Baird Capital Partners has invested in PARTNERS+simons. Financial terms weren’t announced. Tom Simons, founder of PARTNERS+simons, will remain chairman, while Tony Cotrupi will continue to serve as president and run day-to-day operations. Boston-based PARTNERS+simons is a communications company that specializes in the healthcare and financial services industries.

American Auto Auction Group, which is backed by Baird Capital Partners, has acquired Auctions in Motion. Financial terms weren’t announced. Westlake Village, Calif., AIM is a dealer consignment auction offering traditional auction services.

BB&T Capital Partners Mezzanine Fund II has invested subordinated debt and preferred and common stock to support the acquisition of Eckler’s by Baird Capital Partners. Titusville, Fla.-based Eckler’s is a marketer of restoration parts and accessories for classic and enthusiast vehicles. Terms of the deal were not released. PRESS RELEASE Eckler’s is the premier multi-channel, [...]

David Schroeder has joined Baird Capital Partners as an operating partner. He will be based in Milwaukee. In addition to his role at Baird, Schroeder is also a principal of Corvus Advisors where he provides executive level support in business planning and measurement, change management and strategy formulation. Baird Capital Partners is the buyout fund [...]

Private equity-backed medical billing services company MedData Inc. has acquired MedDirect Inc., a Grand Rapids, Mich.-based patient services company. Terms of the deal were not released. Brecksville, Ohio-based MedData is a portfolio company of a portfolio company of Baird Capital Partners, the U.S.-based buyout fund of Baird Private Equity.

Baird Capital Partners announced Thursday that it had added Mark Hodges as an operating partner. Hodges is the founder and CEO of Hodges Advisory, a firm that advises the founders of services companies on growth and liquidity, Baird said in a statement. Previously he was co-founder and chairman of the board of EquaTerra, an outsourcing and shared services advisory company.

Private equity investor Baird Capital Partners has acquired Digi-Star Holdings Inc., a manufacturer of agriculture scales and weighing equipment. Terms of the deal were not released. The PrivateBank and U.S. Bank National Association provided senior financing for the deal, with Fifth Street Finance Corp. providing mezzanine financing. Digi-Star is based in Fort Atkinson, Wis.

MedData has acquired Data Management (DMI), a provider of physician billing services to pathologists and emergency departments. MedData is a portfolio company of Baird Capital Partners, the US-based buyout fund of Baird Private Equity (BPE). DMI was a portfolio company of Lakeshore Capital Partners.

The Carlyle Group and Hellman & Friedman’s $3.9 billion agreement to buy Pharmaceutical Product Development Inc. marks the latest example of buyout shops buying companies that run clinical trials for pharma and biotech companies.

These so-called contract research organizations, or CROs, are expected to expand and consolidate, making it highly likely we could see more LBOs. Click through below to see a selection of other noteworthy CROs, presented alphabetically, that could look attractive to sponsors. These include public companies that, like PPD, might find it easier to navigate the market’s consolidation under private ownership; public companies with recent changes at the CEO level; and private equity-owned companies, including one that’s been in its owner’s portfolio for almost four years now.

Baird Capital Partners will acquire Utah-based HRI from listed home improvement retailer the Home Depot, in a deal where terms were not disclosed. Financing for the transaction is being provided by BMO Harris Bank N.A., BBVA, and Caltius. BCP is joined in the investment by Thrivent Financial for Lutherans, and DLA Piper served as counsel to BCP. The financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed.