founder of Keystone.  Prior to Keystone, Jason worked for Lincoln International.

    Dennis Howe Promoted to Principal

    Dennis joined Keystone in 2013 and has had a significant impact on many of our portfolio companies, including Capsa Solutions, Avalon, Atlas Die and Rocore.  From his days at Danaher as an executive, Dennis has a deep background in acquisition integration, operational efficiency and process change management.  In addition to his time at Danaher, Dennis' previous experience includes working for The Boston Consulting Group on strategy assignments for industrial, financial and consumer goods clients and at BASF Corporation working as an Operations Manager and as a Product Development engineer.

    Bill Sommerschield Promoted to Principal

    Bill joined Keystone in 2014 and has played a key role with several of our more recent platform companies.  He is the lead professional on The Greeley Company and Cherry Hill Photo, and also led the negotiations on the acquisitions of Nature Soy and Rubbermaid Healthcare. Prior to joining Keystone, Bill was a VP at Lake Capital, where he focused on the firm’s investment activities and served on the Board of Directors of Engine Group, ORC International, HMI, and Addison Group.

    The last five years has been a particularly exciting time at Keystone Capital.  We have significantly increased our level of acquisition activity with both new platforms and add-ons to our existing portfolio, and this increased activity has driven the need for even greater portfolio involvement. We could not have accomplished this without the tremendous dedication and effort of Chaoran, Jason, Dennis and Bill.

    “These team members are being recognized for their past contributions to the firm as well as their future potential,” commented Kent Dauten, Managing Director and Co-Founder of Keystone. “We thank them for their dedication and hard work and look forward to what they will accomplish in the coming years.”

    Contact Information

    Chaoran Jin
    (312) 219-7976
    cjin@keystonecapital.com

    Jason Van Zant
    (312) 219-7974
    jvanzant@keystonecapital.com

    Dennis Howe
    (312) 219-7979
    dhowe@keystonecapital.com

    Bill Sommerschield
    (312) 219-7973
    bsommerschield@keystonecapital.com

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    Keystone Capital Announces Partnership with The Greeley Company
    August 2016

    Keystone Capital, Inc. (“Keystone”) is pleased to announce that it has completed an investment in, and partnership with, The Greeley Company (“Greeley” or “the Company”).

    Greeley is a leading healthcare consulting firm that partners with hospital administrative and clinical teams to solve problems and improve processes related to accreditation and regulatory compliance, medical staff optimization and physician alignment, and credentialing and privileging.  Greeley's offering includes consulting services, interim staffing, business process outsourcing, education services, and external peer review.  The Company's mission is to work with hospitals and hospital systems to optimize internal processes and workflows, simplify documentation, and improve physician and patient satisfaction. Headquartered in Danvers, Massachusetts, Greeley serves hospitals and hospital systems of all sizes across all 50 states.  For more information on Greeley, please visit www.greeley.com.

    “Keystone is delighted to partner with the exceptional team at Greeley to build on their tradition of excellence in solving complex problems for hospitals across the country,” commented Bill Sommerschield, Vice President at Keystone Capital. “Greeley is the latest example of our continued focus on partnering with leading professional services firms, and we look forward to supporting management as they continue to expand Greeley’s market presence and enhance their comprehensive portfolio of world-class services,” added Scott Gwilliam, Managing Director at Keystone Capital.

    Steve Bryant, President and CEO of The Greeley Company, remarked, “We are thrilled to begin our partnership with Keystone Capital.  We share a long-term vision for Greeley’s future, and with their patient approach to investing and ongoing commitment to our leadership team and employees, we are one step closer to realizing that vision. Their deep understanding of our business and financial support will enable us to pursue exciting growth initiatives and continue to deliver best-in-class solutions to our hospital clients.”

    Terms of the transaction are not being disclosed. Senior debt financing was provided by The PrivateBank, legal counsel was provided to Keystone by Honigman Miller Schwartz and Cohn, LLP, and The Greeley Company was advised by Duff & Phelps Securities, LLC in connection with this transaction.

    Contact Information

    Bill Sommerschield
    (312) 219-7973
    bsommerschield@keystonecapital.com

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    Keystone Capital Announces Partnership with Nature Soy
    June 2016

    Keystone Capital, Inc. ("Keystone") is pleased to announce that it has completed an investment in, and partnership with, Nature Soy, Inc. ("Nature Soy" or "the Company").

    Nature Soy, a major supplier of soy and vegetarian food products to the US market, has been producing high quality soy products since 1990. Located in Philadelphia, the Company primarily serves the mid-Atlantic region with distribution channels reaching as far west as Chicago. Nature Soy's products include both traditional and specialty tofu, soy milk, rice noodles and soy puffs, all of which can be found in major Asian grocery stores, supermarkets and natural food stores, as well as restaurants in the Northeast. The Company strives to produce the best-tasting and freshest products, using non-GMO soy beans and its proprietary formulas to create a unique and desirable flavor profile.

    “We are excited to partner with the Nature Soy team to continue building on their tradition of excellence in the soy foods market,” commented Chaoran Jin, Principal at Keystone Capital, “With management’s continued leadership and our operational and financial support, we will achieve our collective vision of developing Nature Soy into a leading national supplier of soy products and other authentic ethnic foods through organic expansion and targeted acquisitions.”

    Nature Soy co-owners SunFei Ye and YatSun Wen will continue to be shareholders in the Company and will play integral roles in the day-to-day operations and management of the business. "We have been actively seeking the right partner to help us take Nature Soy to the next level, and Keystone's commitment to our management team and employees, experience in the food industry, and financial support for growth initiatives makes them an ideal partner for Nature Soy," said SunFei Ye and Yatsun Wen.

    Terms of the transaction are not being disclosed. Senior debt financing was provided by Wintrust Bank, legal counsel was provided to Keystone by Honigman Miller Schwartz and Cohn, LLP, and Baker Tilly Capital, LLC advised Nature Soy in connection with this transaction.

    Contact Information

    Chaoran Jin
    (312) 219-7976
    cjin@keystonecapital.com

    Bill Sommerschield
    (312) 219-7973
    bsommerschield@keystonecapital.com

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    Formation of Environments for Health Architecture
    June 2016

    Morris Switzer Acquires Ascension Group Architects, Partners with DaSilva Architects, Consolidates Healthcare Design Platform Under E4H

    Keystone Capital, Inc. (“Keystone”) is pleased to announce that Morris Switzer Environments for Health (“Morris Switzer”), a portfolio company of Keystone, has transformed into Environments for Health Architecture (“E4H”) by acquiring Ascension Group Architects (“AGA”) of Dallas, TX, and partnering with DaSilva Architects (“DaSilva”) of New York, NY.

    Keystone originally invested in Morris Switzer, the New England branch of E4H, in 2015. Morris Switzer has been a full service architecture firm committed exclusively to the design of healthcare facilities in New England for over 25 years. AGA, founded in 2001, develops award-winning architecture and interior design for healthcare facilities across the southern and western United States. AGA specializes in rapid design processes, large project implementation, and award-winning design for physicians and corporate/for-profit healthcare organizations. DaSilva, based in New York, has 35 years of healthcare design innovation experience. DaSilva has worked extensively at most of the major medical centers in the tri-state area of New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut, providing client-centered service, patient-centered healthcare design, and interior design services.

    The combined E4H will offer comprehensive and unprecedented national architectural services in healthcare design, with an expanded depth of experience, talent, and geographic reach.  The firm has 130 healthcare planners and architects in offices across the United States, and has collectively completed more than 5,000 healthcare projects over the past three decades.  The E4H portfolio includes over $5 billion in projects, encompassing community hospitals, academic medical centers, life science laboratories, R&D space, children's hospitals, mental health facilities, ambulatory care centers, rehabilitation facilities, assisted living, and medical office buildings.  Services include healthcare planning, architecture, and interior design. E4H will maintain offices in Boston, Dallas, New York, Portland (Maine), and Burlington (Vermont).

    “Healthcare providers and life sciences businesses have a unique set of needs; balancing the delivery of care with business imperatives requires a deep understanding of this rapidly changing industry,” said Dan Morris, Partner, E4H.  “E4H can now offer both a knowledge of the local healthcare market and access to an expanded talent and experience pool that will benefit our clients enormously.”

    “We are extremely encouraged by the development of the E4H platform,” noted Jason Van Zant, Principal of Keystone. “This announcement solidifies our vision for E4H and represents the first of many additions to the platform that we expect to see in the coming years.”

    E4H is interested in further partnerships with and acquisitions of complementary firms servicing the health and life sciences sectors which would enhance the geographic coverage and/or the portfolio of E4H.

    Terms of the transaction are not being disclosed.  Senior debt financing was provided by The Private Bank, and legal counsel was provided to Keystone and E4H by Honigman Miller Schwartz & Cohn LLP.

    About Keystone Capital, Inc.

    Keystone Capital, Inc. is a private investment firm based in Chicago, Illinois that manages in excess of $300 million in investment capital.  Formed in 1994, its mission is to acquire and build a portfolio of exceptionally high quality, mid-sized businesses that are leaders in their niche markets.  Keystone is differentiated by its investment of personal as opposed to third-party capital, which results in a longer investment horizon of 10+ years and an ability to enter into true operating partnerships with the professional management teams of its companies.

    Contact Information

    Jason Van Zant
    (312) 219-7974
    jvanzant@keystonecapital.com

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    Keystone Capital Announces Partnership with Target Engineering Group
    January 2016

    Keystone Capital, Inc. (“Keystone”) is pleased to announce that it has completed an investment in, and partnership with, Target Engineering Group, Inc. (“TEG” or “the Company”).

    Target Engineering Group is a leading provider of construction management, professional engineering and construction inspection services in Florida.  The Company focuses on providing engineering and inspection services related to bridges and roadwork, partnering predominately with the Florida Department of Transportation on both statewide and district-specific projects.  Headquartered in Coral Gables, TEG has a statewide presence with over 140 employees across eight offices as well as several temporary offices for large projects.  For more information on Target Engineering Group, please visit www.targetengineering.com.

    “We are thrilled to be partnering with the exceptional management team at Target Engineering Group to build on their tradition of excellence in serving the Florida transportation engineering market,” commented Scott Gwilliam, Managing Director at Keystone Capital. “As the management team continues to operate TEG with the highest level of service, Keystone will provide financial backing and its experience in building engineering services companies to help management expand TEG’s presence into other key states and build out a more comprehensive portfolio of civil engineering services.”

    Raj Rangaswamy, President of Target Engineering Group, commented “We are excited by the opportunity to partner with Keystone Capital.  Keystone’s long-term approach to investing, ongoing commitment to our management team and employees, and experience in the engineering sector make them the ideal partner for TEG. Their financial support gives us significant operational resources to pursue key growth initiatives and accelerate the realization of our vision.”

