LOS ANGELES, CA / NEW YORK, NY – October 17, 2022 – Freeman Spogli & Co. (“Freeman Spogli”) is pleased to announce their recognition in being named for the second year in a row to Inc.’s annual Founder-Friendly Investors list, honoring the private equity and venture capital firms with track records of success backing entrepreneurs.
Inc.’s 2022 list of Founder-Friendly Investors recognizes Freeman Spogli as one of a select group of firms that entrepreneurs collaborate with and trust as they receive strategic and financial support they need to help drive growth.
“Fully investing in an entrepreneur, and their innovative vision, involves far more than the financial investment. By developing relationships with and supporting entrepreneurs for the long-term, these private equity firms are more than investors, they’re partners,” says Scott Omelianuk, editor-in-chief of Inc. media.
John Hwang, Partner at Freeman Spogli, said, “Roughly half of our investments and partnerships in our recent funds have been made to support founder-owned or founder-run businesses. Our team is greatly appreciative of the trust that these founders and families have placed in us as we partner together to pursue their long-term growth plans for their businesses.”
With offices in Los Angeles and New York, Freeman Spogli is dedicated to investing alongside founders and management teams exclusively in middle-market companies in the consumer and distribution sectors. Since its founding in 1983, Freeman Spogli has invested over $5.5 billion in 69 portfolio companies with an aggregate transaction value of over $27 billion and has completed over 145 add-on acquisitions with its portfolio companies.
Chris Johnson, Partner at Freeman Spogli, added, “Our focus and experience with consumer and distribution businesses provides us with unique insights, perspectives, and resources, and we believe our specialization in these areas is one of the key differentiators of our firm. Further, we take a long-term approach regarding the time and investment required to create value, while being sensitive to the unique cultures underpinning these organizations.”
A few examples of platform investments where Freeman Spogli has partnered alongside founders include NearU (provider of essential home services including HVAC, plumbing, and electrical services), EverVet (operates a leading network of general practice animal hospitals), WhiteWater Express (multi-state operator of express car washes), Brooklinen (leading direct-to-consumer brand in the home essentials category), USME (leading value-added distributor and rental and related services provider of mission-critical moveable medical equipment), EasyIce (national leader in full-service ice machine subscriptions), Kamps Pallets (nationwide pallet management services provider), CRH Healthcare (patient-focused operator of urgent care centers), City Barbeque (fast-casual restaurant company focused on authentic, "smoker-to-table" barbeque), Arhaus (lifestyle omni-channel retailer of exclusively designed home furnishings), Floor & Decor (leading omni-channel retailer of hard surface flooring), PF Baseline Fitness (leading franchisee of Planet Fitness health clubs), Osprey (iconic active lifestyle brand and the global leader in technical packs), Paradies (operator of airport convenience retail stores), Boot Barn (leading omni-channel retailer of wester and work wear) and Advance Auto Parts (specialty retailer of automotive parts and accessories).
The Freeman Spogli team is supported by a network of strategic operating partners with extensive networks and industry and domain expertise tailored to our segment of the market.
The October 2022 issue of Inc. magazine is available online now at https://www.inc.com/magazine and on newsstands.
About Inc.
The world’s most trusted business-media brand, Inc. offers entrepreneurs the knowledge, tools, connections, and community they need to build great companies. Its award-winning multiplatform content reaches more than 50 million people each month across a variety of channels including websites, newsletters, social media, podcasts, and print. Its prestigious Inc. 5000 list, produced every year since 1982, analyzes company data to recognize the fastest-growing privately held businesses in the United States. The global recognition that comes with inclusion in the 5000 gives the founders of the best businesses an opportunity to engage with an exclusive community of their peers, and the credibility that helps them drive sales and recruit talent. The associated Inc. 5000 Conference is part of a highly acclaimed portfolio of bespoke events produced by Inc. For more information, visit www.inc.com.
About Freeman Spogli
Freeman Spogli & Co. is a private equity firm dedicated exclusively to investing in and partnering with management in consumer and distribution companies in the United States. Since its founding in 1983, Freeman Spogli has invested over $5.5 billion in 69 portfolio companies with an aggregate transaction value of over $27 billion and has completed over 145 add-on acquisitions with its portfolio companies. Freeman Spogli is currently making investments from FS Equity Partners VIII, L.P. and has offices in Los Angeles and New York. For additional information, please visit www.freemanspogli.com.