- Berkshire Partners
Infobox_Company
company_
company_name = Berkshire Partners
company_type = Private Ownership
foundation =1984
location =
industry =Private Equity
products = Private equity funds,Leveraged buyout s
assets = $6.5 billion [Represents fund raised since inception]
homepage = [http://www.berkshirepartners.com/ www.berkshirepartners.com]Berkshire Partners is a
private equity firm focused onleveraged buyout transactions of middle-market companies. The firm focuses on industrial manufacturing, consumer products, communications, transportation, retailing and related services and business services.The firm is headquartered in
Boston, Massachusetts and was founded in1984 by several former investment professionals fromThomas H. Lee Partners .History
Berkshire was founded by Bradley M. Bloom, J. Christopher Clifford, Carl Ferenbach, Richard K. Lubin and Russell L. Epker in
1984 . The firm traces its roots back to Boston'sThomas H. Lee Partners , a large-cap private equity firm founded a decade earlier. Since its founding in1984 , Berkshire has raised sevenprivate equity fund s with total investor commitments of $6.5 billion since incesption.*Berkshire Fund I (1984) - $59 million
*Berkshire Fund II (1986) - $125 million
*Berkshire Fund III (1992) - $168 million
*Berkshire Fund IV (1996) - $387 million
*Berkshire Fund V (1999) - $985 million
*Berkshire Fund VI (2002) - $1,700 million
*Berkshire Fund VII (2006) - $3,100 millionPortfolio
Since its inception in
1984 , Berkshire has invested in more than 90 companies. The firm tends to invest in the consumer products, retailing, business services, transportation, energy, industrial manufacturing and communications sectors. The following is a selected list of the firm's investments:
**Lechmere (1989), a retail store chain in New England [" [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=950DE0D91530F933A15754C0A96F948260 Dayton Hudson To Sell a Chain] ."New York Times , July 20, 1989] [" [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9903E1D81339F931A35751C0A962958260 MONTGOMERY WARD TO ACQUIRE LECHMERE CHAIN] ."New York Times , February 2, 1994]
**Papa Gino's (1992)
**Crown Castle International Corp. (1995)
**British Rail Freight Assets (1996,Loadhaul ,Mainline Freight and Transrail Freight) [" [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9F03E1DA1139F934A15751C0A960958260 CONSORTIUM ACQUIRES 3 RAIL FREIGHT COMPANIES] ."Associated Press , February 27, 1996]
**Broadcasting Corporation's transmission network(1997) [" [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C02E4DA1231F93BA15751C0A961958260 Group to Buy A BBC Network] ."New York Times , February 28, 1997]
**Cypress Tree Investments (1997) [" [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9B0DE3DA1738F936A25756C0A961958260 Affiliate of Cypress Holding to Buy Fund] ."New York Times , May 15, 1997]
**Holmes Products (1997) [" [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=940DEFDC1131F933A05753C1A961958260 BERKSHIRE PARTNERS BUYS HOLMES UNIT FROM PENTLAND] ."New York Times , October 30, 1997]
**Fresh Start Bakeries (1999) [" [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C0CE6DD1238F93AA35757C0A96F958260 CAMPBELL AGREES TO SELL ITS 15 FRESH START BAKERIES] ."New York Times , April 9, 1999]
**InteSys Technologies (1999) [" [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9901E0DF123BF931A35752C1A96F958260 TEXTRON ACQUIRES INTESYS TECHNOLOGIES] ."New York Times , November 2, 1999]
**Casella Waste Systems (2000)
**U.S. Can Corporation (2000) [" [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9D03E0D6173DF930A15750C0A9669C8B63 MANAGEMENT-LED GROUP MAKES BUYOUT OFFER FOR U.S. CAN] ."New York Times , March 23, 2000]
**Carter's, Inc. (2001) - manufacturer of children's apparel [" [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9402E0DE1E3BF934A25754C0A9679C8B63 BERKSHIRE PARTNERS TO ACQUIRE CLOTHING MAKER] ."New York Times , July 17, 2001] [Coleman-Lochner, Lauren. " [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=950DE6DA123EF93AA25753C1A9659C8B63 Birth Announcement For a 138-Year-Old] ."New York Times , October 19, 2003]
**Bartlett Nuclear (2004) [" [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C03E7DB123AF932A25751C0A9629C8B63 PRIVATE EQUITY FIRMS BUY BARTLETT NUCLEAR] ."New York Times , February 11, 2004]
**G.M. Electro-Motive Division (2005) [ " [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9A02E7D91738F930A25752C0A9639C8B63 GENERAL MOTORS AGREES TO SELL LOCOMOTIVE UNIT] ."New York Times , January 13, 2005]
**Party City (2005) [" [http://www.nytimes.com/2005/09/28/business/28party.html $360 Million Deal To Buy Party City] ."Reuters , September 28, 2005]External links
* [http://www.berkshirepartners.com/ Berkshire Partners] (company website)
* [http://www.thedeal.com/newsweekly/fastsearch?tag=Berkshire%20Partners&IncludeBlogs=34 Berkshire Partners] (The Daily Deal )References
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.