    Terms of the transaction are not being disclosed. Senior debt financing was provided by The PrivateBank, and legal counsel was provided to Keystone by Honigman Miller Schwartz and Cohn, LLP.

    Contact Information

    Scott Gwilliam
    (312) 219-7971
    sgwilliam@keystonecapital.com

    Bill Sommerschield
    (312) 219-7973
    bsommerschield@keystonecapital.com

    Erik Gernant
    (312) 219-7969
    egernant@keystonecapital.com

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    Keystone Capital Announces Partnership with Cherry Hill Photo
    December 2015

    Keystone Capital, Inc. (“Keystone”) is pleased to announce that it has completed an investment in and partnership with Cherry Hill Holdings, Inc. (“Cherry Hill Photo” or “the Company”).

    Cherry Hill Photo is the U.S. market leader in providing mall-based holiday photography services and products. With a rich history dating back to 1961, Cherry Hill Photo manages on-premises Santa and Easter Bunny photography programs for over 325 mall locations throughout North America. The Company is headquartered in Marlton, New Jersey with an additional location in Ontario, Canada. For more information on Cherry Hill Photo, please visit www.cherryhillphoto.com.

    “We are thrilled by the opportunity to partner with the management team at Cherry Hill Photo to build on their rich, decades-long history of providing world-class holiday experiences. The management team will continue to operate the business with the same enthusiasm and excellence in service they have always delivered, with Keystone Capital supporting the Company’s growth and development”, Kent Dauten, Keystone Capital Managing Director.

    Ed Warchol, the President of Cherry Hill Photo, commented “We are very excited to partner with Keystone Capital. Keystone’s long-term investment approach and support of our existing team are a few of many characteristics that make Keystone an ideal partner for Cherry Hill Photo. The partnership with Keystone will provide Cherry Hill access to significant operational resources allowing us to continue to operate the business with the highest-levels of service, capitalize on key growth opportunities, and ultimately better serve our customers.”

    Terms of the transaction are not being disclosed. Senior debt financing was provided by The Private Bank, and legal counsel was provided to Keystone by Honigman Miller Schwartz and Cohn, LLP.

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    Peak-Ryzex Announces Acquisition of M-Netics
    December 2015

    Peak-Ryzex, Inc, a portfolio company of Keystone Capital, is pleased to announce the completion of its acquisition of M-Netics.

    M-Netics is an end-to-end enterprise mobility solutions provider and developer of the industry leading IM2 enterprise mobility software suite. M-Netics solutions cover retail omni-channel (in-store and back office), supply chain, mobile worker and proof of delivery requirements. Customers include leading logistics providers, manufacturers, retailers and field service organizations. Please visit www.mnetics.co.uk for more information.

    Peak-Ryzex provides end-to-end enterprise mobility, managed services, printing and mobile data capture solutions for performance-driven organizations focused on the optimization of supply chain and field-based business processes. Peak-Ryzex’s in-depth industry-specific experience, state-of-the-art solutions and managed services, and exemplary customer support provide transformational business solutions and results that deliver greater ROI and outstanding value. Peak-Ryzex serves as a trusted business partner for some of the world’s largest companies, while also supporting local and regional customers with an extensive coverage footprint throughout North America and Europe. For more information on Peak-Ryzex, visit www.peak-ryzex.com.

    “The acquisition of M-Netics is aligned with our strategy to continue offering customers the most complete end-to-end enterprise mobility solutions portfolio in the industry,” said Ross Young, CEO of Peak-Ryzex. “M-Netics will bring complementary products, partnerships and services to our portfolio while allowing us to expand our capabilities into mobile software application development and strengthens our offerings in specific verticals such as retail,” added Young.

    Together, Peak-Ryzex and M-Netics will provide the full lifecycle services to plan, procure, provision, activate, manage and support commercial and rugged mobile devices, carrier services, and mobile software applications while delivering business data and insights to improve operational efficiencies and increase employee productivity – whether it be in the supply chain, out in the field workforce or on the retail floor. “After carefully considering all of our options for accelerating the growth of M-Netics, I am extremely excited for us to join forces with Peak-Ryzex and be part of one of the largest, most dynamic international mobile solutions providers in the market today,” said Tim Hamilton-Davies, founder and CEO of M-Netics. “The combination with Peak-Ryzex provides our business with additional scale and immediate access to supplementary resources in the UK and North America to offer our customers enhanced levels of value, support and service,” added Hamilton-Davies.

    Terms of the transaction are not being disclosed. Senior debt financing was provided by The PrivateBank, and legal counsel was provided to Keystone by Kirkland & Ellis LLP.

    Contact Information

    Scott Gwilliam
    (312)-219-7971
    sgwilliam@keystonecapital.com

    Chaoran Jin
    (312)-219-7976
    cjin@keystonecapital.com

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    Capsa Solutions Announces the Acquisition of Rubbermaid Healthcare
    August 2015

    Capsa Solutions (“Capsa”), a portfolio company of Keystone Capital and a leading provider of mobile computing carts, medical carts, and medication management systems to the healthcare industry, is pleased to announce the completion of its acquisition of Newell Rubbermaid Inc.’s Healthcare Division. (“RHC”).  RHC provides technology-enabled products including mobile computing carts, medication carts, and wall-mounted IT workstations to healthcare facilities worldwide. The acquisition marks Keystone Capital’s sixth successful corporate carve-out.

    The acquisition of RHC is the Capsa’s fourth acquisition in the last eight years, and brings together two leaders in the healthcare IT and computing industry.  RHC’s position has been built on their suite of premium healthcare computing products and reputation for unmatched customer service, which is highly complementary to Capsa’s existing product portfolio and equally outstanding customer service.  Combined, Capsa now offers the broadest product suite in the industry, and the addition builds on Capsa’s unique ability to provide tailored computing technology solutions to acute care and long-term care partners worldwide.

    “We are thrilled to welcome Rubbermaid Healthcare’s exceptional people and products to Capsa Solutions,” said Capsa Solutions CEO Andrew Sherrill.  “Our recent growth has been focused on adding line and brand extensions thoughtfully, and always with the ever-evolving needs of our acute care and long-term care partners at the forefront of the process.  We’ve done that here, and are very pleased with the outcome.”

    This latest addition to Capsa’s product suite solidifies it as a leader in the healthcare technology and computing industry.  Keystone Capital and Capsa continue to pursue accretive healthcare IT and technology-enabled products acquisition opportunities with the goal of further enhancing the success and leadership enjoyed by Capsa today.

    Legal counsel was provided by Kirkland & Ellis LLP.

    Contact Information

    Bill Sommerschield
    (312) 219-7973
    bsommerschield@keystonecapital.com

    Dennis Howe
    (312) 219-7979
    dhowe@keystonecapital.com

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    Peak-Ryzex Announces Acquisition of Manage Mobility
    July 2015

    Peak-Ryzex, Inc, a portfolio company of Keystone Capital, is pleased to announce the completion of its acquisition of Manage Mobility, LLC.

    Headquartered in Alpharetta, GA, Manage Mobility is an end-to-end provider of mobile procurement, logistics, and carrier management services and developer of the ManagedTel™ software platform.  ManagedTel is a software-as-a-service (SaaS) platform that serves as a central information repository of all mobile device and carrier management services on an international basis for procurement, reporting, asset management, mobile business intelligence and telecom expense management.  Please visit www.managemobility.com for more information.

    Peak-Ryzex provides end-to-end enterprise mobility, managed services, printing and mobile data capture solutions for performance-driven organizations focused on the optimization of supply chain and field-based business processes. Peak-Ryzex serves as a trusted business partner for some of the world’s largest companies, while also supporting local and regional customers with an extensive coverage footprint throughout North America and Europe. Please visit www.peak-ryzex.com for more information.

    “Manage Mobility provides Peak-Ryzex with an expanded suite of managed mobility services to help our enterprise customers better maintain, manage and support their commercial and rugged mobile devices, carrier services, and mobile applications,” said Ross Young, CEO of Peak-Ryzex.

    Peak-Ryzex plans to leverage the Manage Mobility’s technology platform to provide customers a 360° view of their mobile device and printer estate through one centralized portal. All key managers and employees of Manage Mobility will join Peak-Ryzex. “As we evaluated all of our options for securing growth capital for our business to capitalize on the unprecedented growth in the Managed Mobility Services market, joining forces with Peak-Ryzex presented us with a tremendous opportunity to combine our history of innovation with Peak-Ryzex’s industry-leading capabilities in end-to-end enterprise mobility, managed services, printing and mobile data capture solutions,” said Mike McGuire, founder and CEO of Manage Mobility.

    Senior debt financing was provided by The Private Bank, and legal counsel was provided by Fredrikson & Byron, P.A.

    Contact Information

    Scott Gwilliam
    (312) 219-7971
    sgwilliam@keystonecapital.com

    Chaoran Jin
    (312) 219-7976
    cjin@keystonecapital.com

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    Keystone Capital Announces Partnership With MorrisSwitzer
    July 2015

    Keystone Capital, Inc. (“Keystone”) is pleased to announce that it has completed an investment in and partnership with the shareholders of MorrisSwitzer Environments for Health, LLC (“MorrisSwitzer” or “the Company”).

    MorrisSwitzer is a leading architecture and design firm focused exclusively on the healthcare and life sciences industries. From its headquarters in Williston, Vermont and additional offices in Boston, Massachusetts and Portland, Maine, the Company services a client base consisting of leading healthcare, academic and private institutions in the Northeastern U.S. MorrisSwitzer has an impressive portfolio of healthcare-focused work, having completed over 3,000 projects across over 130 hospitals and medical facilities since inception. Morris Switzer was founded in 1990 by Dan Morris, and today is led by Dan and six additional partners including Jill Boardman, Jennifer Arbuckle, Jason Carney, Thomas Morris, Bill Repichowskyj, and Dale Taglienti. For more information on Morris Switzer, please visit the Company’s website at www.morrisswitzer.com.

    The existing partners of MorrisSwitzer will remain significant shareholders of the firm and will continue to lead the day-to-day operations of the Company. “We are energized about the partnership between Keystone and MorrisSwitzer,” commented Dan Morris. “With Keystone’s experience in our industry and the greater access to resources we’ll have as a result of this investment, we plan to accelerate our strategic growth plan for the business.”

    MorrisSwitzer represents Keystone’s fourth investment in the architecture/engineering industry. “The opportunity with MorrisSwitzer was a natural fit for Keystone given our experience in the architecture and engineering industry, as well as management’s desire for a partner with a long-term mentality,” noted Jason Van Zant, Principal of Keystone Capital. “The foundation that Dan, Jill Boardman and the team have built is powerful and we are confident that together we can continue its impressive track record.”

    MorrisSwitzer will be pursuing further partnerships with and acquisitions of complementary firms with the completion of this investment. Areas of interest for further investment post-closing will include other regional market leaders in healthcare architecture, as well as firms specializing in the laboratory and life sciences markets.

