Hwikeun Kim Dartmouth College St. Cloud Intern Reflection, May 2021 I am currently a Junior at Dartmouth College, studying Economics. This is my 2nd internship at St Cloud Capital, LLC; this time as a Winter/Spring 2021 intern. I had one of the best internship experiences here at the firm in the Winter of 2019, and […]
Read MoreOur Team
Cohesive team with investing experience through multiple economic cycles.
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Benjamin Hom closeBenjamin Hom is a Managing Partner of St. Cloud Capital, LLC (together with its affiliates, “St. Cloud”). Mr. Hom is a member of the Investment Committee of St. Cloud and is responsible for sourcing, execution, and portfolio monitoring functions. Previously, Mr. Hom worked in the Investment Banking Group at Bear, Stearns & Company, where his experience included mergers and acquisitions, leveraged buyouts, public and private equity offerings, and debt financings. Mr. Hom focused on middle market clients in a variety of industries including business services, restaurants, communications, technology, and health care services. His prior experience also includes working at KPMG and Parnassus Investments. Mr. Hom currently serves as a Member or Observer on the Board of Directors of JibJab, LLC, AR HIIT, LLC (an Orangetheory Fitness franchisee), BigRentz Inc. and Sentinel Offender Services, LLC. Mr. Hom serves on the Western Region Committee for the Small Business Investor Alliance (“SBIA”). Mr. Hom previously served as a Director on the board of Midnite Air Corporation, AdvancedOne Legal, LLC and served as a Board Observer of Tuff Shed, Inc., among others. Mr. Hom is a member of the Young Presidents’ Organization (YPO), Beverly Hills Chapter. Mr. Hom received a Bachelor of Arts in Business & Economics with a minor in Accounting from the University of California, Los Angeles. He resides in Brentwood, CA with his wife and three sons.
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Kacy Rozelle closeKacy Rozelle is a Co-Founder and Managing Partner of St. Cloud. Mr. Rozelle is a member of the Investment Committee of St. Cloud and is responsible for sourcing, execution, and portfolio monitoring functions. His middle and lower-middle market corporate finance and investment banking experience also includes an additional ten years at Jefferies & Company, Inc., where Mr. Rozelle served as a member of the firm’s Taxable Fixed Income Executive Committee, and where he participated in the structuring and placement of more than $40 billion of securities, including more than $10 billion of public and private equity. Mr. Rozelle began his career at Houlihan Lokey Howard and Zukin, a Los Angeles-based investment bank, where he assisted on a wide range of services for middle market companies including mergers and acquisitions, financial opinions and valuation, and advisory assignments. Mr. Rozelle currently serves as a member or observer on the Board of Directors of AutoReturn, LLC; Burke Williams, Inc., Apple Montessori Schools, LLC and Renters Warehouse USA, LLC. Mr. Rozelle previously served on the Board of Directors of: Pipeworks, Inc., Johnson Products Company, Inc.; SAFE Security, Inc.; National Holdings (OTC: NHLD.OB); Frontline Sales, Inc.; and Earl Scheib, Inc.; among others. Kacy Rozelle serves as a Western Region committee member for the Small Business Investor Alliance (“SBIA”). Mr. Rozelle is also an active member of the Santa Monica Bay Chapter of the Young Presidents’ Organization (YPO Gold). Mr. Rozelle earned an MBA from the University of Texas at Austin and a BS in Finance from Virginia Tech. He resides in Pacific Palisades, CA with his wife and three children.
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Robert Lautz closeRobert Lautz is a Co-Founder and Managing Partner of St. Cloud. Mr. Lautz is a member of the Investment Committee of St. Cloud and is responsible for sourcing, execution, and portfolio monitoring functions. Mr. Lautz has over 25 years of operating experience as a business owner, entrepreneur, and CEO of both private and public companies. At St. Cloud, he serves as operating partner and, if necessary, turnaround manager. Mr. Lautz’s prior business involvement includes being Chairman and co-founder of REO.com, an internet-based sales mechanism for bank foreclosed properties. Prior to that he served as the CEO of ListingLink, the original Internet-based residential property multiple listing service. Mr. Lautz formed and was Chairman and CEO of Indenet, Inc., a NASDAQ listed private satellite-based network that delivered digital advertisements and programming to the 3000+ national broadcast and cable television networks. Mr. Lautz began his career within Citibank’s Operating Group where he rose to become the Senior Financial Officer, responsible for all financial functions and strategic planning. He ultimately purchased this division from Citibank to form a start-up business named Property Data Services, which he built to the 3rd largest company of its kind domestically. He currently serves as a Member or Observer on the Board of Directors of Morrow Sodali Global, LLC, Apposite Technologies, Inc. and Life Spine, Inc.
