BNET Industries

Last Fiscal Year Sales:$17.5M
  • Private
  • US
Dow Jones Description

Circle Peak Capital is a New York City-based private equity firm that invests alongside founders and management to build market leading companies in the consumer, industrial, and financial services sectors. By leveraging the firm's deep industry expertise and exclusive network of operating executives, our partnership strategy empowers management to enter new markets, pursue new opportunities, and grow sustainable businesses. Circle Peak investments typically involve the following characteristics: - Founders or management seeking a strategic partner to build businesses through organic growth and acquisitions; - A defensible, market leading company that requires up to $100 million in equity commitments; - A talented and committed team of operating executives who retain meaningful levels of equity alongside Circle Peak and its capital partners. Circle Peak believes a collaborative partnership with management encourages owner-operator alignment and enables outsized and sustainable value creation. As a result, the firm seeks to provide its affiliates with a flexible operating and financial environment that allows management to approach corporate challenges and opportunities in a measured and deliberate fashion. CPC also supports and augments existing management teams with third-party operators from CPC's own executive network.

President of Acosta Grocery Channel
Mr Robert F McCarthy
Number of Employees 5
Contact Information

1325 Ave of the Americas Fl 25

New York, New York 10019

circlepeakcapit...

(646) 230-8812

NAICS Code Portfolio Management: 523920

News & Analysis

circle peak capital llc - All News and Analysis

Decision Makers

Name (plus bio) Position
Mr Robert F McCarthy President of Acosta Grocery Channel
Rakesh Jain President, Principal, Citigroup Private Equity In New York
R Stephen Bartholow JR. Chief Investment Officer & Senior Managing Director, Carret and Company LLC
Scott Ogur Cfo, CIO
Holbrook M Forusz Vice President
Clinton J Kendrick Executive Director, Shearman & Sterling
Maureen A Brille Managing Director and Co-Founder of the Gerson Group
John Poerink Partner
Joselyn Suarez Office Manager
Adam Smith
Alan B Menkes
Alfred T "Tad" Ogden
Barrett Smith
Dennis M Newnham
Erik Herrmann Senior Associate
Graham Brown Associate
Henry Zwicky
James J Greco
Jayson Yost Associate
Jeffrey F. Reed Senior Financial Executive
Jim Clippard Senior Associate
John J Spencer
Philip Carret
R Jonge Poerink Principal
Richard Vartabedian
Russell L Carson
Tad Ogden
Tory Victor K Kiam

Board of Directors

Name (plus bio) Position
Andrew Malloy Board of Directors
Bernie Andrews Board of Directors
Brian Gustaitis Board of Directors
H. Richard Vartabedian Board of Directors
James T Gorman Board of Directors
Jon A. Gordon Board of Directors
Joseph S. Rhodes Board of Directors
Kerry Kramp Board of Directors
Marc H Michel Board of Directors
Mike Lorelli Board of Directors
Pierre Keyser Board of Directors
R. Glenn Hubbard PhD Board of Directors
Robert Martin Board of Directors
Skip Karetsky Board of Directors
Steven Kotler Board of Directors
Victor K. Kiam III Board of Directors

Organization Position Status
Circle Peak Capital LLC President of Acosta Grocery Channel Current
Circle Peak Capital LLC Board of Directors Current
Acosta, Inc. Former
Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University Masters Former

Organization Position Status
Circle Peak Capital LLC President, Principal, Citigroup Private Equity In New York Current
Circle Peak Capital LLC Board of Directors Current
Morgan Stanley Former
IFG Corp. Former
McGill University B.Comm degree (Joint Honors) in Economics and Finance Former

Organization Position Status
Circle Peak Capital LLC JR. Chief Investment Officer & Senior Managing Director, Carret and Company LLC Current
Southern Methodist University B.S. in Economics and Finance Former

Organization Position Status
Scimitar Global Ventures Cfo Current
Circle Peak Capital LLC Cfo, CIO Current
Circle Peak Capital LLC Board of Directors Current
Scimitar Global Ventures Partner Current
PaineWebber, Inc. Former
NYU Stern School of Business MBA in Finance Former
Bucknell University BA In Accounting Former

