Northern Lights Buys Into Seizert Capital

Northern Lights Ventures has acquired a minority equity stake in Seizert Capital Partners, a Birmingham, Mich.-based investment management firm. No financial terms were disclosed.

PRESS RELEASE

Northern Lights Ventures, LLC (“Northern Lights”) announced today that it has acquired an equity stake in Birmingham, Michigan-based investment management firm Seizert Capital Partners, LLC (“Seizert”).  While the terms were not disclosed, management will retain majority interest in the firm.

Established in 2000, Seizert offers three long-only equity products: Large Cap Core, Mid Cap Core, and Large Cap Value, as well as a long/short equity hedge fund. Each strategy has at least a five-year track record, and performance has been strong relative to their respective benchmarks.

Seizert is led by its three founding partners – Chief Executive Officer Gerry Seizert, President Ed Eberle, and Chief Operating Officer Chuck Schmidt – who collectively have more than 75 years of experience in the asset management industry. The firm’s unique client-oriented culture places a high value on superior service and a disciplined investment process. It employs a strategy focused on identifying companies selling at discount valuations with improving fundamentals. 

“Seizert’s investment process is well designed and clearly differentiates the firm from other valuation-oriented investment managers,” said Paul Greenwood, Managing Director at Northern Lights.  “We view an investment in Seizert as an excellent opportunity to partner with a premier investment manager that has continued to produce strong performance, even in these exceptionally challenging times.“

“We believe that creating a sustainable investment culture is the key to building enduring businesses in this industry,” added Tim Carver, Managing Director at Northern Lights. “Seizert’s commitment to creating a client-focused culture, led by investment professionals was very attractive to us.”

“Northern Lights Ventures provides a unique partnering opportunity that aligns the interests of our clients, our firm, and Northern Lights and their investors,” said Seizert.   “Their focus on providing the resources for our long term success and their understanding of our investment culture is unique and very attractive.”

Prior to founding the firm, Seizert served as Chief Investment Officer and co-chief executive officer of Munder Capital Management, and before that was a managing partner at Loomis Sayles.  Eberle, too, came to Seizert from Munder Capital where he held various senior-level positions including co-manager of the Munder Value and Munder Small-Cap Value Funds and Senior Portfolio Manager of the Value Team.  Schmidt was most recently Portfolio Manager and Co-Manager of the Investment Counsel Group at Loomis Sayles prior to joining Seizert.

Seizert’s strategies are offered through direct separate accounts and via a sub-advisory relationship with the Advance Capital I Core Equity Fund.

About Northern Lights Ventures

Northern Lights Ventures is an independent private equity firm dedicated to partnering with exceptional investment teams to build enduring businesses that put clients first. Northern Lights was established to identify and fund leading investment practitioners to create or grow independent firms through start-up, lift-out, recapitalization or growth financings.  For more information please visit www.northernlightsventures.com.

About Seizert Capital Partners

Seizert Capital Partners was founded on a guiding principle that continues to direct the firm today – that the satisfactory performance of a portfolio is dependent, first and foremost, on management by experienced professionals who understand the distinct needs of the client and who are committed the highest level of integrity and consistency. With a collective experience spanning decades, and a proven track record of successfully managing capital measured in the billions, our portfolio managers are well equipped to serve as trusted advisors who provide answers, but more importantly, they have the perspective to know what questions to ask. For more information please visit www.seizertcapital.com.