NEW YORK, Oct. 7 /PRNewswire/ -- Circle Peak Capital LLC ("CPC")
announced today an investment in Mrs. John L. Strong ("John L. Strong" or
"The Company"), a leading global designer, marketer and retailer of branded
luxury products.
The Company and its brand have a rich heritage, built over its almost
80 year history, which is synonymous with style and etiquette. The
Company's product line currently includes luxury papers and accessories,
leather and silver goods, and other home decor products and antiques. John
L. Strong is internationally recognized as the ultimate high-end provider
of luxury stationery and accessories. John L. Strong is based in New York
City and has a direct retail presence in Boston, Manhattan and Los Angeles.
The Company currently has wholesale distribution and is expanding in the
luxury market through the introduction of more accessibly-priced,
off-the-shelf products.
Circle Peak Capital and its strategic advisor, Point-One-Percent
("POP"), a brand strategy and marketing communications firm with a strict
focus on the luxury market and ultra-affluent consumer, have together
worked closely with management to develop growth plans to leverage the
Company's brand recognition, management and infrastructure into a leading
global luxury lifestyle brand which will celebrate, and build around, its
core offering in the luxury stationery category. The Company will maintain
its brand image as an authority on all things stylish and luxurious, while
broadening its product offering and retail footprint to reach a wider
audience of potential customers.
"Mrs. John L. Strong represents a unique investment opportunity in a
growing sector of the luxury market. As perhaps the highest end company in
its category, we believe there is tremendous growth opportunity through
geographic expansion, continued product innovation and the development of
new sales channels. CPC is excited to be working along side a motivated
management team to realize this brand's full, long term potential," said
Circle Peak Capital Founder & CEO, R. Adam Smith.
Alexander Duckworth, Founder and President of Point One Percent said,
"With a sole focus on helping luxury brands target the wealthiest .1% of
the population we see a lot of unique opportunities come across our desk.
Mrs. John L. Strong is particularly appealing as it is a wonderful American
luxury brand defined by a rich 80-year-old heritage and artisanal product
offering. Although there are a few global luxury brands that can be
characterized with similar assets, there are very few whose roots are in
the U.S. POP sees an immediate and actionable opportunity to leverage the
brand's natural strengths and augment Strong's lifestyle offering based on
a balance of design, elegance and style. We're pleased to be working with
Circle Peak Capital and Mrs. John L. Strong, and look forward to a long
road of success."
Nannette Brown, CEO & Creative Director of John L. Strong said, "Mrs.
John L. Strong is thrilled to have Circle Peak Capital as an investment
partner. CPC will bring tremendous strategic support to the brand and
management, with their broad expertise in luxury and retail products."
The Circle Peak Capital team was supported by deal advisors and service
providers Proskauer Rose LLP, KPMG LLP, and Michael Schwartz & Co., LLP.
Circle Peak Capital acted as the sole sponsor in structuring and financing
the transaction. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Circle Peak Capital is a New York City-based private equity investment
firm founded in 2002 that invests in established mid-sized private branded
companies with up to $500 million in sales. Circle Peak Capital's
investment portfolio includes Fischbein LLC, Rocket Dog Brands LLC,
WealthTrust, LLC, Luxury Optical Holdings Co, Shari's Management Corp., and
Hill & Valley, Inc. The company is dedicated to partnering with proven
management teams, building profitable and sustainable businesses, and
realizing significant returns on capital for its principals, management
teams and investors. Since August 2005, CPC has led and closed 6
stand-alone deals and 10 add-ons. CPC's existing portfolio involves
completed transaction value of over $440 million, junior capital
commitments of over $220 million, and revenue of over $430 million. For
additional information, visit http://www.circlepeakcapital.com or call (646)
230-8812.
Point One Percent ("POP") is a brand strategy and marketing
communications firm that helps luxury brands communicate to coveted
consumers on a global basis. POP is entirely devoted to intimately
understanding the luxury market and how this rarefied and elusive consumer
thinks, how they live, and how to reach them from a 360-degree approach.
Through "The List of 100" - a proprietary panel of 350 affluent individuals
who speak with POP on a qualitative basis - the firm is continually taking
the pulse of the luxury market based on events, competitive developments
and communications and product initiatives. POP's insights from The List of
100 and proprietary understanding of the luxury market allow for the
development of meaningful strategies and marketing solutions, which are
then taken through to execution for each client. For more information,
please visit http://www.point-one-percent.com or call (212) 488-1701.
Since 1929, Mrs. John L. Strong (http://www.mrsstrong.com) has created the
world's finest writing papers and products. The Company creates new designs
and patterns influenced by great style and fashion, and executed according
to tradition. Our steel dies are still engraved by hand, our envelopes
hand-lined, our silver and perfumed products created exclusively for us by
centuries-old artisan processes. In addition to a unique and luxurious
array of Ready to Write (TM) papers, Mrs. John L. Strong is unique in its
offering: bespoke custom paper products. The Company's most exclusive
clients have access to an extraordinary archive of antique and contemporary
dies of unmatched quality. (http://www.mrsstrong.com)
SOURCE Circle Peak Capital LLC
 back to top
Related links:
http://www.circlepeakcapital.com
http://www.mrsstrong.com http://www.point-one-percent.com
CONTACT:
R. Adam Smith, President & CEO, Circle Peak
Capital LLC, +1-646-230-8812
|
