Calera Capital is a private equity

Private equity

Private equity, in finance, is an asset class consisting of equity securities in operating companies that are not publicly traded on a stock exchange....

 firm focused on investments in middle-market companies. Founded in 1991, Calera Capital has $2.8 billion of assets under management

Assets under management

Assets under management is a financial term used denote the market value of funds being managed by a financial instutition on behalf of its clients, investors, depositors, etc. This metric is a sign of size and success against competition...

. The firm is currently investing out of its fourth fund, Calera Capital Partners IV, which was raised in 2008. Calera Capital has offices in San Francisco and Boston

Boston

Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...

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Investment Criteria and Transaction Types

Calera Capital makes equity investments in operating companies with enterprise values up to $1 billion. The firm seeks to deploy between $50 million and $250 million in each transaction. Many of Calera Capital’s investments have involved founder- or family-owned businesses, and the firm reports that existing shareholders have re-invested over $420 million in transactions with Calera Capital.

The firm pursues several types of transactions, including:

• Leveraged recapitalizations
• Corporate spin-offs
• Take-private transactions
• Investments to facilitate growth or acquisitions
• Restructurings

Calera has made investments across a range of industries, including:

• Financial Services
• Building Products
• Food/Consumer
• Healthcare
• Industrial Products
• Natural Resources
• Business Services
• Retail

History

Calera Capital was founded in 1991 as a partnership between the investment professionals and the Fremont Group, a private investment company based in San Francisco. Calera Capital’s initial pool of funds was provided by the Fremont Group. Calera Capital raised its first institutional fund, Calera Capital Partners II, in 1996 with a diverse group of investors. Calera Capital Partners III was raised in 2001 further expanding the firm’s investor base.

Prior to 2007, Calera Capital was known as Fremont Partners, a name the firm derived from the Fremont Group. The name change to Calera Capital occurred as the firm began raising its fourth (and current) fund, Calera Capital Partners IV, and reflected the firm’s transition to an entirely independent entity owned by the investment professionals and no longer affiliated with the Fremont Group.

Current Portfolio Companies

• Sterling Infosystems
• Grandpoint
• First Republic Bank
• Rock-It Cargo
• Ironshore
• LoopNet
• Direct General
• IPS Corporation
• ModSpace

Prior Portfolio Companies

• Kinetic Concepts
• McCormick Packaging
• Specialty Brands
• Vantage Building Products
• Juno Lighting
• Kerr Group
• Resun Leasing
• Software Architects
• Tapco International
• Coldwell Banker
• Crown Pacific
• Petro Stopping Centers