Roark Capital Group

Last updated

Roark Capital Management, LLC
Company type Private
Industry Private equity
Founded2001;23 years ago (2001)
Headquarters,
U.S.
Key people
  • Paul D. Ginsberg
    (President)
  • Erik O. Morris
    (Chief Investment Officer)
Products Leveraged buyout
AUM US$37 billion (2023) [1]
Number of employees
1.4 million [2]
Website roarkcapital.com

Roark Capital Management, LLC, [3] also known as Roark Capital Group or simply Roark Capital, is an American private equity firm with around $37 billion in assets under management. The firm is focused on leveraged buyout investments in middle-market companies, primarily in the franchise/multi-location, restaurant and food, health and wellness, and business services sectors. It is named for Howard Roark, the protagonist in Ayn Rand's novel The Fountainhead . The firm says that its name is not meant to connote any particular political philosophy but instead signify the firm's admiration for the iconoclastic qualities of independence and self-assurance embodied by the central figure in The Fountainhead. [4]

Contents

History

The firm, which is based in Atlanta, Georgia, was founded in 2001 by the current Managing Partner, Neal K. Aronson. Senior team members include President Paul D. Ginsberg, Chief Investment Officer Erik O. Morris, and Managing Directors Timothy Armstrong, Stephen D. Aronson, Dennis Gies, Clay Harmon, Geoff Hill, Kevin Hofmann, Ian Picache, Gregory Smith, Sarah Spiegel, Michael Thompson, and David Wierman.

Prior to founding Roark Capital Group in 2001, Aronson was a co-founder of U.S. Franchise Systems in 1995. Roark currently is investing out of its fifth institutional private equity fund.[ needs update ]

Investments

Roark's current and former portfolio companies include:

Current investments

Former investments

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References

  1. Durbin, Dee-Ann (August 24, 2023). "Sandwich chain Subway will be sold to fast-food investor Roark Capital". Associated Press.
  2. Form ADV filing
  3. "Roark Capital Management, LLC". OpenCorporates . November 24, 2004. Retrieved August 27, 2023.
  4. "About Our Name". Roark Capital Group. Retrieved May 25, 2017.
  5. "ROARK CAPITAL BUYS A PIECE OF CHEESECAKE FACTORY". Restaurant Business Online. April 20, 2020.
  6. "Atlanta private equity firm buys another fitness chain". Atlanta Business Chronicle. February 4, 2019.
  7. "The Wendy's Company Sells Ownership Interest in Inspire Brands for $450 Million". wendys.com. Wendy's Company. August 16, 2018. Retrieved September 25, 2018.
  8. Thorn, Bret (September 26, 2018). "Inspire Brands to buy Sonic Corp. for $2.3B". Nation's Restaurant News. Retrieved September 25, 2018.
  9. "Roark Capital Group Acquires Jim 'N Nick's Bar-B-Q" (PDF). July 10, 2017.
  10. "Pet Retail Brands: North America's 3rd Largest Pet Retailer". chainstoreguide.com. Chain Store Guides, LLC. October 8, 2018. Retrieved March 26, 2021.
  11. Lucas, Amelia (August 24, 2023). "Subway sandwich chain sells itself to Dunkin' owner Roark Capital". CNBC. Retrieved August 24, 2023.
  12. Kaiser, Tom (July 22, 2016). "Roark Sells Batteries Plus Bulbs as Retail Heats Up". franchisetimes.com. Retrieved September 4, 2023.
  13. "Atlanta's Roark Capital buys Il Fornaio parent firm". San Francisco Chronicle . June 14, 2011.