Heartwood Partners has developed its investment and management practices specifically to support founders, owners, and management teams of small to medium enterprises in achieving their business, financial, and personal goals.
Unlike traditional private equity firms, Heartwood applies a higher-equity, lower-debt approach that is designed to give our portfolio companies the financial flexibility to pursue acquisitions and fund capital expansion.
Our transactions are capitalized with roughly half the level of debt typically used in private equity transactions so our companies can thrive in more difficult economic climates or when business challenges arise. Furthermore, we use the cash that is not flowing toward incremental interest payments associated with higher debt levels to invest in growth initiatives and to provide current income for equity holders, such as founders, owners, and managers investing alongside Heartwood.
Heartwood prides itself on creating an ecosystem where founders, owners, and management teams can thrive. We offer in-house operations, marketing, digital, direct-to-consumer, and human resource expertise to further support our portfolio companies and identify avenues of potential growth for the near and long term.
From its roots in 1982, Heartwood has applied its capital and expertise in working with family and management-owned businesses to address their specific needs and maximize business potential.
Our partnerships with management teams allow them to optimize their path to growth initiatives, execute on new strategies and visions, and most of all, ensure that the health of their company lasts well beyond our ownership period.
“THEIR LONG-TERM INVESTMENT APPROACH ALONG WITH THE GREAT PEOPLE WE WORKED WITH MADE OUR TIME PLEASANT AND PRODUCTIVE.”
- Paul Weaver,
Former Owner and CEO, Weaver Leather
“I sold my company to Heartwood Partners in 2008 and remained as CEO. In our relationship spanning over twelve years, I have found Heartwood Partners to be very smart, knowledgeable, and honest in every interaction. Now I am an investor with Heartwood and am thrilled to continue the relationship in a different capacity.”
- Earl Waxman,
Founder and CEO, Harbor Linen
The opinions of Mr. Paul Weaver and Mr. Earl Waxman are their own and are not necessarily those of Heartwood Partners or its personnel. Messrs. Weaver and Waxman are the founders and CEOs of portfolio companies formerly owned and controlled by funds managed by Heartwood Partners. Neither Mr. Weaver nor Mr. Waxman has been compensated in connection with his statements.
