According to the Financial Times, British bootmaker Dr. Martens is on the verge of being acquired by European private equity firm Permira for £300 million. The paper reports that Permira will be buying the Griggs family's majority ownership stake in Dr. Martens. Also, under the terms of the deal, Permira will be acquiring the license to use the Dr Martens brand in perpetuity.
TPG said Friday that it has inked an agreement to buy 21st Century Fox's stake in Phoenix Satellite Television Holdings Limited. No financial terms were disclosed. Based in Hong Kong, Phoenix TV is a Mandarin Chinese and Cantonese broadcaster that serves mainland China, Hong Kong and other markets with substantial Chinese viewers.
Hutton Collins Partners has agreed to buy Byron Hamburgers Limited from The Gondola Group for £100 million (approximately $162 million). DC Advisory advised The Gondola Group in the transaction. Based in the UK, Byron is a burger restaurant chain.
Victory Park Capital has completed its sale of Ascent Aviation Services Corp to LongueVue Capital Partners. No financial terms were disclosed. Salem Partners advised VPC in the transaction. Based in Tucson, Arizona, Ascent is a provider of heavy maintenance, teardown, storage and line maintenance services for small to mid-sized operators and leasing companies.
Global investment firm KKR said Friday that it has entered an agreement to buy Avoca Capital. No financial terms were disclosed for the transaction, which is expected to close in the first quarter of 2014. Based in London and Dublin, Avoca Capital is a credit investment manager.
Fenway Partners-backed Preferred Freezer Services has entered a joint venture to build and operate cold chain logistics businesses throughout China. The company, which builds temperature controlled warehouses, has formed the joint venture with Sinotrans Limited, a logistics service provider in China, affiliates of Yang Ming Transport Corporation, a Taiwanese global cargo services provider and the Yida Group, an urban design and real property developer.
The Russia-China Investment Fund, a private equity equity fund focusing on investments related to the rise of the middle class in Russia, China and former countries of the Soviet Union, has acquired a stake in a forestry company in Russia's far east. The investment, for a 42 percent stake, will help develop the largest "center for deep wood processing" in the region.
Coal-bed methane (CBM) producer Ember Resources Inc has completed its $220 million buy of oil and gas producing properties owned by Houston, Texas-based Apache Corp, peHUB Canada has learned. Additionally, as of the acquisition’s closing date on September 30, Brookfield Capital Partners III LP was left as the company’s sole shareholder. In 2011, Brookfield led a group of private equity investors that took Ember private for $125 million.
French ophthalmic optics company Essilor International has made an undisclosed strategic investment in Technologies Humanware Inc, a Drummondville, Québec-based designer and distributor of electronic assistance products for the blind and vision impaired. Essilor acquired a majority interest in the business to develop its global low vision offering. Technologies Humanware is a portfolio company of Australian private equity firm Jolimont Capital. The company has also been backed by the Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec.
Cleveland, Ohio-based middle-market private equity firm Linsalata Capital Partners has sold Royal Baths Manufacturing Company, Ltd. to Cotton Creek Capital Management. No financial terms were disclosed for the transaction, which was completed on October 15, 2013. Based in Houston, Royal Baths is a maker of marble bathroom products.