    Terms of the transaction are not being disclosed.  Senior debt financing was provided by The Private Bank, and legal counsel was provided to Keystone by Kirkland & Ellis LLP.

    Contact Information

    Jason Van Zant
    (312) 219-7974
    jvanzant@keystonecapital.com

    Chaoran Jin
    (312) 219-7976
    cjin@keystonecapital.com

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    Rocore Announces Acquisition of CTI Industries
    June 2015

    Rocore Holdings (“Rocore”), a portfolio company of Keystone Capital, is pleased to announce the completion of its acquisition of CTI Industries, Inc. (“CTI” or “the Company”).

    Headquartered in Orange, CT, CTI is a service provider focused on the highly specialized repair and refurbishment of heat exchangers and steam condensers. CTI’s proprietary repair methodologies are used in the refinery, marine, power generation, and utility industries. The Company counts blue-chip customers in all of these industries as its customer base, and has installations in over 20 countries in the past five years alone. In addition to its North American operations, CTI operates a division in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Please visit www.cti-ind.com for more information on CTI.

    Rocore is a leading designer and manufacturer of heat exchangers and related equipment used to cool air, water, or oil for a variety of applications. Rocore’s products are manufactured out of five North American facilities and are sold to original equipment manufacturers and aftermarket users across a diverse range of industries, including heavy duty truck, power generation, industrial, rail, military, bus and construction equipment. Please visit www.rocore.com for more information on Rocore.

    “For Rocore, CTI represents a compelling opportunity for many reasons,” commented Stuart Eden, CEO of Rocore. “We are excited to have the CTI team joining us, and will preserve what has made CTI successful while executing on exciting growth opportunities in front of the company.”

    CTI will operate as an independent division of Rocore, and will continue with its operations uninterrupted. All key managers and employees of CTI will remain with the CTI division and join Rocore. Perry Tallman, co-owner of CTI alongside his brother Peter prior to the acquisition, will join Rocore as President of the CTI division. “Our father was a co-founder of CTI in 1976, and CTI is a special part of our family,” stated Tallman. “We are confident that we’ve found a great partner in Rocore and Keystone, and we look forward to continuing CTI’s market leading position well into the future.”

    Senior debt financing was provided by The Private Bank, and legal counsel was provided by Kirkland & Ellis LLP.

    Contact Information

    Jason Van Zant
    (312) 219-7974
    jvanzant@keystonecapital.com

    Dennis Howe
    (312) 219-7979
    dhowe@keystonecapital.com

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    Keystone Capital Announces Sale of Vidaris
    May 2015

    Keystone Capital, Inc. ("Keystone") is pleased to announce that its portfolio company IBA Holdings, LLC, d/b/a Vidaris and LPI (“Vidaris”, “LPI” or the “Company”) has been acquired by Cortec Group Fund V, L.P. (“Cortec”). Terms of the transaction have not been disclosed.

    Founded nearly 90 years ago and headquartered in New York, New York, Vidaris and LPI are leading specialty architectural and engineering consulting firms, respectively, providing highly technical, value-added advisory, inspection and testing services. The Company employs over 200 professionals in eight offices worldwide and serves as an independent third-party advisor for leading developers, property owners, industrial operators, utilities, architects and engineers. The Company's multidisciplinary, integrated service offering includes three major segments: (i) Building Envelope: wall, window, roof and restoration consulting; (ii) Engineering: fitness-for-service and failure analysis; and (iii) Energy: building sustainability and energy efficiency consulting.

    Vidaris was the result of a successful partnership originally formed in 2006 between Keystone and original founding partners Israel Berger and Marc Weissbach. During the course of the almost nine year investment horizon, Keystone and management successfully professionalized the operations of the firm allowing for further growth, executed four strategic add-on acquisitions, and grew the business almost four-fold. "Our successful partnership with Israel, Marc and the entire Vidaris organization is a testament to the power of the Keystone model – patience, long-term vision, and a belief in investing in fundamentally sound businesses," commented Scott Gwilliam, Managing Director, Keystone Capital. "We will sorely miss our years with the Vidaris team, but we know that Vidaris is well-positioned for the next chapter of its evolution.”

    “Over nearly ten years, Vidaris has grown and changed dramatically,” noted Weissbach. “Keystone’s patient approach, knowledge of the professional services industry, and dedication to management’s vision were invaluable to Vidaris. But as importantly, the alignment of interests Keystone created with management shareholders, given they invest their own personal capital, made Keystone an ideal partner for us during this phase of our growth.”

    Keystone Capital has a high level of domain expertise in the architecture, engineering and technical consulting industries and continues to pursue investments in these fields. In addition to Vidaris, past and present investments in the industry include Eagleton Engineering and Kidde Fire Trainers.

    Contact Information

    Scott Gwilliam
    (312) 219-7971
    sgwilliam@keystonecapital.com

    Jason Van Zant
    (312) 219-7974
    jvanzant@keystonecapital.com

    Bill Sommerschield
    (312) 219-7973
    bsommerschield@keystonecapital.com

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    Keystone Capital Welcomes Two New Hires
    October 2014

    Keystone Capital is pleased to announce the addition of Bill Sommerschield and Andrew Wehr to the team.

    Bill Sommerschield

    Bill Sommerschield joins the firm as a Vice President, and will be a member of Keystone’s investment team. His primary responsibility will be the identification, sourcing, and execution of new acquisition and investment opportunities for Keystone and its partner companies.

    Prior to joining Keystone, Bill was a Vice President at Lake Capital, a Chicago-based private equity firm, where he focused on the firm’s investment activities and served on the Board of Directors of Engine Group, ORC International, HMI, Addison Group, and Soil Safe.  Bill also worked in the investment banking divisions of Morgan Stanley and Credit Suisse where he was actively involved in mergers and acquisitions as well as debt and equity offerings in the industrial, business services, and education industries.  Prior to Morgan Stanley, Bill was a Co-Founder of Wonder LLC, an experiential children’s retail company, where he led concept development, strategic and financial planning, and capital raising activities.

    Bill can be reached at bsommerschield@keystonecapital.com or (312) 219-7973.

    Andrew Wehr

    Andrew Wehr joins the firm as a Vice President of Finance. Andrew’s focus will be working with Keystone’s operations and finance team, with a specific responsibility for Keystone’s portfolio company finance and accounting support. In this role, Andrew will work directly with the finance and accounting leaders of Keystone’s portfolio companies.

    Prior to joining Keystone, Andrew served as International Accounting Manager of Groupon, Inc. His previous experience also includes serving as Chief Financial Officer for Midwest Mechanical Group Inc., as well as over 5 years in Ernst & Young’s advisory and assurance practice.

    Andrew can be reached at awehr@keystonecapital.com or (312) 219-7980.

    “The hiring of both Bill and Andrew is indicative of Keystone’s desire to significantly grow our middle market transaction activity, as well to provide more support to our partner companies,” commented Kent Dauten, Managing Director of Keystone. “These hires bring Keystone’s total staff to thirteen, including eleven professionals, which is indicative of our belief in the future of our business.”

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    Scott Group Completes Acquisition of Hokanson Carpets
    September 2014

    Scott Group Custom Carpets, a portfolio company of Keystone Capital, is pleased to announce the acquisition of Hokanson Carpets. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

    Founded in Houston in 1987 by Larry Hokanson, Hokanson Carpets is a leader in the high end residential carpeting market. Hokanson operates six showrooms in major cities across the United States. Some of the most important rug and carpet projects in North America, Europe, the Middle East, Australia and Asia have Hokanson rugs complementing the décor. Leading projects include the restoration of the Russian Royal Palaces in St. Petersburg, the office of Canada’s Speaker of the House and the Burj Khalifa – the world’s tallest building – in Dubai.

    The combination of Scott Group and Hokanson will not only strengthen the U.S. showroom presence of both companies in Los Angeles, New York, Chicago and Dallas, but expand it by establishing a presence in Houston and Boston. In addition, the combined company will be able to leverage a broader array of products through its network of showrooms and interior designer relationships throughout the world.

    “Together, Scott Group and Hokanson comprise the largest U.S. provider of luxury handmade rugs and carpets,” said Michael Ruggeri, president and CEO of Scott Group. “We have long been admirers of Larry Hokanson and his company and believe that by coming together, we can lead the industry by providing an incredibly broad array of products for the interior design and architectural community,” added Ruggeri.

    The acquisition of Hokanson is consistent with Scott Group’s mission to deliver a broader set of products to its current customer base and to expand its markets of focus. Keystone, Ruggeri and the Scott Group leadership team will continue to evaluate opportunities to add to Scott Group’s portfolio of brands through acquisitions or joint ventures. “Scott Group is poised to continue expanding and will aggressively pursue other future opportunities that enhance value for our world-class client base,” noted Ruggeri.

    About Scott Group

    Founded in 1969, Scott Group Custom Carpets is an industry leader in the design and production of custom carpets and rugs to the architectural design trade. Using the world's finest natural fibers, Scott Group combines creativity and meticulous craftsmanship in the design and production of luxury carpets and rugs. Scott Group owns and operates a fully integrated manufacturing facility in Grand Rapids, Michigan with 14 artists and a total staff of 200 employees. Scott Group carpets can be found in the finest aircraft, luxury retail stores, corporate offices, yachts and residences in the world, including the State Dining Room and Oval Office in the White House. For more information, visit www.scottgroup.com.

    Contact Information

    Jason Van Zant
    (312) 219-7974
    jvanzant@keystonecapital.com

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    Keystone Portfolio Company Capsa Solutions Announces Acquisition of Kirby Lester
    July 2014

    Capsa Solutions, LLC, a leading provider of medication management systems, mobile computing carts and medical cart platforms for healthcare facilities, today announced the acquisition of Kirby Lester, based in Lake Forest, Illinois.  Kirby Lester is a leading provider of automated medication dispensing solutions in retail, institutional, hospital, and ambulatory pharmacy settings. Capsa Solutions is a portfolio company of Keystone Capital, Inc.

    Capsa Solutions has grown by expanding its product offering and reach into an array of healthcare markets both domestically and internationally. The addition of Kirby Lester products to Capsa Solutions further expands this offering in the medication dispensing category and provides a wider product portfolio to both Capsa and Kirby Lester customers.

    “Adding Kirby Lester to our portfolio of products is another example of how Capsa is uniquely positioned to be an invaluable partner to healthcare pharmacies in all market sectors, stated Andrew Sherrill, CEO of Capsa Solutions. “Now, we can provide our customers, and the market overall, an expanded range of medication management and dispensing solutions to ensure greater value from a single-source supplier.” Sherrill added, “Kirby Lester has exhibited great leadership in product development and exceeding the expectations of their customers, and we’re very excited and proud to add them to the Capsa team.”

