ST. LOUIS — January 23, 2009 — Forsyth Capital Investors LLC, a St. Louis‐based investment firm, announced today the startup of its $100 million fund. Forsyth Capital Investors, which has been formed to invest in small‐ to middle‐market private companies in the U.S., is led by Chet Walker, founder of Banc of America Capital Investors, which invested approximately $1.5 billion in more than 100 companies during his 10‐year tenure, and Kyle Chapman, a private equity executive with both investing and operating experience.
In addition to providing private equity expertise, Forsyth Capital Investors has formed a strategic partnership with Barry‐Wehmiller Companies, Inc. (www.barry‐wehmiller.com), a global supplier of engineering consulting and manufacturing technology solutions, to leverage its operating experience for the benefit of the portfolio companies of Forsyth Capital Investors.
“Forsyth Capital Investors will employ a unique ‘hybrid’ approach to investing that blends the best of private equity practices with the deep operational expertise of Barry‐Wehmiller to strengthen the value proposition of an investment by our firm,” explained Chet Walker, co‐founder and Senior Managing Director of Forsyth Capital Investors. “This combination should enable us to more effectively drive value to our portfolio companies through active strategy development and operational improvements, while relying less on financial leverage to generate returns.”
“We are excited to be able to bring more to the table than just financial engineering,” said Kyle Chapman, co‐founder and Managing Director of Forsyth Capital Investors. “Our goal will be to enhance the value of our portfolio companies by utilizing the strategic resources offered by Barry‐Wehmiller — whether it is cost savings through combined purchasing, people‐centric motivational programs or ‘turnaround’ capabilities — while, at the same time, not compromising the entrepreneurial culture and autonomy of the leadership teams as separate portfolio companies of Forsyth Capital Investors.”
Robert Chapman, Chairman and CEO of Barry‐Wehmiller Companies, Inc., said, “We believe that aspects of our operational skill sets, the leadership culture, and the people‐centric focus that we have developed over the past 35 years are transferable to other industries and other companies outside of Barry‐Wehmiller’s core focus areas of equipment manufacturing and consulting services. Our partnership with Forsyth Capital Investors will allow us to explore potential new applications of our business model and leadership practices, while also providing Barry‐Wehmiller’s shareholders with further diversification and another growth engine for share value enhancement.”
Forsyth Capital Investors will focus on investing in small‐ to middle‐market companies that have EBITDA in the range of $5 million to $10 million, and will be making equity investments of $10 million to $30 million for majority ownership positions. For more information on Forsyth Capital Investors, please visit the website: www.forsythcapital.com.