Guggenheim to provide loans to back Accel-KKR’s KCS refinancing

Guggenheim Investments has agreed to provide debt facilities to Accel-KKR to support the latter’s refinancing of Kerridge Commercial Systems, a provider of software solutions to retail, wholesale, merchant and distribution markets. No financial terms were disclosed. Accel-KKR made its first investment in KCS in 2015.

PRESS RELEASE

London, UK – February 22, 2018 – Guggenheim Investments, the global asset management and investment advisory division of Guggenheim Partners announced on February 22, 2018 that it has entered into an agreement with Accel-KKR to provide debt facilities to support its refinancing of Kerridge Commercial Systems (KCS), the market-leading global provider of software solutions to retail, wholesale, merchant and distribution markets.

KCS provides software to 14,000 customers worldwide, offering end to end ERP solutions including Supply Chain Management, Quote to Cash, Financial Management, CRM, Warehouse Management, Transport Management, Business Intelligence, ePOS and more specifically for the wholesaler, distributor, retailer and merchant sectors.

The business has been supported with Unitranche facilities and committed acquisition lines provided by Guggenheim, details of which are not disclosed.

Commenting on the transaction, Tara Moore, Managing Director at Guggenheim said “KCS is a highly respected leader in its field and is led by a very entrepreneurial management team. We are delighted that Guggenheim is able to provide a financing solution to both Accel-KKR and the Company that supports the ongoing execution of the already successful growth strategy in Europe and the US.”

Tom Barnds, Managing Director at and founding partner of Accel-KKR added, “Following six strategic acquisitions since our original investment in 2015, our new credit facility with Guggenheim, combined with our existing capital base, will allow KCS to aggressively execute its acquisition strategy to expand its product breadth and geographic reach in the distribution and manufacturing ERP space.”

About Kerridge Commercial Systems (KCS)
Kerridge Commercial Systems (KCS) provides specialist software, services and support to deliver fully integrated trading and business management solutions to distributive trades customers, large and small –wherever they are in the world. Immersed in the distributive trades for over 40 years, our technical experts are thought leaders in trading and management technology, and our innovative and flexible approach ensures our customers partner with us for the long-term. Our mission is simple: to design and deliver high performance, integrated ERP solutions that enable our distributive trade customers to source effectively, stock efficiently, sell profitably and service competitively.

About Guggenheim Investments
Guggenheim Investments is the global asset management and investment advisory division of Guggenheim Partners with more than $250 billion in total assets across fixed income, equity, and alternative strategies. We focus on the return and risk needs of insurance companies, corporate and public pension funds, sovereign wealth funds, endowments and foundations, consultants, wealth managers, and high-net-worth investors. Our 275+ investment professionals perform rigorous research to understand market trends and identify undervalued opportunities in areas that are often complex and underfollowed. This approach to investment management has enabled us to deliver innovative strategies providing diversification opportunities and attractive long-term results.