Jake Kramer
Associate
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- Full Name
- Jake Kramer
- Title
- Private Equity Associate
- Firm
- The Halifax Group
- Firm Type
- Private equity firm
- Investment Stage
- Lower middle-market private equity, including management buyouts, recapitalizations, corporate divestitures, and go-private transactions
- Check Size
- $40 million-$80 million equity
- Target Company Profile
- Lower middle-market businesses with $8 million-$30 million EBITDA and $50 million-$300 million total enterprise value; no minimum EBITDA for add-ons
- Sector Focus
- Health & Wellness; Outsourced Business Services; Franchising
- Geographic Focus
- Primarily North America, with selected add-on criteria extending to Europe, Australia, and global opportunities depending on platform
- Location
- Washington, DC
Background
Jake Kramer is associated publicly with The Halifax Group, a Washington, DC-based private equity firm focused on lower middle-market companies. A public LinkedIn activity page from Jake Kramer shows him reposting Halifax's 2020 completion of the acquisition of Sonoco's Europe contract packaging business by Prairie Industries Holdings, backed by Halifax.
Before Halifax, Kramer worked in middle-market investment banking at Marriott & Co. in Richmond, Virginia. Marriott & Co. announced on June 10, 2015 that Kramer joined the firm as an Analyst in its Richmond headquarters. The announcement said he graduated with distinction from The Pennsylvania State University with a B.S. in Finance from the Smeal College of Business.
Kramer's early experience included accounting and finance internships, including a Private Equity Summer Analyst role at Cypress & Kingwin Capital Group in Hong Kong. At Penn State, he was President and Founder of The Penn State Hedge Fund Club and a member of The Penn State Investment Association.
Deal records from Richmond BizSense show Kramer working on Marriott & Co. advisory transactions in 2016 and 2017, including an electronics manufacturing services sale to Kauffman Engineering and COX Transportation Services' recapitalization led by Capital One Bank and Peninsula Capital Partners.
Investment Thesis & Focus
- Halifax's stated focus is lower middle-market private equity: the firm says it partners with "founders and managers of lower middle market businesses" and targets companies with total enterprise value above $50 million.
- Halifax's published investment criteria are $8 million-$30 million EBITDA, $40 million-$80 million equity, and $50 million-$300 million TEV, with no minimum EBITDA for add-on acquisitions.
- Target transaction types include management buyouts, recapitalizations, corporate divestitures, and go-private transactions.
- Core sectors are Health & Wellness, Outsourced Business Services, and Franchising.
- Halifax emphasizes a management-partnership model, stating that it supplies management teams with tools, process, human capital, and expertise to support transformative growth.
- In franchising, Halifax says it invests in franchisors and franchisees with high free-cash-flow characteristics, significant scale, and influence across the franchise platform.
Notable Investments
- TriMech - Halifax invested in January 2020 in the Richmond, Virginia-based provider of CAD, engineering software, additive/subtractive manufacturing solutions, training, consulting, and staffing services; Halifax sold a majority stake to Sentinel Capital Partners in March 2022 while retaining a minority stake.
- AAMP Holdings / Stinger - Halifax invested in November 2019 in a global manufacturer of vehicle aftermarket and OEM technology products, including PAC, Connects2, and Stinger.
- StrataTech Education Group - Halifax invested in June 2019 in a post-secondary skilled-trades education platform focused on welding and HVACR programs through Tulsa Welding School and The Refrigeration School.
- Prairie Industries / Truvant - Halifax-backed Prairie Industries completed the acquisition of Sonoco's Europe contract packaging business in December 2020; Kramer publicly reposted Halifax's announcement of the completed transaction.
- BCI Burke - Halifax invested in the commercial playground equipment manufacturer in May 2017 and exited in December 2021; Halifax's case study says EBITDA grew by approximately 150% during its ownership.
- ChanceLight Behavioral Health, Therapy & Education - Halifax partnered with ChanceLight in May 2018; the company provides behavioral health, therapy, and education services.
- PJ United - Halifax invested in December 2020 in one of the largest Papa John's franchisees, headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama.
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