Tailored Capital Solutions
& Long-term Value Creation
for Lower Middle Market Companies
About Us
Our team brings over 135 years of operating, ownership, banking and investing experience.
Investment Criteria
We provide capital solutions to well-positioned middle market businesses that are performing, distressed or dislocated.
- Good company, challenged balance sheet
- Refinance uncertainty and distress
- Strategic and operating support needs:
- Growth driven
- Human capital or other key resource gaps
- Operational and capital optimization
- Exit plan driven
- Proven business model and management team
- Identifiable competitive advantage with scalable model
- Can benefit from operational and management expertise
- Located in the Southeast US
Normalized EBITDA: $2-10 MM
$5MM minimum target investments
- Financial Services
- Business Services
- Healthcare
- Distribution
- Food & Beverage
- Industrial & Manufacturing
- Consumer Products & Services
- Electronics & Technology
Our Approach
We partner with owners and entrepreneurs to create long-term value.
- We listen to deeply understand company situation, needs, vision and goals.
- We identify capacity and range of outcomes and we plan together to execute strategy and secure opportunities.
- We formalize the partnership.
- We provide strategic guidance to help companies achieve their goals.
Capital Solutions
We provide capital solutions to well-positioned middle market businesses that are performing, distressed or dislocated.
DEBT
Senior Term | Working Capital | Subordinated
Uni-tranche | Mezzanine | Convertible
EQUITY
Preferred | Minority Common | Majority Common
Our capital solutions are both patient and flexible. We structure the capital to match your strategy. Our investment time horizon is flexible and based on the type of capital, strategic needs, and value creation opportunity.
Competitive Edge
We are experienced business operators across a range of economic cycles.
Our team has a proven track record of building and managing businesses across various stages and industries, from startups to successful exits to public companies. We understand the unique challenges that lower middle market companies face and how to overcome them.
We leverage our extensive experience in the banking industry and capital structuring.
Our partners include former C- and E-level banking professionals with a deep understanding of bank operations, credit processes, strategies and distressed deal management. We understand how bankers think about perceived distress to the economy, industries and borrowers, providing clients with the tools to navigate a challenging process and enhance execution.
We have uncommon expertise in successfully managing distressed company situations.
We know how to assess, maneuver and thrive in distressed environments. We develop comprehensive solutions that reflect our expertise and our commitment to enhance value across diverse landscapes.
Our origination from a private single-family office has distinct advantages.
Our family office relationship gives us access to infrastructure, financial and operational expertise, and a vast network of relationships to leverage and support your success.
Family Office Advantage
Patient Capital
Long-term investment horizon, not bound by strict investment cycles. This approach allows businesses to focus on sustainable growth without the pressure of delivering immediate returns.
Flexibility
Flexibility to structure deals according to the specific needs of the business. Customized relationships to accommodate the company’s unique circumstances.
Relationship-Based Investing
Prioritize building strong, long-term relationships with portfolio companies. Hands-on approach, providing mentorship and guidance beyond just financial support.
Stability and Consistency
Less reactive to external market pressures and fundraising cycles. Such stability can provide comfort to businesses during economic downturns when traditional sources of capital may be more constrained.
Diverse Investment Allocation
Our allocation across various industries with diverse economic and performance cycles enhances our ability to weather economic volatility.
Access to Networks
Companies who secure investment from us gain access to valuable connections, potential partners, and new markets, which can accelerate the growth of their businesses.
Our Mission
We focus our operational expertise, industry knowledge, network of relationships and financial capital to create long-term value and success for our partner companies, owners, employees, customers, and investors.
Our Values
Collaboration
We maintain a strong sense of alignment with our portfolio companies in order to foster a sense of ownership and commitment.
Accountability
Transparency, responsibility, and ownership ensures that commitments are upheld and results are achieved.
Integrity
Our moral compass guides every action and decision, fostering trust, honesty, and a culture of high ethical standards.
Excellence
With a deep passion for what we do and a commitment for excellence, we expect the very best from ourselves and our partners.
Meet Our Team
Darian W. Johnson
Partner / Founder
Chairman
Darian thrives on powering strategic business growth. He has nearly 30 years of experience as a senior executive in the business incubator and finance areas, and he has been the driving force behind the launch of a number of highly successful start-up businesses in a range of industries. From single-location startups to multi-location/multi-state organizations, he has a strong, proven track record in business planning, procuring capital and guiding first-time entrepreneurs.
Darian was previously Chief Operating Officer/Chairman of the Board of Skilled Services and Vice President at First Florida Bank. Darian serves as President, Chief Operating Officer of Sembler Investments and Chairman of the Board of Immunologix Laboratories.
He earned a Bachelor of Science in business administration with a major in Finance from the University of Florida.
Richard A. Mocsari
Richard has 30 years of experience as a financial services professional, with the last 17 years as a strategically-focused CFO and investor with operator expertise. During his various tenures in private investment, commercial banking and investment banking, he has consistently driven exceptional risk-adjusted returns on capital and achieved desired outcomes for shareholders.
Richard’s background includes a focus on organic growth strategies, mergers and acquisitions, and capital structuring and raising activities among ownership that includes institutional private equity, hedge funds, sophisticated family offices and private investors and operators. Richard’s experience also includes repositioning of distressed institutions and assets across multiple economic cycles, industries and asset classes.
He holds a Master of Business Administration from the University of Florida and a Bachelor of Science in Finance from the University of South Florida.
Andrew G. Peterson
Partner / Founder
Credit & Portfolio Management
Drew is a financial services professional with over 32 years of experience successfully leading and repositioning credit organizations to facilitate healthy, accelerated, loan growth, as well as rehabilitation of acquired and legacy distressed loan portfolios. He is responsible for setting credit and risk strategy, efficient production, operations and risk structures, as well as implementing and reinforcing culture.
Drew has a diverse background across global and community banking environments in complex loan and capital structures across a variety of industries, mergers and acquisitions, FDIC failed bank bidding, due diligence and special assets management has facilitated strong returns on capital and shareholder outcomes.
Drew holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a concentration in Finance from the University of Florida and is a graduate of the Stonier Graduate School of Banking at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.
Henry Gonzalez, III
Partner / Founder
Originations & Operations
Henry is a proven executive-level business development leader. Over his 30+ year career, he has created and managed successful financial services production teams that consistently exceeded market expectations. He has driven the procurement of complex business customer acquisition and retention systems, while responsible for all facets of a growth culture and organization, including recruitment, incentivization, and accountability.
Henry’s balanced approach to managing risk and maximum returns has generated consistent production in excess of $100 MM annually in the middle market segment, while also maintaining responsibility for the management and risk assessment of cumulative portfolios in excess of $1 B in middle-market companies of varying sophistication and size.
Henry holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a Concentration in Finance from the University of South Florida, a Masters of Business Administration from University of South Florida with a concentration in Management and Finance, and he is a graduate of the LSU Banking School.
Travis Johnson, CFA
Vice President
A Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA®) and a Professional in Human Resources® (PHR®) with a master’s in entrepreneurship, Travis has a track record of delivering value across multiple business functions and a specialty in working with early-stage companies.
During his banking career, Travis focused primarily on middle market credit but also gained capital markets experience, working extensively with the Sponsored Healthcare and Debt Capital Markets groups. He later broke into the RIA space as a portfolio strategist and eventually became the Chief Financial Officer for an RIA service provider, acting as the outsourced CFO for multiple early-stage financial services companies.
Travis holds a Bachelor of Science in Finance, with a minor in real estate, and a Masters in Entrepreneurship from University of Florida.