Velvet Energy Ltd has obtained an incremental $100 million equity line from its existing U.S. private equity investors Warburg Pincus, Trilantic Capital Partners and ZAM Ventures. The Calgary-based company, which is focused on crude oil and natural gas exploration and production in Alberta, said the investment follows an initial equity line totaling $336 million that has been fully deployed. The new funding will support Velvet Energy's pursuit of acquisitions and additional growth and corporate development opportunities, the company said. Founded in 2011, it is led by president and CEO Ken Woolner.
Gordon Brothers Group and an affiliate of Hilco Global have jointly acquired the Canadian operations of Preferred Sands, a U.S. provider of sand to the hydraulic fracturing industry. The acquired assets include Preferred Sands of Canada's Hanson Lake facility in Saskatoon. The company specializes in producing premium silica sand, resin-coated proppants and industrial sand, as well as environmentally-sensitive varieties. The value of the assets is said to be about $30 million at cost. U.S. private equity firm Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co agreed to make an investment in the Radnor, Pennsylvania-based Preferred Sands in 2014.
EnVision Capital has made an undisclosed investment in KB Enterprises LLC. Based in Laramie, Wyoming, KB Enterprises is a tech firm.
While debt-to-EBITDA multiples have drawn attention for reaching lofty levels during this time of relatively easy credit and ample dry powder, Golden Gate Capital’s buyout of Angus Chemical Co from Dow Chemical Co lands more or less in the middle of the fairway.
Abacus Finance Group LLC has provided an undisclosed amount of credit facilities to back WestView Capital's investment in The Mintz Group. Based in New York City, The Mintz Group is a provider of due diligence and litigation investigation services for law firms, executive search firms, corporations, banks and other financial institutions.
Crestline-Kirchner has taken over management of Medley Opportunity Fund Ltd. and Medley Opportunity Fund LP, renaming them CK Pearl Fund Ltd. and LP, respectively. Crestline-Kirchner replaces Medley Capital as manager of the funds.
A Qatari-led consortium looked set to win its long-running battle to buy Songbird Estates Plc after the owner of London's Canary Wharf business district dropped its opposition to the US$4 billion offer, Reuters reported. The Qatar Investment Authority (QIA) and Brookfield Property Partners launched an offer direct to Songbird shareholders in December, hoping to add a financial district rivaling the City of London to landmarks already in its portfolio.
Micralyne Inc has been acquired by Canadian private equity investor FTC Technologies. FTC has bought 98 percent of the company for an undisclosed sum and plans to acquire the remaining interest. Based in Edmonton, Micralyne is a provider of development and manufacturing services for micro-electro mechanical systems and micro fabrication to several industries. It said the partnership with FTC will help the company grow and expand market share in its sector. Micralyne was founded in 1982 and went private in 1998.
The vast majority of investors in Norbord Inc (TSX: NBD) and Ainsworth Lumber Co Ltd (TSX: ANS) have approved the previously announced combination of the two businesses. The deal, which is expected to close before the end of the first quarter of 2015, has been valued at about $763 million. The Vancouver-based Ainsworth and the Toronto-based Norbord, both of which are portfolio investments of Brookfield Asset Management, have said the merger will establish a leading global forest products company.
Canadian wireless startup Mobilicity has said it will participate in an upcoming government auction of airwaves, Reuters reported. The company said some of its backers have now agreed to put up the roughly $65 million it needs to buy a seat at the table in the auction of high-frequency spectrum, set to be held in March.