Sentinel Capital Partners, a private equity firm that invests in promising lower mid-market companies, has sold MB2 Dental, a dental partnership organisation (DPO) with a doctor-centric ownership model. Terms of the deal have not been disclosed.
Headquartered in Dallas, Texas, and serving patients in 24 states, MB2 is a leading DPO offering general dentistry services, orthodontics, peadiatrics, prosthodontics, and periodontics. MB2 employs a unique partnership model through which affiliated dentists enjoy the clinical benefits of a private practice and the infrastructure, compliance, marketing, and purchasing advantages of a traditional dental service organisation. Drawing on the energy of its highly engaged dentist owners, MB2 has grown rapidly through de novo openings, add-on acquisitions, and strong existing-office growth since its founding in 2007. During its partnership with Sentinel, MB2 grew from 85 affiliated practices to 275, and expanded its geographic footprint from six states to 24.
“It has been an extraordinary experience working with MB2’s talented and dynamic management team as the business expanded exponentially over the past three years,” says Paul Murphy, a partner at Sentinel. “MB2 has demonstrated the ability to attract and retain capable and highly motivated entrepreneurial dentists by offering clinical autonomy and the opportunity to be owners of their own practices. We are confident that MB2 is well-positioned for future growth and success.”
“Working alongside Sentinel, MB2’s first institutional investor, has been extremely rewarding and has given us the opportunity to capitalise on the strengths of our unique business model,” said Dr. Chris Villanueva, Founder and CEO of MB2. “We expect to continue expanding our platform in existing and new geographies, and we thank Sentinel for helping take us this far.”
Dr Villanueva, management and MB2’s dentist owners reinvested a substantial percentage of their equity in the new ownership structure.
Sentinel has established a long-term record of investing in the dental sector going back to 2003. Sentinel currently is an investor in Altima Dental Centres, one of the largest dental services organisations in Canada. In addition to MB2, Sentinel’s prior dental investments include Castle Dental and Metro Dentalcare, each a leading regional dental service provider; Northeast Dental Management, a leading dental service provider in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic; and ReachOut Healthcare America, a leader in mobile dentistry.