Mr. Lautz earned a Master’s degree from the American Graduate School of International Management (Thunderbird), and a BS in Business Administration from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio.
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Matt Smith closeMatt Smith is a Managing Director at St. Cloud and is responsible for sourcing, execution, and portfolio monitoring functions. Previously, Mr. Smith founded and managed the Structured Finance Group at Banc of California, which focused on origination and structuring of senior credit facilities to middle market companies backed by private equity. Prior to that, Mr. Smith worked in commercial banking and leveraged finance roles at various commercial banks and leveraged finance groups. He has served as Observer on the Board of Directors of Pipeworks, Inc. and currently serves as an Observer to the Board of Directors of AleraCare Holdings, LLC, AMP Security, LLC, Renters Warehouse, LLC, and Apposite Technologies, Inc. Mr. Smith was also an Army officer and deployed in support of Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan where he earned a Bronze Star Medal.
Mr. Smith earned his MBA from the UCLA Anderson School of Management and BA in Economics and Political Science from UC Davis.
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Sheila Emami closeSheila Emami is a Vice President at St. Cloud and is responsible for sourcing, execution, and portfolio monitoring functions. She has over 10 years of experience in originations, structuring, and underwriting of senior credit facilities to middle market companies in a variety of industries including private equity-backed consumer product, shipping and logistics, technology, manufacturing, and retail. Previously, Ms. Emami worked in leveraged finance and corporate banking roles at various corporate and commercial banks.
Ms. Emami earned her BA in Economics from Pitzer College and is a graduate of the Summer Institute for General Management from Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business. She is an alumna of Wells Fargo’s Credit Management Training Program.
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Cordell Gee closeCordell Gee is the Controller at St. Cloud and is responsible for SEC and SBA reporting and the funds’ cash activities.
Prior to joining St. Cloud, Mr. Gee held a financial analyst position at Provident Financial Holdings Inc., where he performed SEC reporting and internal ad hoc reporting. He also has worked at KPMG, LLP and Rothstein Kass &Co, performing public accounting work for financial service companies. Mr. Gee is a Certified Public Accountant.
Mr. Gee received his Master of Business Administration Degree from California Baptist University and Bachelor of Science with Accounting Minor from the University of California, Los Angeles.
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Tami Brinson closeTami Brinson is the Office Manager and Executive Assistant for St. Cloud. Previously, Ms. Brinson worked in the office of the CEO at Docusource and Tatum, LLC. Her prior experience includes hospitality and restaurant operation management positions at various casinos.
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Chris Collar closeChris Collar is an Associate at St. Cloud and is responsible for due diligence, execution, and portfolio monitoring functions. Previously, Mr. Collar produced institutional grade research on digital assets and macroeconomics with Messari and was an Investment Banking Associate with SVB Securities’ healthcare team. Prior to the private sector, Mr. Collar was a U.S. Army officer stationed at Ft. Irwin, CA in support of brigade level combat training operations and the commanding general’s staff.
He earned his MBA and MSF from Boston College Carroll School of Management and BS in Economics from the United States Military Academy at West Point.
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Francisco Flores closeFrancisco Flores is an analyst at St. Cloud. Previously, Mr. Flores interned at AEW Capital Management, a real estate private equity firm, where he managed an industrial portfolio on the Asset Management team. Prior to AEW, he interned at Clarion Partners where he worked with both the Acquisitions and Asset Management teams. Mr. Flores received his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of Southern California.
About Us
St. Cloud Capital is a Los Angeles-based private investment firm founded in 2001.
St. Cloud Capital is a Los Angeles-based private investment firm founded in 2001 to provide growth capital to U.S. lower middle market companies (companies with annual revenues between $10 million and $150 million). St. Cloud has made over 77 portfolio investments in companies across a wide range of industries and in every layer of the capital structure, including senior secured debt, subordinated debt and minority equity.
We typically invest between $5 million and $20 million in non-control and control situations, acting as both a financial and strategic partner to strong management teams and industry entrepreneurs in fulfilling their long-term growth plans. We are also able to arrange larger financings through relationships with co-investors.
