Kirtland Strengthens Organization with New Operating Resource Team

February 13, 2007
Cleveland, Ohio – Kirtland Capital Partners has formed a dedicated Operating Resource Team comprised of experienced senior managers who will help to maximize the performance of its portfolio companies through operational and strategic counsel. Headed by Bob Fines, the team also includes Graeme Bennie and John Lalley.

Each professional has more than 20 years of management experience and brings wide-ranging, complementary backgrounds to the Operating Resource Team.

• Bob Fines (above, left) led international and domestic businesses in the plastics and chemical sector as a senior executive with General Electric. As president of Avery-Dennison’s roll label business, he led the growth and financial turnaround of this unit.
• Graeme Bennie (above, center) has, in addition to holding operations management positions, developed considerable experience in process re-engineering and continuous improvement.
• John Lalley (above, right) has a broad financial and accounting background, having served with a large audit firm, a major money-center bank, and over 12 years as a Chief Financial Officer.

The team will supplement management’s knowledge by offering a variety of tools and skills, such as strategic planning exercises, benchmarking and lean manufacturing techniques, including Kaizen events and value-stream mapping. These initiatives will be focused on the objective of optimizing performance and creating value for KCP operating company management teams and investors.

“Our mission is to enable KCP operating companies to develop to their full potential,” says Bob Fines. “For 30 years, this has been achieved by maintaining a partnership approach from the day the company is purchased until it is sold.”

Historically, Kirtland Capital has called on its network of experienced senior managers to provide advice and direction, when necessary, for its portfolio companies. KCP has committed to a significant expansion of that assistance with the formalization of the Operating Resource Team.

KCP Managing Partner John Nestor, comments, “We have always been proud of the partnerships we form with our portfolio company management teams. With the Operating Resource Team in place, Kirtland is taking those partnerships to the next level of depth and collaboration.”

Kirtland Capital Partners is a leading, relationship-oriented private equity firm focused on investments in middle-market businesses. Its targets are niche manufacturing, distribution and business-to-business service companies. The firm provides its portfolio companies significant operating, financial and strategic resources to accelerate growth. Kirtland seeks opportunities with mature businesses that are well-positioned competitively and have excellent growth potential. It has $325 million of capital under management.

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