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TEAM Sierra Equity Partners is affiliated with KCA Partners, a San Francisco-based private equity firm founded in 1993. KCA will work with Sierra Equity Partners to identify a business, complete the acquisition, serve as a board advisor and provide KCA's unique experience and strategic perspective from over 15 years in the lower middle market. For more information on KCA, please visit www.kcapartners.com. Sierra Equity Partners also benefits from a team of advisors comprised of accomplished financial investors, entrepreneurs, managers and business advisors with substantial experience operating and growing entrepreneurial companies across a range of industries. The team understands the challenges of running a small business and they serve as active advisors in the acquisition process as well as active board directors post-close to support the growth of the business. JP Lachance, Managing Partner JP has over 12 years of experience managing, advising and investing in small and medium sized businesses as a member of leading private equity, debt financing and advisory firms. JP's experience spans diverse industries, including business services, manufacturing, distribution, consumer products and services, infrastructure, energy services and transportation. In addition to his work with Sierra, JP is also a Principal at KCA Partners, a lower middle market private equity firm based in San Francisco. At KCA, JP serves on the board of Griplock Systems, a specialized provider of cable suspension products to a variety of commercial and industrial markets. JP acts as a hands-on operating resource to the Griplock management team in order to drive strategic, operating and financial initiatives. Previously, JP worked for CapitalSource Finance LLC, a specialty finance company focused on providing debt capital and equity co-investments to facilitate leveraged buyouts, consolidations, growth financings and recapitalizations. Prior to joining CapitalSource, JP was with Windward Capital, a middle-market private equity firm based in New York. At Windward, JP was responsible for evaluating, structuring, executing and monitoring leveraged buyout, recapitalization and growth equity investments. While at Windward, JP served as an active board advisor to four companies and worked with portfolio company management to develop growth strategies, implement operating improvements, add management depth, prepare annual budgets, refine marketing plans, raise financing and complete add-on acquisitions. JP began his career in the investment banking division of Credit Suisse First Boston. JP holds an M.B.A., with distinction, from the Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University and a BSBA, summa cum laude, from Villanova University. SELECTED INVESTMENT ADVISORS KCA Partners KCA Partners is a private equity firm with a track record of building leading companies. KCA works with a limited number of platform companies in order to devote both the operational and financial resources necessary for lower middle market companies to achieve their potential. Since the firm's founding in 1993, KCA has operated as a partnership between the firm's principals and the management teams in its operating companies. KCA has completed over 15 investments across six platforms in consumer healthcare, environmental services, energy efficient mechanical components, natural and organic food, outdoor media and custom manufacturing. PJ Nora, Partner PJ Nora co-founded KCA in 1993 with Sedge Dienst. Mr. Nora sits on the boards of all KCA portfolio companies, focusing on strategy development and acquisitions. Previously, Mr. Nora was a founding member of one of Wall Street's preeminent restructuring groups. As a director with Smith Barney Shearson, and previously with Drexel Burnham Lambert, he has structured and negotiated transactions including exchange offers, pre-packaged bankruptcies and specialized M & A. Previously, Mr. Nora was a senior consultant with Arthur Andersen Consulting (now Accenture) developing strategic information systems. Mr. Nora holds an M.B.A. from the Harvard Business School and a bachelor's degree in Human Biology from Stanford University. Sedge Dienst, Partner Sedge Dienst co-founded KCA in 1993 with PJ Nora. Mr. Dienst sits on the boards of all KCA portfolio companies, focusing on strategy development and acquisitions. Previously, Mr. Dienst was president and CEO of Western Sky Industries, where he overhauled the marketing and operations of this aircraft and automotive parts manufacturer. Earlier, Mr. Dienst was a strategy consultant at Booz, Allen & Hamilton, serving clients in consumer packaged goods and a variety of other industries. He also held several product management positions with Carnation Company and