Lakeview Investments
Two Industry Power Houses Come Together to Redefine Event Housing Management
In April 2008, Lakeview Equity Partners acquired a majority interest in Travel Technology Group, LLC. Travel Tech, based in Chicago, is a premier provider of housing services for more than 200 events worldwide each year. Founded in 1984, Travel Tech is a key player in the events industry. The company provides event organizers and their customers with full-service housing and travel solutions, using award-winning technology. Travel Tech’s clients include Reed Exhibitions, Merchandise Mart Properties, Penton Media, the National Restaurant Association, the International Housewares Association and the 2008 Republican National Convention, to name a few. Travel Tech’s founders, Tom Baur and Bob Derham, retain a significant minority equity interest in the company. The company’s senior management team continues to manage day-to-day operations while working with Lakeview Equity on future growth strategies.
In April 2009, Lakeview Equity Partners acquired the assets of Ambassadors, an Atlanta-based event housing and registration services company. We’re committed to driving service excellence in the event planning industry,” said Joseph Cesarz, vice president of Lakeview. “Both companies are innovative market leaders and will continue to define industry standards.”
In December 2009, Travel Technology Group, LLC and Ambassadors, both industry-known for their event housing expertise and tenure in the meetings and conventions world, unveiled the new brand identity for their merged organization. "onPeak represents the best of unparalleled customer service and next-generation technology between both companies since our merger in April 2009." said Michael Howe, President & CFO for onPeak. "This new identity represents what we're all about: elevating the expectations of event housing providers through end-to-end solutions and next-generation technology that deliver top performance for clients."
For more information, visit www.onPeak.com
Partnership Will Help Banking Technology Services Firm Grow More Rapidly
CFC Technology Corporation., LLC, Plymouth, MN, provides community banks and credit unions with technology consulting services and solutions. CFC sells, hosts and supports a diverse range of products and services for financial institutions, including check imaging and remote deposit capture, data recovery solutions, business continuity solutions and technology infrastructure consulting services. The company's service offerings are focused on assisting financial institutions generate greater revenue from their customer relationships and benefit from more efficient, secure and streamlined business operations.
"CFC is viewed as a trusted advisor by its customers," said W. Kent Velde, president of Lakeview Equity Partners. "The company's ability to provide leadership and expertise in multiple areas of financial technology services, leading with their advisory consulting services, puts them in an excellent position to help customers leverage their technology investments to improve business profitability."
CFC's founders, Bill Ristvedt, president, and Richard Wanke, chief operating officer, will remain owners in the company and will continue to serve as its leaders. "We are excited about our new partnership with Lakeview Equity Partners. The organization has extensive experience in the financial services and financial technologies industries. We are confident that this partnership will help us broaden the service and solution offerings CFC can provide to our customers and ultimately grow our business," said Ristvedt.
For more information, visit www.cfctechnology.com
Automatän Company is the Premier Manufacturer of Lithographic Labeling Equipment for the Corrugated Packaging Industry.
Automatän, based in Plover, WI, is a leading manufacturer of lithographic labeling equipment sold to the corrugated packaging industry worldwide. “Automatän has achieved excellent brand recognition through its superior technology, product performance and customer service,” said W. Kent Velde, president of Lakeview Equity Partners, LLC. “With the trend toward large-format labeling in product displays and in-store advertising, Automatän’s products make it possible to add high-quality graphics to corrugated packaging.”
A partner in the acquisition, Kevin Widder, will serve as the new president and chief executive officer of Automatän. He has more than 20 years of experience in the capital equipment industry.
“We’re very excited about this acquisition,” said Widder. “Automatän is a great company with a terrific reputation in the industry. The new management understands Automatän’s market and its customers, and Lakeview Equity Partners has the financial capacity and strategic resources to support the company and bring it to the next level.”
For more information, visit www.automatan.com .
LS Research, LLC, Cedarburg, WI Company Develops and Tests Wireless Technologies.
On May 30, Lakeview Equity Partners, LLC, announced the acquisition of LS Research, LLC, Cedarburg, WI. LS Research is a national leader in wireless design and product development solutions.
LS Research customers include both Fortune 500 firms and innovative middle market companies. “The unique skill sets and proprietary trade expertise at LS Research helps its customers get a wireless product designed, built and — through the LS Compliance division — tested and certified for production,” said Kent Velde, president of Lakeview Equity. “In fact, the LS Compliance test lab is the only facility of its kind in Wisconsin.”
This is the third investment made by the one-year-old private equity fund. “We are impressed with the experience, talent and tenure of the management group at LS Research, which will co-invest in the transaction and continue to manage the company,” said Velde.
“With Lakeview Equity, LS Research will be able to continue to expand our capabilities and provide new opportunities in this exciting technology field,” said Bill Steinike, president of LS Research. “We are very enthusiastic about the future of our company.”
For more information, visit www.lsr.com
Firehouse Animal Health Centers, Denver, CO Denver-based Company Growth Strategy Based on Exceptional Medical Care for Pets
Lakeview Equity added Firehouse Animal Health Centers, Denver, CO, to its portfolio in April 2006. The company’s two animal hospitals in the Denver metropolitan use a unique service model that is both profitable and attractive to customers seeking superior medical care for their pets.
“The company has an exceptional management team,” said Kent Velde, president of Lakeview Equity. “Our investment will provide capital to fund the company’s articulated growth strategy, which includes acquisition of existing animal hospitals and development of ancillary services.”
Lakeview Equity Partners successfully sold Firehouse Animal Health Centers to VCA Antech, Inc. (NASDAQ: WOOF) in April 2010. VCA Antech is a publicly traded company that acquires and consolidates vet clinics across the country.
For more information, visit www.firehousehospital.com
5 Alarm Fire & Safety, Inc., Fort Atkinson, WI Original Investment Puts Fire Safety First.
5 Alarm Fire & Safety, Inc., Fort Atkinson, WI, became Lakeview Equity’s first investment in February 2006. “5 Alarm is a very well-managed company that offers industry-best products used by firefighters, EMTs and first responders,” said Kent Velde, president of Lakeview Equity. “Its extensive sales and service network represents excellent opportunities for acquisition of new customers.”
5 Alarm is one of the largest fire and safety equipment distributors in the Midwest. The company’s diverse customer base includes fire departments, emergency government departments, municipalities and industrial plants.
For more information, visit www.5alarm.com.