APPROACH

Calera seeks to work with outstanding founders, families and management teams, helping them to unlock the untapped potential of their businesses

PHILOSOPHY

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For us, partnership is more than a buzzword. We take our commitment to our business partners extremely seriously and have built a reputation for constructive dialogue, integrity and fair dealing.

Our focus on a relatively small number of outstanding situations ensures that we are closely aligned with management partners. And our strategic and operating orientation allows us to bring genuine value to the businesses in which we invest.

Calera has a history of investing alongside founders, families and management teams in their businesses. For every $2 that we have invested from our funds, we have had $1 invested alongside of us by our partners. This is a unique statistic in our industry. Our typical investment involves a founder, entrepreneur or management team that believes strongly in the future of their business, is looking to retain a significant ownership position, and is seeking the right partner to help them maximize both their legacy and the value of their ongoing ownership interest. We are enormously proud that we have been selected as the partner of choice in so many of these situations. We take pride in being the preferred partner for those seeking an investment firm with the skills, working style and experience to help them take their businesses to the next level.

We are focused on bringing strategic and operating insights and resources to build great businesses of enduring value. As a result, the vast majority of our historical returns have been driven by the earnings growth of our portfolio companies, rather than by relying on leverage and financial engineering.

TRANSACTION
TYPES

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Calera Capital offers a broad range of capital solutions for middle market companies.

We have experience investing in a range of transaction types, including:

  • Founder or family-owned businesses where existing shareholders are seeking liquidity together with a partner to help them take the business to the next level.
  • Private company recapitalizations where management teams are seeking to replace an existing shareholder.
  • Spin-offs from divisions of larger companies where management sees untapped opportunities resulting from independence.
  • Take private transactions in partnership with management where companies can be built more successfully in a private company context.
  • Companies seeking capital for transformative acquisitions or for growth.

Calera seeks businesses that have:

  • Unique business models
  • The potential to be a market leader
  • Strong growth potential supported by sustainable trends
  • Low capital intensity and high returns on tangible capital

OPERATING INSIGHTS AND RESOURCES

Calera entrusts the day-to-day management of businesses to our management partners. However, we have been able to bring a range of value added insights and resources to our management partners in the following areas:
Strategy
Growth Initiatives
Operating Plans
Acquisition Planning and Execution
Organizational and Human Capital Initiatives
Best-in-Class Management Practices
Governance
Capital Structure and Liquidity Planning
STRATEGY

A rigorous definition of strategy is the foundation of success of any business. Given the pressures of daily operations, it's often difficult for management to find the time for strategic planning. Calera helps through:

  • Rigorous analysis of industry dynamics and competitive dynamics
  • Definition of what the company will do differently
  • Scenario analysis
  • Agreement on what the company won't do – forcing hard choices
  • Establishing key priorities
  • Developing financial plans to support strategy
GROWTH INITIATIVES

Calera has successfully supported our management partners in driving strong organic growth through:

  • Accessing new markets
  • Improving product development processes and launching new offerings
  • Penetrating new distribution channels
  • Expanding geographies, including international
  • Enhanced marketing programs
OPERATING PLANS

Calera can assist in prioritizing operating plans that support strategy and long term goals.

  • Establish key priorities
  • Establish goals and measurement metrics – KPIs
  • Define clear responsibilities
  • Tie priorities, responsibilities and KPIs to rewards
ACQUISITION PLANNING AND EXECUTION

Many businesses can drive long term value through strategic acquisitions supported by detailed integration planning.  Calera can provide support through:

  • Clearly defining an acquisition plan to support the overall strategy
  • Landscape analysis to identify targets
  • Aggressive target outreach process
  • Rigorous evaluation process
  • Development of detailed integration plans
ORGANIZATIONAL AND HUMAN CAPITAL INITIATIVES

People are the heart of any businesses. Calera can assist in developing organizational strength through:

  • Evaluating human capital needs relative to strategy and operating plans
  • Coaching and development of existing team
  • Recruiting to fill gaps based on comprehensive understanding of what’s needed
BEST-IN-CLASS MANAGEMENT PRACTICES

As a result of its broad perspective and involvement in many different businesses, Calera can bring a helpful perspective on management practices that are best in class.

  • Expose management to “Best in Class”
  • Introduce internal and external resources to help management bridge the gap
  • Facilitate organizational ownership and buy-in
GOVERNANCE

Calera can help management teams construct a board that can be a thoughtful, cooperative and value enhancing resource.

  • Analysis of what skills, expertise or relationships could help the company
  • Develop detailed specifications
  • Aggressive and proactive sourcing of attractive candidates
  • Addition of high impact, value add resources with strong cultural fit – not window dressing
CAPITAL STRUCTURE AND LIQUIDITY PLANNING

Calera can assist a business in its ongoing capital needs and help management teams to prepare for a future liquidity event.

  • Acquisition planning, execution and funding
  • Growth equity
  • IPO readiness
  • Strategic exit planning