St. Cloud has managed over $700 million of capital since 2001. St. Cloud is currently investing out of its fourth fund, St. Cloud Capital Partners IV SBIC, LP.
Underserved Market
Our typical investment is $5 million to $20 million in size, and focused on lower middle market companies that typically fall “below the radar screen” of larger private equity firms and the broader capital markets.
Opportunities
We seek opportunities to partner with strong management teams who have built the business delivering proven services or products with substantial growth potential looking for non-dilutive capital to facilitate the company going from good to great. We welcome investment referrals from investment banking firms, brokers, lenders, attorneys, accountants, consultants, business executives and other investors. All information provided to us is treated confidentially.
Transaction Types
We support a wide array of transaction types, including, without limitation, expansion and growth capital, recapitalizations, refinancings, management buyouts and change of control transactions, and strategic acquisitions to support a company’s growth.
Industries
We invest in a wide range of industries, including areas where we have demonstrated experience, such as manufacturing, distribution, business services, logistics, consumer, healthcare, and financial services. Our prior experience across a broad range of industries helps us articulate a thoughtful approach toward due diligence and strategic planning.
Investment Approach
St. Cloud provides flexible financing solutions to lower middle market companies including entrepreneur-owned companies, private equity sponsor owned companies, closely held private companies, and micro-cap publicly owned companies.
Investment Structure
We take an opportunistic and flexible approach providing for a diverse range of transactions. We excel in customizing investments to fit the unique financial and strategic characteristics of each transaction. We are long term partners with the experience it takes to succeed.
Our investments are typically structured as a combination of debt and equity securities. The debt portion of our investments may be structured as senior or junior debt. Our investments may be in conjunction with other debt or equity investments.
We develop close partnerships with the companies in which we make investments. Typically, one or more St. Cloud principals or advisors will serve on the portfolio company’s Board of Directors. In addition, our support for our portfolio companies can involve additional consulting and advisory services from affiliated or third party sources. Our common goal with each of our portfolio companies is to maximize performance and value creation.
St. Cloud’s Commitment to Underserved Communities
Since 2001, St. Cloud has managed over $700 million and invested in 77 small businesses across the United States, with a focus on Underserved Communities.
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$700mm invested in growing U.S. Small Businesses
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79% of investments are in Underserved Communities
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57% of investments are located in LMI or SBA HubZones
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40% of investments are Woman, Minority, or Veteran-owned or operated
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19,000+ jobs created and/or sustained
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$2.0Bn in revenue growth for St. Cloud Capital investments
Select Investments
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St. Cloud invested in Computer Motion via Series C preferred equity. This capital funded Computer Motion’s sales and marketing activities, research and development, and patent related issues. Computer Motion, Inc. develops, manufactures and markets proprietary robotic and computerized surgical systems that enhance a surgeon’s performance and centralize and simplify the surgeon’s control of the operating room. Computer Motion was later acquired by Intuitive Surgical, Inc. (Nasdaq: ISRG). As a result, St. Cloud exchanged its position in Computer Motion for shares of Intuitive Surgical stock.
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Headquartered in Fort Mill, SC, Compact Power Equipment, Inc., ® is a manager and marketer of commercial and light construction equipment comprised of two components:
Compact Power Equipment Rental – As a partner of The Home Depot Tool Rental Center, Compact Power Equipment Rental supplements the traditional product offering of tools, trucks and trailers with high quality towable rental equipment such as mini-skids, excavators, skid steers, trenchers and chipper shredders.
Compact Power Equipment Services – A world class organization of certified local technicians providing cost reducing maintenance services for facilities, commercial equipment and light construction equipment nationwide.
In September 2009, St. Cloud invested in Compact Power Equipment in the form of Senior Secured Notes and Preferred Stock.
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St. Cloud invested in Tuff Shed, Inc. in the form of senior secured notes with warrants. The proceeds will be used for the retirement of long-term debt and to fund future growth. The Company is the nation’s largest manufacturer and installer of wooden storage buildings, garages and larger building shells and is the most recognized brand in the industry.In November of 2009, St. Cloud made a growth capital investment in Tuff Shed. -
BigRentz is a technology-enabled equipment rental network specializing in aerial equipment (e.g. scissor lifts, boom lifts and forklifts), earth-moving equipment (e.g. excavators, backhoes, and skid steers) as well as site services to meet the needs of thousands of businesses and contractors. Currently, the company has access to 6,800 rental locations in over 2,000 U.S. cities.
In April 2015, St. Cloud made a growth capital investment in BigRentz.