Nestle. Mr. Dienst holds an M.B.A. with distinction from the Harvard Business School and a bachelor's degree with honors in Managerial Economics from the University of California at Davis. Steve Etter, Advisor Stephen Etter is one of the Founding Partners of Greyrock Capital Group. Greyrock provides subordinated debt and equity to finance buyouts, recapitalizations and the internal growth needs of middle market companies. Mr. Etter and his Greyrock Partners have invested in over 125 companies in a wide range of industries including manufacturing, consumer wholesale, building materials, industrial equipment and service businesses. Prior to founding Greyrock in 2002 with his partners, Mr. Etter held positions at Bank of America, GE Capital, Barclayıs Bank and Citicorp where he focused on senior and mezzanine debt. From 1983 to 1987 he worked for Price Waterhouse, during which time he obtained his CPA. Mr. Etter received his undergraduate degree and MBA from the Haas School of Business where he has been a Lecturer of Corporate Finance for the past 14years. He has been awarded the Chet Distinguished Teaching Award. He currently serves on the Audit Committee for the University of California at Berkeley Foundation and is in his eleventh year serving as a Director of the San Francisco Giants Community Fund. John Hoesley, Advisor John Hoesley is a Partner at Prism Capital, a Chicago-based private equity firm that provides subordinated debt to lower middle market companies through the Prism Mezzanine Fund and expansion capital to smaller growing companies through the Prism Opportunity Fund. Mr. Hoesley serves on the boards of SterilMed Holdings, ISD Holdings, Trustwave and Celleration. Prior to joining Prism, Mr. Hoesley served as the Chief Financial Officer of Legato Partners, LLC, where he led the successful effort to restart two divisions of Foster & Gallagher, Inc., a leading direct marketing company focused on horticultural products, as part of its Chapter 11 reorganization. Mr. Hoesley was also the co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of eVincio Corporation, a provider of enterprise-class content management software. Prior to eVincio, he spent four years at Credit Suisse First Boston, where he specialized in financings for international and technology businesses. Mr. Hoesley is a member of the Board of Directors of the Illinois Venture Capital Association, the Treasurer and a member of the Board of Directors of the IMSA Fund for the Advancement of Education, a member of Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy's President's Alumni Advisory Council and a member of the Midwest Healthcare Investors Network. Mr. Hoesley received an MBA from J.L. Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University and a BS in Chemistry from the University of Illinois. Barry Rudolph, Advisor Barry Rudolph is a Managing Director at Presidio Investors, a San Francisco-based principal investment group that provides flexible investment capital to entrepreneurs and the companies they lead. Previously, Mr. Rudolph was CFO of Chipcon Group prior to its $200 million acquisition by Texas Instruments in early 2006, and post-acquisition served as General Manager of Low Power Wireless Software. Mr. Rudolph also was the Founding CEO of Figure 8 Wireless, which merged with Chipcon in 2005. He achieved an IRR of over 80% for Figure 8's initial institutional investors. Previous to founding Figure 8, Mr. Rudolph served as Vice President at Widcomm (acquired by Broadcom). Mr. Rudolph was also an investor at Chase Capital Partners (now CCMP Capital), where he executed private and growth equity investments. Prior to Chase Capital Partners, Mr. Rudolph worked on corporate finance and M&A transactions in the Investment Banking Group of Merrill Lynch & Co, in both the US and Asia. Mr. Rudolph graduated magna cum laude from Macalester College in St. Paul, MN, and received a M.B.A from Harvard Business School. Doug Trussler, Advisor Doug Trussler co-founded Bison Capital in 2001. Bison Capital invests growth equity in fundamentally strong middle-market companies, public or private, for expansion, acquisitions or recapitalizations. Previously, Mr. Trussler was at Windward Capital Partners LP, and at Credit Suisse First Boston. Mr. Trussler is currently a member of the Board of Directors of GTS Holdings, Inc., Performance Team Freight Systems, Inc., Royal Wolf Australia Ltd., Royal Wolf Trading New Zealand Limited, BC_ Environmental Corp., Big Rock Sports, LLC and The Center For Wound Healing, Inc. He was formerly a member of the Board of Directors of Twin Med, LLC and Helinet Aviation, Inc. Mr. Trussler earned a BA with honors in Business Administration from the University of Western Ontario in Canada. |
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