Huron Capital Partners’ portfolio company, Hughes Associates, has acquired Anoba Consulting Services, a niche engineering firm specialising in probabilistic risk assessment (PRA) and other risk-modelling services.  Mandated by the federal government, PRA uses highly analytical software programmes and risk models that allow nuclear power plants to assess the underlying operational risks in their business and the potential impact of catastrophic events. Prior to the acquisition, Anoba had been a key strategic partner for Hughes, often serving as a subcontractor on its nuclear power generation consulting projects. The transaction brings Anoba and Hughes together and expands Hughes’ capabilities in the rapidly

Dallas-based private equity firm Highlander Partners has acquired Custom Window Systems (CWS), a designer, manufacturer and marketer of impact-resistant and non-impact windows and doors, primarily serving Florida and other coastal markets in the Southeastern US.  CWS will continue to operate under its existing name and operating structure.  Greg Schorr, a senior adviser for Highlander, will join CWS as the president and chief executive officer. Schorr was formerly the president and chief operating officer of the parent company of Simonton Windows.  John Cwik, the company’s founder, president and chief executive, will continue to work with CWS in a consulting and advisory

Brynwood Partners VI has sold its investment in Sun Country Foods to Continental Mills. Terms and conditions of the transaction have not been disclosed. Sun Country Foods, headquartered in Norwood, Massachusetts with a manufacturing facility in Manhattan, Kansas, manufactures and markets the iconic Kretschmer Wheat Germ brand. Founded in 1936 by Charles Kretschmer, the brand has a 90 per cent market share in the US wheat germ category and is offered in two flavours: Original Toasted and Honey Crunch. Sun Country Foods was formed by Brynwood VI in 2011 to acquire the Kretschmer Wheat Germ brand from The Quaker Oats

Monroe Capital has funded a unitranche credit facility and equity co-investment to support the recapitalisation of Playtime by private equity sponsor Geneva Glen Capital. Based in Englewood, Colorado, Playtime is a provider of interactive healthy play areas and playground equipment for indoor, outdoor and water play. The company markets, designs, manufactures and installs custom soft sculpted play areas in many market segments including shopping centres, restaurants, airports, stadiums, childcare centres, healthcare centres, fitness centres, churches, resorts, recreation centres, water parks, and museums. Founded in 2001, Playtime has completed thousands of installations in all 50 states and 20 countries. Theodore L

HarbourVest Global Private Equity (HVPE) is to take a direct stake of approximately USD95m, and also have an interest of approximately USD12m through other existing commitments to HarbourVest managed funds, in the assets of Conversus Capital. This transaction is expected to add approximately USD0.20 to HVPE’s NAV per share.   Conversus, like HVPE, is a listed private equity fund and is the largest publicly-traded portfolio of third party private equity funds globally, with a mature, broadly diversified portfolio of over 200 private equity fund interests.  In July 2012, HarbourVest Partners announced a definitive agreement, through an acquisition vehicle, to acquire

Dallas-based private equity firm Lone Star Investment Advisors has sold Petroplex Acidizing to One Rock Capital Partners.  Aided by Lone Star, Petroplex expanded its major customer accounts, added product offering for key customers and more than doubled annual sales over five years, which represents a compound annual growth rate of 18 per cent. The sale of the company resulted in a 50 per cent IRR and 6.24x cash-on-cash return to Lone Star. Founded in 1981 by Larry Foster and headquartered in Texas, Petroplex is the largest provider of acidizing and chemical stimulation treatments for oil, gas and injection wells located

Mid-market private equity firm GI Partners has sold its portfolio company, Plum Healthcare Group, to Bay Bridge Capital Partners. The sale of Plum generated a return of approximately three times invested capital for limited partners in GI Partners Fund II. Plum’s current portfolio consists of 50 skilled nursing facilities and five home health and hospice agencies located in strategic geographic clusters throughout California, Utah, and Arizona. Plum serves over 5,000 medically-complex patients every day. The company was acquired by GI Partners in 2006 and, during the firm’s six-years of ownership, has acquired and turned around 39 skilled nursing facilities. Under

Golden Gate Capital has completed its acquisition of Ex Libris Global Holdings, a provider of library automation solutions, from Leeds Equity Partners. Under the new ownership, Ex Libris will remain an independent business based in Jerusalem, run by the current management team. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. “Ex Libris exemplifies the type of business in which we seek to invest,” says Prescott Ashe, managing director of Golden Gate Capital. “The company is a market leader in delivering cloud-based knowledge management applications with a best-in-class leadership team and significant growth opportunities. Golden Gate Capital’s perpetual fund structure will enable

KBC Private Equity has reached agreement with KeBeK I, a newly established private equity investment fund managed by KeBeK Management, regarding the sale of the major part of KBC PE’s remaining private equity portfolio. The deal is in line with the strategic refocus plan that KBC Group agreed with the European Commission, as announced at the end of 2009. KeBeK Management, a newly established management company consisting of four team members of KBC PE, will manage the assets of KeBeK I. At the same time, KeBeK Management aims to create a new private equity fund focusing on control investments mainly

Palamon Capital Partners has led a transaction to acquire a majority interest in beauty e-commerce specialist feelunique.com, one of Europe’s fastest growing online beauty retailers.  The transaction was agreed at a head-line enterprise value for feelunique of GBP26m.   feelunique is an online retailer of premium products in haircare, skincare, cosmetics and fragrances, selling full-permissioned stock from almost all of the major brands including Dior, Lancôme, Clarins, Guerlain, Yves Saint Laurent, Benefit and Kerastase. The company has built a strong reputation for its customer service and website editorial content, which is directed by Newby Hands, a beauty journalist and Harper’s