A fund managed by Blackstone on behalf of its private equity investors, Blackstone Capital Partners V, is to acquire GCA Services Group, a US facility services company, from Nautic Partners and other minority shareholders.   Robert Norton, chairman, president and chief executive of GCA Services Group, says: “This transaction is a tremendous opportunity to fuel our continued growth. We have transformed ourselves into one of the country’s leading facility services companies in a few short years and our new relationship with Blackstone demonstrates our management-led commitment to continued dynamic growth which will energise our investment in our people and our dedication

Russian Direct Investment Fund’s Russia-China Investment Fund (RCIF) has reached a preliminary agreement to become a shareholder of Russia Forest Products (RFP), Russia’s second-largest forestry company. RCIF’s investment will fund the company’s move up the value chain from producing primarily raw logs to higher value added products like veneer and sawnwood. Completion of the transaction is subject to the satisfactory completion of regulatory approvals, as well as final approval according to corporate procedures of RCIF.   “This transaction ideally fulfils the mission of the Russia-China Investment Fund: we expect it to generate strong returns as well as to advance bilateral

Mid-market private equity firm GI Partners has sold its portfolio company, PC Helps Support, to Baird Capital Partners (BCP), the US-based buyout fund of Baird Private Equity. The sale of PC Helps generated a return of approximately five times invested capital to limited partners of GI Partners Fund II. PC Helps supports over 200 software applications and serves over 400 clients across 15 vertical markets. The company was acquired by GI Partners in 2005. Under the investment firm’s nearly seven years of stewardship, PC Helps substantially expanded its operations and achieved considerable organic growth. The company increased employee headcount by

Palatine Private Equity’s portfolio company, MoneyPlus Group (MPG), has completed the acquisition of debt management company Debt Free Me for an undisclosed sum.   Debt Free Me, based in Blackburn, UK, provides a range of debt management solutions to consumers and employs 30 people. The business will continue to trade under the Debt Free Me brand as part of MoneyPlus Group. The acquisition adds over 6,000 consumers to the MPG customer base.   This is the fifth acquisition completed by MPG since Palatine backed a management buyout in June 2011. MPG now employs more than 190 people and is due

Huron Capital Partners has recapitalised Ronnoco Holdings in a transaction marking the 60th investment overall for Huron.  Founded in 1904 and based in St Louis, Missouri, Ronnoco manufactures and distributes premium quality coffee, tea and related products sold to convenience stores, foodservice outlets and offices throughout the central US.  Huron, in partnership with Ronnoco’s management team, made the investment with a plan to continue growing the business through geographic expansion, new product offerings and acquisitions.  The Ronnoco transaction builds on Huron’s prior experience and success investing in consumer product and food businesses.  This latest investment was made through The Huron

Almaz Capital Partners’ managing partner and co-founder Peter Loukianoff has sold his managing interest in the firm. Loukianoff (pictured), who is leaving to pursue new opportunities, has retained a passive minority interest in the firm. Loukianoff and Alexander Galitsky established Almaz Capital in 2007.  Loukianoff will continue to participate in the investment committee and serve on the board of Almaz portfolio company nScaled. Almaz Capital Partners, whose investors include Cisco and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), was the first technology-oriented venture capital firm to focus on Russia. "Our success has allowed me the flexibility to consider new

Mid-market private equity firm Palamon Capital Partners has agreed the sale of Espresso House to Herkules Private Equity III, a Norwegian private equity fund.  The terms of the transaction have not been disclosed.   In 2005, Palamon identified a gap in the Nordic markets for a quality, branded coffee bar offering and approached the founders of Espresso House about purchasing a majority interest and initiating a high-growth strategy. Beginning with 22 outlets in the south of Sweden in 2006, Espresso House purchased a 15 store chain in Stockholm to create a national brand with 37 outlets. From that base, the

Law firm Eversheds has advised Graphite Capital on backing the management buy-out of Explore Learning, a provider of after school tuition at primary school level.  Explore Learning has 62 tuition centres across the UK, providing key skills learning in mathematics and English to children of all abilities. By acquiring a majority stake in Explore Learning, Graphite’s experience in the education sector is further strengthened. Explore Learning’s senior management team is also reinvesting a significant proportion of its sale proceeds. The Eversheds team advising Graphite on this deal consisted of head of private equity Richard Moulton (pictured), principal associate Edward Waldron

European private equity firm Cinven has completed its acquisition of Mercury Pharma, the international speciality pharmaceutical company, for an enterprise value of GBP465m. The acquisition was supported by debt financing provided by four banks: Jefferies, HSBC, Lloyds Bank and Mizuho.   Cinven’s healthcare team identified niche and branded pharmaceuticals as an attractive market segment given the fragmented nature of the industry and underlying stability of demand for pharmaceuticals. Cinven says Mercury provides an attractive opportunity to pursue a “buy and build” strategy and it has already identified a number of compelling acquisition opportunities.    The debt financing consists of GBP235m

Private equity firm Warburg Pincus has made a minority investment in prepaid product, services and transaction technologies company InComm. Terms of the transactions have not been disclosed. InComm was established in 1992 to provide technology to the prepaid long-distance industry. The company now provides stored value, gift and prepaid products, services and technologies.  Brooks Smith, chief executive officer and founder of InComm, says: "I am excited to partner with a top tier private equity firm such as Warburg Pincus. A key part of our strategy will be to expand internationally and we were attracted to their track record and depth