    The combined product portfolios of Capsa Solutions and Kirby Lester will uniquely position the company to address the varied requirements of medication management in modern healthcare. Additionally, the new organization will provide customers and business partners a strong sales and service organization that works as a cohesive team, with broader development capabilities to deliver a wider array of product options to improve medication management and control. Kirby Lester will continue to operate under the same brand name as a division of Capsa Solutions.

    “The acquisition of Kirby Lester by Capsa Solutions creates a significantly stronger organization for our customers and core markets,” said Kirby Lester CEO, Garry Zage. “The combination of products and professionals with extensive healthcare experience will drive new innovation that advances medication dispensing automation and accuracy, ultimately improving the safety and delivery of patient care.”

    Senior debt financing was provided by The Private Bank, and legal counsel was provided by Kirkland & Ellis LLP.

    About Capsa Solutions

    Capsa Solutions is a worldwide leader in developing and delivering innovative products to mobilize the healthcare clinical and medication control processes. With combined product lines that include medication carts, medical carts, computer carts, and processing solutions, Capsa Solutions offers its markets decades of experience and a unique ability to meet the demands of diverse healthcare environments. Headquartered in Portland, Oregon, Capsa Solutions has an additional management, manufacturing, and distribution facility in Columbus, Ohio. To learn more, visit www.capsasolutions.com.

    About Kirby Lester

    Founded in 1971, Kirby Lester is a leading developer and provider of medication tablet/pill counters and medication dispensing technology. Kirby Lester products significantly improve medication counting accuracy and reduce labor time associated with medication dispensing and prescription fulfillment. Kirby Lester products can be found in more than 40,000 retail, hospital, specialty, and mail order pharmacies in nearly 40 countries. To learn more, visit www.kirbylester.com.

    Contact Information

    Scott Gwilliam
    (312) 219-7971
    sgwilliam@keystonecapital.com

    Dennis Howe
    (312) 219-7979
    dhowe@keystonecapital.com

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    Avalon Precision Casting Completes Acquisition of Precision Metalsmiths
    April 2014

    Avalon Precision Casting (“Avalon”), a portfolio company of Keystone Capital, is pleased to announce the completion of its acquisition of Precision Metalsmiths, Inc. (“PMI”)

    PMI is a leading manufacturer of high-precision, small, thin-walled investment castings, ranging from fractions of an ounce to over 20 lbs. The company’s proprietary casting technologies and almost 70 years of specialized engineering expertise have made PMI a preferred provider to the aerospace industry as well as for general industrial applications requiring complex small parts with thin walls and tight tolerances. PMI is also renowned for its long history of innovation in both process and materials associated with the investment casting industry.

    “The partnership between Avalon and PMI demonstrates our commitment to building an industry-leading investment casting company capable of servicing a broad array of markets and adding increased value to our current and future customers from multiple facilities around the country,” said Doug Ciabotti, CEO of Avalon and leader of the newly combined business.

    Avalon Precision Castings grew out of the merger of Avalon Castings of Cleveland, Ohio and Craft Cast Company of Jackson, Wisconsin to become one of the investment casting industry’s leading providers of precision-cast parts up to 100 lbs. Avalon services blue-chip OEM customers in the general industrial, pump and valve, oil & gas, food and dairy, military and capital equipment industries with industry-leading turnaround times and cost-effective, value-added services including a dedicated in-house machine shop and tooling operation.

    "Together, Avalon and PMI represent a new era for investment casting companies greater than the sum of their parts," added David Dolata, owner of PMI. "Creating more opportunities and expanding capabilities are key to delivering what current and prospective customers have been asking for: new ways for the investment casting process to solve their ever-more-demanding metal parts challenges. Avalon's acquisition of PMI puts the combined company in a unique position to service customers needing metal shapes with value, quality, a wider size envelope and capabilities to offer parts complete to print within one company."

    The combined company will operate four advanced manufacturing facilities in Ohio and Wisconsin, all featuring state-of-the-art automation and robotics to produce precision castings from over 200 different ferrous and non-ferrous alloys. Combined company certifications include ISO 9001:2008, PED, NADCAP, and ITAR. Together, the combined company will represent one of the largest enterprises in the commercial/industrial/aerospace segment of the investment casting industry.

    Senior debt financing was provided by The Private Bank, and legal counsel was provided by Kirkland & Ellis LLP.

    Contact Information

    Jason Van Zant
    (312) 219-7974
    jvanzant@keystonecapital.com

    Chaoran Jin
    (312) 219-7976
    cjin@keystonecapital.com

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    Keystone Capital Announces Acquisition of Kidde Fire Trainers
    March 2014

    Keystone Capital, Inc. (“Keystone”) is pleased to announce that it has completed the acquisition of Kidde Fire Trainers (“KFT” or “the Company”), a business unit of United Technologies Corporation’s Building & Industrial Systems Group. Terms of the transaction are not being disclosed.

    KFT is the world leader in the design, installation and service of live fire training simulators and related technologies. The Company provides critical fire training technologies to fire academies, municipalities, governments, and industrial customers on a global basis. KFT’s industry leading products are installed in locations throughout the world. KFT is headquartered in Montvale, NJ with global offices located in Barlborough, United Kingdom and Aachen, Germany. For more information on KFT, please visit the Company’s website at www.kiddefiretrainers.com.

    “The KFT transaction is a perfect fit with Keystone’s investment criteria – a market leader with a great brand, a solid management team, and opportunities for growth and value creation under our stewardship,” commented Scott Gwilliam, Managing Director of Keystone Capital. “We were glad to have worked with United Technologies on this important transaction, and look forward to working with the KFT management team to build a strong standalone business.”

    All management and employees of KFT will be retained in the transaction, and the operations of the Company will be unchanged. “The most important benefit of this transaction from our perspective is our new ability to operate as a standalone business focused on nothing but fire training simulators,” commented Rob Lane, the newly-appointed CEO of Kidde Fire Trainers. “We are energized and excited by the idea of working with Keystone and leveraging their extensive experience with corporate divestitures such as this.”

    Terms of the transaction are not being disclosed. Senior debt financing was provided by The Private Bank, and legal counsel was provided to Keystone by Kirkland & Ellis LLP.

    Contact Information

    Scott Gwilliam
    (312) 219-7971
    sgwilliam@keystonecapital.com

    Jason Van Zant
    (312) 219-7974
    jvanzant@keystonecapital.com

    Dennis Howe
    (312) 219-7979
    dhowe@keystonecapital.com

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    Keystone Capital Announces Sale of Eagleton Engineering
    February 2014

    Keystone Capital, Inc. ("Keystone") is pleased to announce that its portfolio company Eagleton Engineering, LLC ("Eagleton") has been acquired by Jacobs Engineering Group Inc. ("Jacobs"). Terms of the transaction have not been disclosed.

    Eagleton is a full service engineering firm offering planning, design, and construction services for transportation systems and facilities used in natural gas and gas liquids, petrochemicals, carbon dioxide, other industrial gases and crude oil. Over a history spanning nearly five decades, Eagleton has developed a leading reputation for designing and managing the construction of pipelines, terminals, compressor and pump stations, oil and gas production and processing facilities, slug catchers and two-phase flow systems. Eagleton employs approximately 130 employees, residing at its Houston, Texas headquarters and Denver, Colorado offices, as well as in the field.

    Eagleton was originally acquired by Keystone and Eagleton management in December 2011. During the course of the investment, Keystone and management successfully recruited additional management, executed meaningful project activity, grew the business by almost 100%, and opened an office in Denver, Colorado to service the Rocky Mountain region.

    "Although we predict continued upside for Eagleton due to strong end market fundamentals in the oil and gas midstream infrastructure industry, Eagleton is strategic to the Jacobs organization and is expected to effectively supplement their aggressive growth plans," commented Scott Gwilliam, Managing Director, Keystone Capital, Inc. "It was a pleasure to work with Jacobs in this transaction, and we have no doubt that the company is in good hands. We wish our management team, employees and the Jacobs organization continued success in the future."

    The existing management team of Eagleton, including CEO Duain Cagle, will join Jacobs. “Our partnership with Keystone was extremely successful and allowed us to grow the business significantly and operate with the entrepreneurial spirit,” noted Cagle. “However, we are excited about the future with Jacobs and believe that our business will continue to prosper under their ownership.”

    Jacobs is one of the world's largest and most diverse providers of technical professional and construction services.

    Contact Information

    Scott Gwilliam
    (312) 219-7971
    sgwilliam@keystonecapital.com

    Jason Van Zant
    (312) 219-7974
    jvanzant@keystonecapital.com

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    Keystone Capital Announces Partnership With Scott Group Custom Carpets
    January 2014

    Keystone Capital, Inc. (“Keystone”) is pleased to announce that it has completed a recapitalization and partnership with the shareholders of Scott Group Custom Carpets, Inc. (“Scott Group” or “the Company”).

    Scott Group is the U.S. market leader in the design and manufacture of hand-made and machine-made custom wool (and silk and cashmere wool/silk blend) carpets and rugs for a variety of luxury applications. The Company is a leading supplier to the business aviation, yacht, and high-end residential and commercial markets both in the U.S. and abroad. With a rich history dating back to 1969, Scott Group produces 100% American made carpets at its headquarters in Grand Rapids, Michigan and has a network of showrooms throughout the U.S. For more information on Scott Group, please visit the Company’s website at www.scottgroup.com.

    “We are extremely excited to be a part of the future of Scott Group and about the partnership we have formed with the management team,” commented Scott Gwilliam, Managing Director of Keystone Capital. “Scott Group’s niche market position, impressive business model and strong management team, along with their focus on bringing in a long-term, patient partner made this a perfect situation for Keystone.”

    The prior ownership team consisting of Michael Ruggeri (President), Richard Ruggeri (Vice President) and Timothy Hill (Vice President, Operations and Finance) will remain significant shareholders and will continue to lead the day to day operations of the Company into the future.

    “We are energized about the partnership between Keystone and Scott Group,” commented Mike Ruggeri, CEO of Scott Group. “This partnership will allow our team to continue running the business, provides access to greater resource levels and will accelerate our strategic growth plan for Scott Group.”

    Scott Group will be pursuing acquisitions of complementary businesses with the completion of this recapitalization. Areas of interest for the Company include suppliers of luxury fabrics and interior products serving similar end markets (i.e. business jets and interior design).

    Terms of the transaction are not being disclosed.  Senior debt financing was provided by The Private Bank, and legal counsel was provided to Keystone by Kirkland & Ellis LLP.

    Contact Information

    Scott Gwilliam
    (312) 219-7971
    sgwilliam@keystonecapital.com

    Jason Van Zant
    (312) 219-7974
    jvanzant@keystonecapital.com

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    Keystone Capital Welcomes Two New Hires
    September 2013

    Keystone Capital, Inc. (“Keystone”) is pleased to announce the addition of Dennis Howe and Charles Shreve to the Keystone team.

    Dennis Howe

    Dennis Howe joins the firm as a Vice President, and will be a member of Keystone’s operations group. In this role, Dennis will be an integral part of supporting the management teams of Keystone’s family of companies with operational, strategic, and other initiatives.

    Prior to joining Keystone, Dennis was with Danaher Corporation as Vice President of Business Management and Product Planning for Videojet and Vice President and General Manager of Thomson Linear Components. His previous experience includes working for The Boston Consulting Group on strategy assignments for industrial, financial and consumer goods clients and at BASF Corporation working as an Operations Manager and as a Product Development engineer.

    Dennis can be reached at dhowe@keystonecapital.com or (312) 219-7979.

    Charles Shreve

    Charles Shreve joins the firm as an Associate. His primary focus will be in Keystone’s acquisition and business development group, with responsibility for identification, sourcing, and execution of new acquisition and investment opportunities for Keystone and its partner companies.

    Prior to joining Keystone, Charlie worked as an investment banking analyst in the industrials group at Jefferies & Co. in New York. While with Jefferies, Charlie focused on mergers and acquisitions, debt financings and equity raises for public and private companies. Prior to Jefferies, Charlie worked as an investment banking analyst at Cowen Group in New York.

    Charlie can be reached at cshreve@keystonecapital.com or (312) 219-7978.

    “The hiring of both Dennis and Charlie is indicative of Keystone’s desire to significantly grow our middle market transaction activity, as well to provide more support to our partner companies,” commented Kent Dauten, Managing Director of Keystone. “These hires bring Keystone’s total staff to eleven, which is indicative of our belief in the future of our business.”

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    Keystone Capital Announces Two Add-On Acquisitions
    July 2013

    Keystone Capital, Inc. (“Keystone”) is pleased to announce that it has completed two add-on acquisitions thus far in 2013.

    Movilitas Consulting AG

    Peak-Ryzex, a Keystone Capital holding since 2011, acquired Movilitas Consulting AG in May 2013. Peak-Ryzex is a market-leading provider of end-to-end enterprise mobility, managed services, printing and mobile data capture solutions for organizations focused on optimization of supply chain and field-based business processes. Based in Mannheim, Germany, Movilitas Consulting AG is widely considered one of the early pioneers of successfully implementing global templates for SAP Track & Trace projects.  Movilitas Consulting's SAP Track & Trace customers include many of the world's largest industry-leaders in the areas of pharmaceuticals, tobacco and chemicals.

    "In 2012 our acquisition of Catalyst strengthened our resources and focus on SAP supply chain and logistics execution solutions in North America, this investment in Movilitas Consulting expands our commitment to the SAP user community in the areas of SAP Track & Trace and mobility solutions, ultimately expanding our solutions and geographic footprint for our multi-national SAP customers," said Ross Young, CEO of Peak-Ryzex.  "The board and management team of Movilitas Consulting AG as well as the division name and strategy will remain the same but they will now be able to leverage the larger scale and coverage of the Peak-Ryzex organization in North America and Europe," added Young.

    For more information, see www.peak-ryzex.com and www.movilitas.com.

    Bernal, Inc.

    Atlas Die, a Keystone Capital holding since 2003, acquired Bernal, Inc. in July 2013. Headquartered in Elkhart, IN, Atlas Die is the largest North American producer of steel rule, flexible and solid rotary tooling servicing all aspects of the converting industry with six facilities located strategically across the United States. Bernal, headquartered in Rochester Hills, MI, is the leading North American manufacturer of solid and segmented rotary dies for the packaging and specialty converting industries. This transaction will bring together two of the most well-respected leaders in the packaging, consumer, and specialty converting industries, and will give customers a complete tooling suite of steel rule, flexible and solid rotary dies as well as system design and integration. Bernal had previously operated as a division of North American Cerutti Corporation, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Cerutti Group (Officine Meccaniche G. Cerutti S.p.A.), a world leader in the manufacturing of packaging and printing machinery.

    “The combination of Bernal and Atlas creates converting market opportunities for our customers limited only by imagination.  It marries two respected market leaders with the greatest depth of converting knowledge and product breadth,” remarked Kenneth J. Smott, President and CEO of Atlas.   Marc Voorhees, Vice President of Sales for Bernal added, “We look forward to working with the Atlas team and combining our strengths in packaging while we jointly develop other market opportunities.”

    For more information, please see www.atlasdie.com and www.bernalrotarydies.com.

    Terms of these transactions are not being disclosed.  Senior debt financing for each transaction was provided by The Private Bank, and legal counsel was provided to Keystone by Kirkland & Ellis LLP.

    Contact Information

    Scott Gwilliam
    (312) 219-7971
    sgwilliam@keystonecapital.com

    Jason Van Zant
    (312) 219-7974
    jvanzant@keystonecapital.com

    Eric Holter
    (312) 219-7973
    eholter@keystonecapital.com

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    Keystone Capital Announces New Office Location
    April 2013

    Keystone Capital is pleased to announce that after almost 20 years in the northern Chicago suburbs, we are relocating our offices to downtown Chicago. Our new office will be located within the city’s famous “Loop” area, and put our firm closer to key relationships in the lending, service provider, and deal-making communities in the Chicago area. The move is effective as of April 15th.

    “In addition to providing more office space for our growing staff, this move is a very important strategic decision for the future of our firm,” commented Kent Dauten, Managing Director of Keystone Capital. “We view this change as a critical step towards our goal of building an even larger, more diverse group of exceptionally high quality, middle-market enterprises over the long term.”

    Please update your records to reflect our new location, and please make sure to stop by during your next trip to Chicago!

    Keystone Capital, Inc.
    155 North Wacker Dr.
    Suite 4150
    Chicago, Illinois 60606
    Main Line: (312) 219-7900

    Please also take note of Keystone team’s updated contact information below:

    Megan Anderson
    Office Manager
    (312) 219-7977
    manderson@keystonecapital.com

    Brian Chung
    Chief Financial Officer
    (312) 219-7975
    bchung@keystonecapital.com

    Kent Dauten
    Managing Director
    (312) 219-7970
    kdauten@keystonecapital.com

    David Greer
    Managing Director
    (312) 219-7972
    dgreer@keystonecapital.com

    Scott Gwilliam
    Managing Director
    (312) 219-7971
    sgwilliam@keystonecapital.com

    Eric Holter
    Associate
    (312) 219-7973
    eholter@keystonecapital.com

    Chaoran Jin
    Principal
    (312) 219-7976
    cjin@keystonecapital.com

    Jason Van Zant
    Vice President
    (312) 219-7974
    jvanzant@keystonecapital.com

    Keystone Capital is aggressively pursuing add-on acquisitions for our existing portfolio and investments in new platforms. With our unique structure of investing personal as opposed to institutional capital, we are actively seeking business owner/operators and management teams to enter into a true partnership with.

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    Vidaris Announces Acquisition Of Lucius Pitkin, Inc.
    January 2013

    Vidaris Holdings, LLC (“Vidaris”), a portfolio company of Keystone Capital, is pleased to announce the acquisition of Lucius Pitkin, Inc. (“LPI”). Terms of the transaction have not been disclosed. The transaction marks another significant step in the evolution of Vidaris to becoming a leader in professional consulting services to the architectural, engineering, and construction communities.

    In addition, the transaction represents another expedited closing for Keystone, having been completed in time for calendar year end and in less than 40 business days from Letter of Intent to closing.

    Founded in 1885, LPI is a leading consulting firm specializing in the areas of fitness for service, failure analysis, non-destructive testing, and metallurgical analysis. LPI’s mission critical services are utilized across a variety of market segments, including infrastructure, transportation, nuclear power, energy and utilities, general industrial, and litigation/insurance support. LPI employs approximately 55 professionals and is headquartered in New York, NY with additional offices in Amesbury, MA and Richland, WA. LPI is led by principals Robert Vecchio, Joseph Crosson, Thomas Esselman, and Paul Bruck. “We are quite excited about the opportunity for LPI’s principals and employees to join the Vidaris family,” stated Robert Vecchio, Principal of LPI. “Lucius Pitkin has a storied past and proud history, and with Vidaris, will continue to have a bright future.” Please visit www.luciuspitkin.com to learn more about LPI.

    LPI will form a new, distinct brand within the Vidaris platform, which consists of IBA (exterior wall consultancy and inspection group specializing in building facades, roofing, water-proofing, renewable energy and non-destructive testing technologies), and Viridian (energy efficiency, sustainability, commissioning and regulatory compliance services). “The addition of  LPI to the Vidaris platform of companies is yet another step towards the goal we identified when we partnered with Keystone – to build a market leading consulting firm capable of delivering multiple high value, niche services to demanding clients,” remarked Israel Berger, CEO of Vidaris. Please visit www.vidaris.com to learn more about the Vidaris platform.

    Although LPI will become a division of Vidaris, very little will change as a part of the transaction. The four principals of LPI will become principals of Vidaris. Robert Vecchio will become CEO of Lucius Pitkin, Inc. and join the board of Vidaris. All employees and offices of LPI will be retained, and day-to-day operations will be unaffected. The combined firm (IBA, Viridian and LPI) will employ approximately 175 professionals with headquarters in New York City and four locations throughout the country.

    Vidaris’s vision is to acquire highly specialized, niche architectural and engineering firms in order to leverage their expertise to provide a more holistic service across specialties and industries. “Long term, our goal is to utilize the Vidaris platform to provide a superior service level to the clients of IBA, Viridian and LPI than we do today,” commented Marc Weissbach, President of Vidaris. “We believe that by maintaining what has made each of us successful and then building a powerful organization to support the service delivery, we can be even more successful in the future.”

    Keystone Capital continues to seek independent, third party providers of niche, highly specialized engineering consulting services with greater than $5 million of revenue as add-on acquisition/growth strategy targets for Vidaris. Please contact one of the Keystone team members below with any opportunities that might be a fit as a part of this strategy.

    Contact Information

    Scott Gwilliam
    (847) 236-5351
    sgwilliam@keystonecapital.com

    Jason Van Zant
    (847) 236-5354
    jvanzant@keystonecapital.com

    Eric Holter
    (847) 236-5353
    eholter@keystonecapital.com

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    Craft Cast Completes Merger With Avalon Precision Casting Company
    September 2012

    Keystone Capital, Inc. (“Keystone”) is pleased to announce that its affiliate, Craft Cast Holdings, LLC (“Craft Cast”), has completed a merger with Avalon Precision Casting Company (“Avalon”). Terms of the transaction are not being disclosed.

    Avalon is a leading manufacturer of precision investment castings based in Cleveland, Ohio. Founded in 1986 by John Kemper, Sr. and Mel Kman, Avalon is one of the leading niche, independent investment casting foundries in its region. Avalon services blue-chip customers in the general industrial, pump and valve, oil & gas and capital equipment industries. All employees, management, and operations of Avalon will remain unchanged in the partnership with Craft Cast.

    “The partnership between Craft Cast and Avalon demonstrates our commitment to building a leading investment casting platform capable of servicing a broad array of end markets and customers from multiple facilities across the country,” remarked Al Scargall, CEO of Craft Cast.

    “We are extremely pleased with what this partnership will mean for both Avalon and Craft Cast,” said Mel Kman, President of Avalon. “Although our business will remain the same with no noticeable impact to our key stakeholders, we are very excited to continue servicing our customers as a part of a larger, very capable platform,” added Kman.

    About Craft Cast

    Craft Cast is a manufacturer of investment castings in a variety of alloys (including stainless steel, aluminum, and others), as well as a provider of value-added machining and finishing services. Craft Cast’s customer base includes original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) in the consumer products, mining, and general industrial product industries. Craft Cast is headquartered in Jackson, Wisconsin and has been a partner company of Keystone Capital since 2008. For more information, visit www.craftcastco.com.

    Contact Information

    Scott Gwilliam
    (847) 236-5351
    sgwilliam@keystonecapital.com

    Jason Van Zant
    (847) 236-5354
    jvanzant@keystonecapital.com

    Eric Holter
    (847) 236-5353
    eholter@keystonecapital.com

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    PEAK Technologies Completes Acquisition of Catalyst
    August 2012

    Keystone Capital, Inc. (“Keystone”) is pleased to announce that its affiliate, PEAK Technologies, Inc. (“PEAK”), has completed the acquisition of Catalyst from CDC Global Services.  Catalyst is a highly specialized SAP services partner and a leader in the design and implementation of SAP supply chain management solutions.  Catalyst is a specialist in various SAP services and applications, including warehouse management, extended warehouse management, task and resource management, and transportation management.

    “The PEAK acquisition of Catalyst further demonstrates our commitment to the SAP supply chain management market and greatly strengthens the depth and breadth of resources we can deploy to help our customers enhance the usability and functionality of their SAP supply chain components,” said Ross Young, CEO of PEAK Technologies.

    By acquiring Catalyst, PEAK greatly expands its SAP supply chain management services practice by adding some of the most skilled SAP technical and functional consultants in the SAP logistics execution systems market.  Catalyst has developed several applications, such as Yard Management Drag and Drop and Cross Carrier Parcel Integration (Catalyst XPS), which expands PEAK’s portfolio of SAP supply chain management offerings.

    “We are extremely excited to join forces with an industry leader in PEAK that is committed to building on its SAP supply chain management practice,” said Jim Ferencik, Vice President of Global Services with Catalyst.  “Catalyst can now leverage PEAK’s coverage footprint throughout North America and Europe while gaining access to additional capabilities such as the PEAK Automation Controller (PAC) software solution and the host of additional products and services PEAK now brings into the Catalyst portfolio of offerings,” added Ferencik.

    Terms of the transaction are not being disclosed.

    About PEAK Technologies

    PEAK Technologies is a systems integrator of supply chain automation, inventory management and mobility solutions delivering tangible return on investment to some of the world’s largest corporations.  PEAK’s primary applications include solutions for warehousing, manufacturing, distribution, and field-based operations.  PEAK’s portfolio of solutions and services include business process consulting, SAP supply chain and mobility systems integration, mobile technology professional services, printing/media solutions, and life-cycle support services.  PEAK Technologies has locations throughout North America providing a comprehensive “foot print” for national, multi-site life cycle service and support.  For more information, visit www.peaktech.com.

    Contact Information

    Scott Gwilliam
    (847) 236-5351
    sgwilliam@keystonecapital.com

    Jason Van Zant
    (847) 236-5354
    jvanzant@keystonecapital.com

    Eric Holter
    (847) 236-5353
    eholter@keystonecapital.com

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    PEAK Technologies Completes Acquisition of Ryzex
    December 2011

    Keystone Capital, Inc. (“Keystone”) is pleased to announce that its affiliate, PEAK Technologies, Inc. (“PEAK”), has completed the acquisition of Ryzex, a leading mobile technology solutions company providing advice, uptime, and insight on improving productivity to thousands of enterprise customers.  Ryzex, based in Bellingham, WA, has been in business for over 20 years and is one of the largest integrators in the Auto ID industry with over 200 employees, more than 2,000 customers, and a geographic footprint that spans the United States, Canada, and Europe.

    “The union of PEAK and Ryzex will combine the scope, scale, and capabilities of two of the industry’s leading integrators into one platform that will provide customers with an unparalleled level of geographic coverage, and an expanded portfolio of solutions and services,” said Ross Young, CEO of PEAK Technologies.

    By acquiring Ryzex, PEAK Technologies greatly expands its geographic reach and gains additional capabilities in areas such as mobility managed services, advanced mobile technology support services, and other innovative mobile device offerings.  For Ryzex, PEAK’s coverage footprint throughout North America also greatly expands Ryzex’s geographic reach and provides additional capabilities including SAP supply chain integration, onsite break/fix repair services, advanced printer/media offerings, and additional resources focused on WLAN security, management, and professional services.

    “Adding Ryzex into the PEAK Technologies portfolio further strengthens our commitment to our customers and business partners.  Our combined platform will provide an infrastructure of technical resources, project delivery capabilities, and ongoing mobile/printer device life cycle support services that is unmatched in this industry.  Our new platform will help customer’s reduce the risk associated with large-scale project deployments and provide the advice, insight, and support to ensure our customers reach their desired business objectives,” added Young.

    Rud Browne, the Founder of Ryzex added, “The focus for Ryzex over the past several years has been on providing leading edge mobile technology deployment and support services for supply chain and field-based operations in North America and Europe. During this period, we had been approached by several prospective partners who wanted to help us build on the value Ryzex had been bringing to the market.  The opportunity to partner with PEAK proved to be the most compelling.  In addition to providing additional growth capital for the business, PEAK also brought an outstanding and highly complementary infrastructure that had surprisingly little overlap to Ryzex’s already extensive technical expertise and geographic coverage.”

    Terms of the transaction are not being disclosed.  Senior debt financing was provided by The Private Bank, and legal counsel was provided to Keystone by Kirkland & Ellis LLP.

    About PEAK Technologies

    PEAK Technologies is a systems integrator of supply chain automation, inventory management and mobility solutions delivering tangible return on investment to some of the world’s largest corporations.  PEAK’s primary applications include solutions for warehousing, manufacturing, distribution, and field-based operations.  PEAK’s portfolio of solutions and services include business process consulting, SAP supply chain and mobility systems integration, mobile technology professional services, printing/media solutions, and life-cycle support services.  PEAK Technologies has locations throughout North America providing a comprehensive “foot print” for national, multi-site life cycle service and support.  For more information, visit www.peaktech.com.

    About Ryzex

    Ryzex is the leading expert in deploying and managing enterprise wide mobility solutions both locally and globally.  Ryzex advises on and implements world-class solutions utilizing over 20 years of proven best practices, ensures the solution is always up and running for maximum operational uptime, and provides insight so investments continue to perform better.  Offerings include mobile worker applications, rugged hardware, device communications, automated data collection with barcode and RFID, networking support, and complete managed services.  Ryzex is headquartered in the United States and has offices across Europe and Canada.  To date, Ryzex has helped over one million users of mission critical mobile technology across a broad set of markets to get the most from their investment. For more information, visit www.ryzex.com.

    Contact Information

    Scott Gwilliam
    (847) 236-5351
    sgwilliam@keystonecapital.com

    Jason Van Zant
    (847) 236-5354
    jvanzant@keystonecapital.com

    Eric Holter
    (847) 236-5353
    eholter@keystonecapital.com

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    Keystone Capital, Inc. Announces Two Platform Acquisitions Completed
    December 2011

    Keystone Capital, Inc. (“Keystone”) is pleased to announce that it has completed two new platform acquisitions during the fourth quarter of 2011. PEAK Technologies, Inc. (“PEAK”), an integrator of automated identification/data capture (“AIDC”) technologies into supply chain environments, was acquired on October 31, 2011 from an affiliate of Platinum Equity. Less than two months later, Keystone partnered with management to acquire Babcock Eagleton, a pipeline and transmission facilities engineering firm serving the energy industry, from Babcock International Group PLC and renamed the firm Eagleton Engineering, LLC (“Eagleton”).

    “A common element in both transactions was the requirement for speed and certainty to closing,” noted Scott Gwilliam, Managing Director of Keystone Capital. “Keystone differentiated itself in both situations with a willingness to close in less than 45 days. We have a longstanding reputation of meeting such tight timelines, and the Eagleton and PEAK transactions only serve to reinforce that reputation.”

    Terms of these transactions are not being disclosed. Senior debt financing for each transaction was provided by The Private Bank, and legal counsel was provided to Keystone by Kirkland & Ellis LLP.

    Overview: Peak Technologies, Inc.

    PEAK is a leading systems integrator of supply chain automation, inventory management, and mobility solutions. PEAK improves the flow of business for enterprises through delivery of innovative supply chain and mobility solutions by helping enterprises plan, design, implement, and maintain systems that ensure customers meet their desired business objectives. PEAK’s portfolio of solutions and services include business process consulting, SAP supply chain and mobility systems integration, mobile technology professional services, printing/media solutions, and life-cycle support services. PEAK offers both on-site and depot repair services to support AIDC technologies and forms handling equipment. The company’s customer base includes Fortune 500 multi-national organizations and mid-market companies across a diverse array of industries. PEAK is based in Columbia, Maryland and employs over 300 employees across North America. More information on PEAK can be found at www.peaktechnologies.com.

    “We are thrilled to be a part of the Keystone family of companies,” remarked Ross Young, President & CEO of PEAK. “Keystone’s unique strategy will be well received by all of our business partners at PEAK, and we are looking forward to our continued growth.”

    Overview: Eagleton Engineering, LLC

    Eagleton is a full service engineering firm offering planning, design, and construction services for transportation systems and facilities used in natural gas and gas liquids, petrochemicals, carbon dioxide, other industrial gases and crude oil. Over the past 45 years, Eagleton has developed a leading reputation for designing and managing the construction of pipelines, terminals, compressor and pump stations, oil and gas production and processing facilities, slug catchers and two-phase flow systems. Eagleton employs approximately 115 employees, residing both at its Houston, Texas headquarters and in the field. More information on Eagleton can be found at www.eagletoninc.com.

    “I speak for the entire Eagleton organization when I say that we are truly excited to become an independent firm again, and are looking forward to our renewed focus on growth in our core pipeline engineering business,” commented Duain Cagle, President of Eagleton. “We are confident Keystone is going to be a terrific partner for Eagleton.”