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Pipeworks Studio is an innovative video game developer, focusing on development through its application of its proprietary gaming engines to complex, technical business problems. Their creative team designs technologically innovative yet fun-to-play games using prior art developed across the studio’s gameography. The company’s mission is to be the most innovative development studio in the world.
In February of 2018, St. Cloud made a growth capital investment in Pipeworks.
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AutoReturn is the nation’s leading towing management systems provider. Based in San Francisco, CA, AutoReturn brings operational expertise, industry-leading technology solutions, and 24 x 365 service to its partners. AutoReturn utilizes an asset-light business model and has performed over 1.5 million tows in the Company’s history.
In February of 2019, St. Cloud made a growth capital investment in AutoReturn.
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JibJab is the leading independent provider of social expression content through branded satires, eCards, and messages. Based in Los Angeles, CA, JibJab’s products enable millions of people to create and share personalized videos that make each other laugh.In November of 2018, St. Cloud supported the acquisition of JibJab by Catapult Capital. -
Life Spine is a medical device company that makes specialized, proprietary medical devices used in spinal surgeries. Its main products include implants, screws, cages, tools and biologics used in spinal fusion and other minimally invasive spine surgeries. The Company is focused on providing innovative solutions to more effectively resolve spine related pain, shorten length of operations and cut down on patient recovery time.In October 2016, St. Cloud made a growth capital investment in Life Spine.
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AR HIIT is an Orangetheory Fitness franchisee based in Little Rock, AR. The Company currently operates 26 Orangetheory Fitness studios and 25 sub-franchise locations in Arkansas, Cleveland, and Columbus, OH, with the rights to open 44 additional locations in its market area. The franchisor, Orangetheory Fitness, is a market leader in boutique fitness in the United States with over 1,200 owned/franchised studios in 50 states and 22 countries. -
Advanced Depositions (AdvancedONE Legal) is a leading national deposition solutions and trial support company. Headquartered in Philadelphia, PA, the Company primarily serves as an agency, connecting certified court reporters / stenographers with law firms, attorneys, and companies. The Company’s core service offerings include deposition reporting and videography, litigation support and trial technology/presentation servicers.In December of 2019, St. Cloud made a growth capital investment in Advanced Depositions. -
Planet Fitness Holdings, a Planet Fitness franchisee, successfully grew, through acquisition and organic growth, from 12 initial locations, in Indiana, to operating 64 locations across the Midwest and Southeast. The franchisor, Planet Fitness (NYSE: PLNT), is the fastest growing gym operator in the U.S.. Its low-cost membership model ($10 – $22 a month) offers compelling value to the 80% of the population who are not gym members.In November of 2017, St. Cloud made a growth capital investment in Planet Fitness. -
Burke Williams is a full-service luxury day spa with eleven locations serving customers throughout California. The Company provides health and wellness services such as massage therapy, spa baths, skin and nail treatments.
In July of 2017, St. Cloud made a growth capital investment in Burke Williams.
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STAT Health provides management services to a chain of urgent care centers staffed by board certified emergency medicine physicians offering unscheduled treatment options for minor injuries and common illnesses at a fraction of the time and cost of emergency care.
CityMD, a Warburg-Pincus backed urgent care provider primarily in the New York Metro Area, acquired STAT Health in February 2018. CityMD’s strategic acquisition of STAT Health’s 12 centers (with two additional locations slated to open) expanded its presence in Nassau and Suffolk Counties and in combination with another acquisition brought CityMD to 100 locations.
In August of 2019, Summit Health, a multispecialty medical practice, acquired CityMD expanding the group to over 200 locations.
In January of 2023, VillageMD, a Walgreens-backed, value-based primary care provider, acquired Summit Health-CityMD expanding the organization to over 680 locations across 26 markets.
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Morrow Sodali Global is a leading global consultancy specializing in comprehensive shareholder services. Headquartered in New York City, NY, the Company provides publicly traded companies, corporate boards, and executives with strategic advice and services relating to proxy solicitation, corporate governance, shareholder activism, contested mergers and acquisitions, capital markets intelligence, and shareholder and bondholder communication and engagement.
In September of 2020, St. Cloud made a growth capital investment in Morrow Sodali Global.
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AMP Smart is a leading residential home security and automation sales company in the United States. AMP sells home security, home automation, and personal emergency solutions door-to-door. In December 2022, AMP merged with Titanium Solar and Alarm, bringing with it a full suite of smart home products to include residential solar installation capabilities.
