Evergreen Pacific Partners, Washington state’s largest private equity fund, has added Steve Wiesner as senior vice president.
Evergreen Pacific Partners, Washington state’s largest private equity fund, has added Steve Wiesner as senior vice president.
Wiesner (pictured) will open the company’s first California office, in Los Angeles, where he will drive new investment opportunities throughout the state. Evergreen has three portfolio companies with operations in California.
Evergreen Pacific Partners, which manages two private equity funds totalling USD700m, invests in traditional buyouts, management-led buyouts, and growth equity investments involving traditional industry, middle-market companies in the Western US and Canada. To date, the firm has completed six transactions involving companies in Washington, Arizona and California in the manufacturing, distribution, construction, radio, cable television and consumer industries. Its investors include foundations, endowments, pension funds, and West Coast-based chief executives with experience in Evergreen’s target industries.
Prior to joining Evergreen, Wiesner was a director at Lincoln International, a global middle-market investment banking firm, where he was involved in the origination and execution of a variety of M&A transactions and was responsible for the firm’s financial sponsor coverage effort on the West Coast.
"Three aspects about the California market make this a good move for us," says T.J. McGill, co-founder and managing partner at Evergreen Pacific Partners. "First, the sheer number of companies in the state; second, the high percentage of companies that fit our investment focus; and third, the relative low level of investment activity by local and state-based private equity firms. Steve’s deep experience in investment banking as well as his network in California make him the perfect fit to lead our efforts there.’
"At a time in history where credit and investment is hard to come by, it’s great to join a firm that is both well capitalized and well connected," says Wiesner. "Evergreen has a great track record of not only raising capital, but investing it wisely to create great companies that return value to shareholders. I’m looking forward to expanding the portfolio of California-based companies.’