    Contact Information

    Scott Gwilliam
    (847) 236-5351
    sgwilliam@keystonecapital.com

    Jason Van Zant
    (847) 236-5354
    jvanzant@keystonecapital.com

    Eric Holter
    (847) 236-5353
    eholter@keystonecapital.com

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    Keystone Capital Update: Capsa Solutions, LLC Announcement
    September 2011

    Capsa Solutions, LLC (“Capsa”), a portfolio company of Keystone Capital, Inc. (“Keystone”), recently completed the sale of its Retail Division to Pipp Mobile Storage Systems, a portfolio company of Prospect Partners. The Retail Division of Capsa, which operates as International Retail Services Group (“IRSG”), is the industry leader in hanger-management systems, inventory transfer racks, tables, and carts provided to leading national apparel retailers.

    Keystone Capital originally partnered with the management team of IRSG to purchase the Company from Avista Corporation in December 2000. For the first seven years of Keystone’s ownership, IRSG operated as a standalone investment supplying the apparel retail and healthcare markets with its innovative inventory management and transportation products. In April 2008, IRSG merged with MMI Med Carts, a family-owned leader in the long-term care medication storage cart industry, giving IRSG a significant entry into the healthcare industry. Subsequent to the MMI merger, the combined business was renamed Capsa Solutions and operated as the Retail Division (IRSG) and the Healthcare Division (MMI). In November 2009, Capsa acquired Artromick International, the market leader in medication carts and an emerging leader in acute care technology carts, an acquisition which added an Acute Care and International division to Capsa and culminated in an enterprise which was predominantly healthcare oriented.

    “The IRSG and Capsa story is a terrific example of the long-term investment strategy Keystone pursues,” remarked Scott Gwilliam, Managing Director of Keystone Capital. “We valued our ten year relationship with IRSG and its great people, and both will be missed. However, we believe IRSG has found a strategic new retail-focused partner in Pipp, and we are looking forward to continue building the new healthcare-focused Capsa. We are in a strong position to execute Capsa’s growth plan both organically as well as through selected add-on acquisitions.”

    Keystone Capital and Capsa Solutions are actively seeking acquisitions of businesses supplying products and technologies to the healthcare industry. Capsa’s strategy is to be a market leader within multiple durable healthcare product segments, including (but not limited to) storage, transport, and technology/information management products used “in and around the patient room.” Please contact one of the Keystone team members below with any acquisition or partnership opportunities that might be a fit with this strategy.

    Contact Information

    Scott Gwilliam
    (847) 236-5351
    sgwilliam@keystonecapital.com

    Jason Van Zant
    (847) 236-5354
    jvanzant@keystonecapital.com

    Eric Holter
    (847) 236-5353
    eholter@keystonecapital.com

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    Keystone Capital Announces Israel Berger & Associates Transaction
    April 2011

    NEW YORK, April 18, 2011 – Israel Berger & Associates LLC (IBA), a leading consulting and inspection group specializing in building envelope technologies, announced a merger with Viridian Energy & Environmental LLC (Viridian), a leading consulting group specializing in energy efficiency and environmentally responsible design/construction.  “We are very excited about this merger with Viridian.  This is the first step in our strategy to build the leading building services consulting firm.  The combination of IBA and Viridian allows us to integrate our shared expertise in building envelope, energy efficiency, and building commissioning to offer a holistic approach to our customers in these building sciences," says Israel Berger, President of IBA. IBA has been a partner company of Keystone Capital, Inc. since a 2006 recapitalization.

    Building designers, developers, owners, and managers will benefit from the combined firm’s technical proficiency in primary building systems that impact energy usage and building operations.  Adrian Tuluca, Principal of Viridian Energy & Environmental, offered the following statement: “There is tremendous synergy between energy, green and commissioning; traditionally Viridian’s services, and envelope consulting; traditionally IBA’s services. Both firms have long recognized that fragmentation of these services creates difficulties in achieving optimum results during design, construction and post-occupancy. We are happy to be now part of a larger, integrated group and look forward to delivering to our clients a higher level of integration and quality.”

    Israel Berger and Marc Weissbach will continue in their positions of President and COO, respectively, of IBA. Adrian Tuluca will remain the Managing Principal of the combined energy consulting and commissioning practice and will join the Board of IBA.  Viridian’s Associate Principals will join IBA’s senior management team and all Viridian employees will remain with the company as part of the transaction. The combined company will employ approximately 120 employees and be headquartered in New York City with offices in Connecticut, Massachusetts, Florida, Nevada, Missouri, and California. For more information, visit IBA's website at www.ibany.com and Viridian’s website at www.viridianee.com.

    IBA’s vision is to execute a “roll up” strategy within the building sciences industry that will ultimately reduce gaps within the complex, fragmented specialty consulting industry and offer clients the ability to have a single leader manage related services, thereby ensuring technical excellence, integration, and consistency of delivery. Keystone Capital continues to seek independent, third party providers of architectural or building engineering consulting services with greater than $5 million of revenue as add-on acquisition/growth strategy targets for IBA. Please contact one of the Keystone team members below with any opportunities that might be a fit as a part of this strategy.

    Contact Information

    Scott Gwilliam
    (847) 236-5351
    sgwilliam@keystonecapital.com

    Jason Van Zant
    (847) 236-5354
    jvanzant@keystonecapital.com

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    Eric Holter Joins Keystone Capital
    April 2011

    Keystone Capital, Inc. (“Keystone”) is pleased to welcome Eric Holter to the firm as an Associate. Eric’s primary focus will be in Keystone’s acquisition and business development group, with responsibility for identification, sourcing, and execution of new acquisition and investment opportunities for Keystone and its partner companies.

    Prior to joining Keystone, Eric was an investment banker with Duff & Phelps in Chicago where his primary areas of focus were in executing sell-side and buy-side M&A transactions in the consumer product, food, and manufacturing industries. He holds a bachelors degree from Indiana University.

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    Keystone Capital, Inc. Realizes Its Ten Year Investment in Keystone Bakery Holdings, LLC
    September 2010

    Keystone Capital, Inc. (“Keystone”) is pleased to announce that Keystone Bakery Holdings, LLC (“KBH”), has been acquired by Maplehurst Bakeries, LLC (“Maplehurst”), a subsidiary of George Weston Limited (“Weston”) (TSX: WN), for a total consideration of approximately $185 million. KBH is a leading national supplier of frozen baked goods to the in-store bakery and foodservice industries and was originally purchased by Keystone and KBH management in early 2001.

    Keystone initially acquired Freed’s Bakery, Inc. (“Freed’s”), a leading supplier of frozen, thaw and sell cupcakes to the in-store bakery channel, in 2001 in partnership with the management team and the Streeter family of Manchester, NH. In 2006, the KBH bakery platform expanded with the acquisition of Granny’s Kitchens, Ltd. (“Granny’s”), a leading supplier of both frozen pre-fried and frozen, thaw and sell donuts to the in-store bakery and foodservice channels based in Frankfort, NY. KBH then acquired Heartland Baking (“Heartland”), a manufacturer of frozen, thaw and sell cookies based in Du Quoin, IL, to round out the KBH platform in 2009.

    “The Keystone Bakeries exit is a real testament to the long-term, patient capital strategy of Keystone Capital. We partnered with exceptional managers and together executed on a highly focused, disciplined acquisition and organic growth strategy,” said Scott Gwilliam, Managing Director, Keystone Capital, Inc. “We are particularly pleased to be transitioning the Keystone Bakeries business to Maplehurst. We wish our managers, employees and the George Weston organization continued success in the future.”

    W. Galen Weston, the Chairman and President of Weston, in announcing the transaction stated that “I am very pleased to welcome Keystone Bakeries and the employees of Freed’s, Granny’s and Heartland to the Weston Group. The combination of Keystone Bakery and Weston’s baking operations in the United States and Canada will allow us to better serve our customers in the North American sweet baked goods sector.”

    Keystone Bakeries was advised by investment banking firm William Blair & Company and law firm Kirkland & Ellis LLP.

    About George Weston Limited

    George Weston Limited is a Canadian public company founded in 1882 and through its operating subsidiaries constitutes one of North America’s largest food processing and distribution groups. Weston has two reportable operating segments: Weston Foods and Loblaw, which is operated by Loblaw Companies Limited. The Weston Foods operating segment is primarily engaged in the baking industry within North America. Loblaw is Canada’s largest food distributor and a leading provider of general merchandise, drugstore and financial products and services.

    Contact Information

    Scott Gwilliam
    (847) 236-5351
    sgwilliam@keystonecapital.com

    Alex Schneider
    (847) 236-5353
    aschneider@keystonecapital.com

    Jason Van Zant
    (847) 236-5354
    jvanzant@keystonecapital.com

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    Capsa Solutions, LLC Acquires Artromick International, Inc.
    November 2009

    Keystone Capital, Inc. (“Keystone”) is pleased to announce that its affiliate, Capsa Solutions, LLC (“Capsa”), has acquired the assets of the Mobile Solutions Group of Artromick International, Inc. (“Artromick”) from private equity firm Sterling Partners.  Artromick is an industry-leading designer and manufacturer of medication carts, medical carts, and technology carts for the long-term care and acute care industries.  Artromick represents the second add-on acquisition Keystone has closed in the preceding two months and was completed in under 40 days from Letter of Intent to closing. The acquisition also represents the fifth acquisition that Keystone has completed since October 2008.

    Keystone initially acquired International Retail Services Group (“IRSG”), a leading supplier of storage and material handling products to the retail industry, in 2001.  IRSG subsequently acquired MMI Med Carts (“MMI”), a growing manufacturer of medication carts for the long-term care industry, in 2008 to form Capsa.  Thus, the acquisition of Artromick represents the second acquisition by Capsa in the past 2 years.   “The partnership with Artromick demonstrates Keystone Capital’s long-term and patient investing philosophy as evidenced by our continued investment in the Capsa platform,” said Scott Gwilliam, Managing Director, Keystone Capital, Inc.

    Located in Columbus, Ohio, Artromick has a long history of innovative product development and market leadership since its founding in 1972 by J.M. Romick.  “Artromick has a history of integrating superior design with the latest technology features to improve the efficiency of care givers at the point of care,” noted Capsa Solutions CEO Dave Burns.  “The addition of Artromick to the Capsa family is an absolute win for our healthcare partners.  Our spectrum of cart, storage, and mobility solutions fill the needs of almost any healthcare application.  Artromick is a strong and healthy brand that will continue to grow as part of Capsa Solutions.”

    The combined product lines of Artromick, MMI and IRSG will cover virtually every room of an acute or long-term healthcare facility.  “The acquisition of Artromick Mobile Solutions Group by Capsa Solutions creates a significantly stronger healthcare firm for our domestic and international core markets,” said Artromick CEO Paul Guth.  “This alliance of products and professionals with extensive healthcare experience will drive new innovation that facilitates accuracy in the delivery of patient care.”

    Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.  Senior debt financing was provided by The Private Bank and Fifth Third Bank.  Mezzanine financing was provided by Midwest Mezzanine Funds.

    Capsa remains committed to future acquisitions in the durable healthcare products and equipment industry.  However, in order to diversify its end market base, Capsa is also interested in other opportunities to acquire industry-leading suppliers of mobility solutions, material handling solutions, and storage solutions serving alternate end markets, including light manufacturing and assembly.

    About Capsa Solutions, LLC

    Capsa Solutions, LLC is a leading supplier of carts, storage, shelving, transport and processing solutions for the healthcare, retail, and light manufacturing industries.  Capsa Solutions will be comprised of three lines of business, which include IRSG, MMI Med Carts, and Artromick.  IRSG, with operations in Itasca, IL, is the market leader in specialized storage and handling solutions sold into the retail, healthcare and light industrial markets.  MMI Med Carts, with operations in Los Angeles, CA, is a leading supplier of medication carts for the long-term care industry.  Artromick International, with operations in Columbus, OH, is a leading designer and manufacturer of medication carts, medical carts, and technology carts for the long-term care and acute care industries.  For more information on Capsa Solutions, please see www.capsasolutions.com.

    About Sterling Partners

    Sterling Partners is a leading private equity firm with over 25 years of experience partnering with entrepreneurs to build market-leading businesses and generate superior returns.  With approximately $4 billion of assets under management, Sterling invests growth capital in industries with positive, long-term trends and provides ongoing support to management through a dedicated team of industry veterans, operators, strategy experts and human capital professionals.  Sterling Partners is a leader in education, healthcare and business services and is co-headquartered in Chicago and Baltimore, with additional offices in Mexico City and Delhi.  For more information, please visit www.sterlingpartners.com.

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    Keystone Bakery Holdings, LLC Acquires Heartland Baking, LLC
    September 2009

    Keystone Capital, Inc. (“Keystone”) is pleased to announce that its affiliate, Keystone Bakery Holdings, LLC (“KBH”), has acquired the assets of Heartland Bakery, LLC (“Heartland”).  Heartland is a manufacturer of thaw and serve cookies for the in-store bakery, foodservice, and convenience store markets.  Heartland joins Freed’s Bakery (“Freed’s”) and Granny’s Kitchens (“Granny’s”) in the KBH family of leading specialty baked goods manufacturers.

    The acquisition of Heartland represents the third acquisition by Keystone Bakery Holdings in the bakery industry.  Keystone initially acquired Freed’s, a leading supplier of cupcakes to the in-store bakery channel, in 2001 and acquired Granny’s, a leading supplier of donuts to similar channels, in 2006.  “The partnership with Heartland demonstrates Keystone Capital’s long-term and patient investing philosophy as evidenced by our continued investment in our bakery platform,” said Scott Gwilliam, Managing Director, Keystone Capital, Inc.

    Located in Du Quoin, Illinois, Heartland was founded in 2006 by Steven Scaff and James Mitro.  Heartland is recognized for its innovative and high quality products, superior customer service and breadth of seasonal and everyday cookie products.  The partnership with KBH will allow Heartland to grow through expanded sales channel reach and operational synergies.  “We have a unique opportunity to capitalize on the growth and reputation of both companies by expanding the broad portfolio of products we can provide our customers,” noted Kevin McDonough, President and Chief Executive Officer of Keystone Bakery Holdings.

    KBH remains committed to future acquisitions in the wholesale bakery industry, and is currently targeting segments such as muffins, fully finished cakes, and laminated products (danishes, croissants, and pastries). Please contact any member of the Keystone acquisitions team below regarding any acquisition opportunities in the wholesale bakery industry.

    About Keystone Bakery Holdings, LLC

    Keystone Bakery Holdings, LLC is a leading supplier of sweet baked goods to the in-store bakery, foodservice, and convenience store channels.  The operating subsidiaries of Keystone Bakery Holdings include Freed’s Bakery, Granny’s Kitchens, and Heartland Bakery Company.  Freed’s is the leading supplier of cupcakes for the in-store bakery channel based in Manchester, New Hampshire.  Granny’s Kitchens is the leading supplier of donuts to the in-store bakery, foodservice, and convenience store channels based in Frankfort, New York.  Heartland Bakery Company is a specialty supplier of seasonal and everyday cookies for the in-store bakery channel based in Du Quoin, Illinois.

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    Chaoran Jin Joins Keystone Capital
    April 2009

    Keystone Capital, Inc. (“Keystone”) is pleased to welcome Chaoran Jin to the firm as a Vice President. An experienced operations professional in a variety of roles, Chaoran will be an integral part of supporting the management teams of Keystone’s family of companies with operational, strategic, and other initiatives.

    Prior to joining Keystone, Chaoran was with Owens Corning as Site Leader and General Manager of two large manufacturing facilities in Chicago. Chaoran’s previous experience also includes broad-based consulting experience at McKinsey & Company in Chicago, the mergers & acquisitions department of Citigroup in Hong Kong, and in product development at Motorola’s mobile division. She holds a Masters of Business Administration from the University of Chicago, a M.S. in Electrical Engineering from the University of Illinois, and a B.S. from Tsinghua University.

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    Jason Van Zant Joins Keystone Capital
    January 2009

    Keystone Capital, Inc. (“Keystone”) is pleased to welcome Jason Van Zant to the firm as an Associate. Jason’s primary focus will be in Keystone’s acquisition and business development group, with responsibility for identification, sourcing, and execution of new acquisition and investment opportunities for Keystone and its partner companies.

    Prior to joining Keystone, Jason was an investment banker with Lincoln International LLC in Chicago where his primary areas of focus were in executing sell-side and buy-side M&A transactions in the consumer product, food, and manufacturing industries. He holds a BBA from the University of Iowa.

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    Keystone Capital, Inc. Acquires Rocore Holdings
    October 2008

    Keystone Capital, Inc. (“Keystone”) is pleased to announce that it has acquired Rocore Holdings, Inc. (“Rocore”), a leading designer and manufacturer of heat exchangers and related equipment used to cool air, water, or oil for a variety of applications.

    The Rocore acquisition represents the second acquisition for Keystone Capital during 2008, and was completed during a time when the broader financial markets are experiencing significant turmoil. “The acquisition of Rocore demonstrates Keystone Capital’s ability to close complex transactions with a high degree of certainty and speed to closing – especially given the broader economic and financial market environment,” said Scott Gwilliam, Managing Director of Keystone Capital.

    Rocore’s products are sold to original equipment manufacturers and aftermarket users across a diverse range of industries, including heavy duty truck, power generation, industrial, rail, military, bus and construction equipment. The Company’s products consist primarily of radiators, heat exchangers, and cooling products made of copper, brass, and aluminum.  Rocore is headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana, with facilities in Franklin, WI, Paducah, KY, Burkesville, KY and Knoxville, TN. Rocore is led by President and CEO Stuart Eden, an industry veteran previously with Serck Services and Honeywell.

    Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.  Keystone Capital and Rocore are committed to the future growth of the Company, and are interested in discussing opportunities to acquire other manufacturers of heat exchanging products, as well as other niche industrial equipment manufacturers.

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    Keystone Capital, Inc. Acquires Craft Cast Company
    October 2008

    Keystone Capital, Inc. (“Keystone”) is pleased to announce that it has acquired Craft Cast Company (“Craft Cast”), a specialty full-service investment castings manufacturer serving the mining, consumer product, and niche industrial markets.

    The Craft Cast acquisition represents the third acquisition for Keystone Capital during 2008, and was completed during a time when the broader financial markets are experiencing significant turmoil. “The acquisition of Craft Cast demonstrates Keystone Capital’s ability to close complex transactions with a high degree of certainty and speed to closing – especially given the broader economic and financial market environment,” said Scott Gwilliam, Managing Director of Keystone Capital.

    Craft Cast is a full service provider of castings in ferrous and non-ferrous metals and alloys, including stainless steel, brass, bronze, aluminum, and others.  The Company also offers complete engineering support, as well as machining, assembly and finishing services.  This full range of capabilities allows Craft Cast to serve as a one-stop shop that produces a finished part for its diverse set of customers.  Craft Cast is headquartered in Jackson, Wisconsin and is led by President and CEO Alexander (Al) Scargall, an industry veteran previously with General Motors and Brillion Iron Works.

    Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.  Keystone Capital and Craft Cast are committed to the future growth of the Company, and are interested in discussing opportunities to acquire other casting manufacturers (investment casting and other), niche machining service providers, and other manufacturers of precision metal components supplied to world class OEMs in any industry.

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    Judson Technologies, LLC is Acquired by Teledyne Scientific & Imaging, LLC
    February 2008

    Keystone Capital, Inc. (“Keystone”) is pleased to announce that it has realized its investment in Judson Technologies, LLC (“Judson”), a leading designer and manufacturer of high performance infrared detectors and accessory products based in Montgomeryville, PA. The acquirer of Judson is Teledyne Technologies Incorporated (NYSE:TDY), through its subsidiary Teledyne Scientific & Imaging, LLC.  Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

    Judson manufactures high performance infrared detectors utilizing a wide variety of materials such as Mercury Cadmium Telluride (HgCdTe), Indium Antimonide (InSb), and Indium Gallium Arsenide (InGaAs), as well as tactical dewar and cooler assemblies and other specialized standard products for military, space, industrial and scientific applications. After the closing, the acquired business will operate under the name Teledyne Judson Technologies.

    About Teledyne Technologies Incorporated

    Teledyne Technologies is a leading provider of sophisticated electronic subsystems, instrumentation and communication products, engineered systems, aerospace engines, and energy and power generation systems. Teledyne Technologies’ operations are primarily located in the United States, the United Kingdom and Mexico.

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    I have represented two businesses that were acquired by Keystone, and I can say without question they are one of the most straightforward, thoughtful, efficient and effective buyers I have had the chance to deal with. They have and will continue to represent a very compelling and unique outcome for my clients.
    Stephen Madden
    Managing Director, Business Capital Exchange

    Testimonials and endorsements reflect Keystone's and portfolio company management's opinions and beliefs regarding the company and the investment. Such opinions and beliefs are subjective, do not represent a complete assessment of the company, the market or Keystone's overall investment performance and cannot be independently verified. Such statements are being offered as references for purposes of demonstrating the benefits of working with the Keystone team and not on the basis of being an investor in a portfolio company or, if applicable, a Keystone fund. Portfolio company executives receive/received a salary and economics from the portfolio company. No executives were paid for their testimonial or endorsement. There is a conflict of interest in these unpaid testimonials and endorsements in that all speakers stand to benefit from Keystone's success and for the portfolio company executives specially, their company is owned or partially owned by a Keystone fund.

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