In June of 2020, St. Cloud made a growth capital investment in AMP Smart.
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LashCo is a leading platform of branded beauty products focused on the eye, selling both direct-to-consumer (“DTC”) and wholesale through prestige beauty retailers worldwide. The platform consists of Lilly Lashes, Velour Beauty, Grande Cosmetics, Babe Lash, and FlutterHabit.
In September of 2020, St. Cloud made a growth capital to finance the recapitalization of LashCo.
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Catawba Research is a full-service and vertically integrated contract research organization (“CRO”) providing clinical management services to pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies globally. The Company focuses on Phase II – IV trials across the dermatology, women’s health, ophthalmology, and gastroenterology therapeutic areas.
In October of 2020, St. Cloud made a growth capital investment to finance Liberty Lane’s acquisition of Catawba Research.
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Apple Montessori Schools is a leading early childhood education operator of 17 Montessori schools. Headquartered in Riverdale, NJ, the Company offers a year-round infant-to-elementary Montessori-based education program and received accreditation by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education in 2017.
In June of 2018, St. Cloud made an investment to fund the acquisition of Apple Montessori Schools.
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Apposite is a developer of wide-area network (“WAN”) testing software and equipment. Apposite’s tools test the effect of WAN bandwidth, latency, packet loss and other impairments, allowing users to evaluate performance of network-based software applications. The demand for the Company’s products is driven by the growth in networked applications as more users shift to mobile or cloud-based solutions.
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Bravo Sports provides branded consumer products such as scooters, skateboards, skates, and canopies to a blue-chip customer base across mass merchant, sporting goods, and big box retailers. Headquartered in Santa Fe Springs, CA, the Company owns a suite of recognized brands and licenses in the sporting and recreational goods market.
In November of 2015, St. Cloud made a growth capital investment in Bravo Sports.
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Renters Warehouse is a property manager for single family residence rental properties. The Company has approximately 16,000 properties under management in 32 markets. They serve everyday single-property homeowners as well as real estate investors through professional, scalable, and efficient single property management solutions.
In November of 2016, St. Cloud made a growth capital investment in Renters Warehouse.
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https://sentineladvantage.com/
Sentinel Offender Services provides electronic, offender monitoring services to government and correctional agencies across the United States. Headquartered in Anaheim, CA, the Company’s program consists of tracking software and analytics, telematics equipment, remote monitoring and field services provided in a bundle via recurring revenue contracts on a per-offender per-day basis.
In April of 2022, St. Cloud made a growth capital investment in Sentinel Offender Services.
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Atomica is a leader in the Micro Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS) semiconductor industry. Based in Goleta, CA, the Company runs the largest MEMS foundry in the United States and owns significant intellectual property including patents, proprietary processes, and industrial trade secrets. Atomica operates a unique fabrication facility with the necessary expertise to support the precision requirements of MEMS development and production.
In October of 2022, St. Cloud made a growth capital investment in Atomica.
INVESTMENTS MAP
Investments across the united states since inception.
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Internship Program
Established in 2002, St. Cloud’s College Internship program continues to develop, mentor, and train the next generation of diverse leaders in the finance industry.
Summer Internship | Student Spotlight: Jack Butler – St. Cloud Capital
What were your overall responsibilities in your internship? As St. Cloud was (and currently is) deploying capital from its third fund, I was primarily tasked with researching potential investments in the pipeline to help with the deal screening process. (continue reading…)
Read MoreYilin Huo: St. Cloud Intern Reflection, December 2019
Yilin Huo Dartmouth College student St. Cloud Intern Reflection, December 2019 Hello! My name is Yilin, and I was an intern at St. Cloud Capital, LLC during winter break. I am currently a sophomore at Dartmouth College. I was nervous on the first day of the internship and did not know what to expect. However, […]
Read MoreSt. Cloud Intern Reflection, Spring/Summer 2020
For many service members, the transition from active military service to the civilian sector is extremely daunting and stressful. As an active U.S. Army Officer, I can attest to this and have found my transition period to be a moment to moment battle. However, since I began interning for St. Cloud Capital my path has […]
Read MoreAre you interested in joining our Internships program? Send us a message!
Contact
St. Cloud Capital, LLC
10866 Wilshire Blvd, Suite 1450
Los Angeles, CA 90024
Tel (310) 475-2700 · Fax (310) 475-0550
Send us a message
All information will be treated confidentially.