Organization Position Status
Circle Peak Capital LLC Vice President Current
Stonehenge Capital Company, LLC Associate Former
The Walnut Group Former
Provident Bank Former
University of Chicago Graduate School of Business MBA Former
University of Cincinnati BA degree in Finance and International Business Former

Organization Position Status
Circle Peak Capital LLC Executive Director, Shearman & Sterling Current
Marketcore, Inc. Board Member, Founder and Investor Current
Wealthtrust, Inc. Executive Current
Wealthtrust, Inc. Chairman Current
Indexiq Board of Directors Current
Shearman & Sterling Llp Executive Director Former
Management Group, Inc. Board of Directors Former
Yale University B.A. Former

Organization Position Status
The Gerson Group Managing Director Current
Circle Peak Capital LLC Managing Director and Co-Founder of the Gerson Group Current
The Gerson Group Founder Current
Circle Peak Capital LLC Board of Directors Current
Chemical Banking Corporation Former
Egon Zehnder International Former
College of William & Mary MBA Former
University of Illinois BS In Finance Former

Organization Position Status
Circle Peak Capital LLC Partner Current
Circle Peak Capital LLC Senior Associate Current
Limited Brands, Inc. Vice President Former
Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania MBA in Finance Former
University of Amsterdam Master's Degree in Marketing and Communication Former

Organization Position Status
Circle Peak Capital LLC Office Manager Current

Organization Position Status
Circle Peak Capital LLC Current
Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. Former

Organization Position Status
Circle Peak Capital LLC Current
HM Capital Partners LLC Partner Former
Wharton Graduate School of the University of Pennsylvania M.B.A. with Distinction Former
University of Virginia Former
Thomas Weisel Partners LLC member Former

Organization Position Status
Columbia University Neurological Institute Assistant Prof of Neurological Surgery Current
Columbia-Presbyterian Spine Center Current
Circle Peak Capital LLC Current
Pru-One Inc. Former
Columbia University MD Former
Columbia University Neurological Institute MD Former
Cornell University Law School LLB Former
Yale University BA Former

Organization Position Status
Circle Peak Capital LLC Current

Organization Position Status
Circle Peak Capital LLC Current
Adirondack Beverages Former
State University of New York at Binghamton BA Former

Organization Position Status
Circle Peak Capital LLC Senior Associate Current
Consumer Growth Partners Investment Analyst Former
First Manhattan Consulting Group, Inc. Financial Analyst Former
Wharton Graduate School of the University of Pennsylvania Degrees Former

Mr. Brown joined Circle Peak as an Associate in October 2007. Mr. Brown was formerly an associate at Peter J. Solomon Company (PJSC), a boutique investment bank in New York City, where he spent more than 3 years. Prior to his experience at PJSC, Mr. Brown was an analyst at Wachovia Securities, working in their Consumer and Retail Investment Banking practice. He received a BA degree in Physics from Georgetown University and is a candidate for an MBA degree from Columbia University in 2009.

Organization Position Status
Circle Peak Capital LLC Associate Current
Peter J. Solomon Company Associate Former
Georgetown University BA Degree In Physics Former

Organization Position Status
Circle Peak Capital LLC Current
Wisconsin Cheese Group Inc. CEO Former
Wisconsin Cheese Group Inc. President Former
Jacobson Partners President Former
Wisconsin Cheese Group Inc. Founder Former
Carthage College B.A. in Business Administration Former

Organization Position Status
Circle Peak Capital LLC Current

Organization Position Status
Circle Peak Capital LLC Associate Current
Mabank Former
Swarthmore College BA In Economics Former

Organization Position Status
Fischbein LLC Chairman & CEO Current
Circle Peak Capital LLC Senior Financial Executive Current
Circle Peak Capital LLC Board of Directors Current
Greenfield Industries, Inc. CFO Former
Circle Peak Capital LLC Operating Partner Former
Shaw Industries, Inc. Director of Corporate Finance Former

Organization Position Status
Circle Peak Capital LLC Senior Associate Current
Bear Wagner Specialists, LLC Vice President of Equity Derivatives Former
Bear, Inc. Vice President of Equity Derivatives Former
Spear Corporation Analyst Former
Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. Former
Wharton Graduate School of the University of Pennsylvania MBA Former
Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania MBA Former
Cornell University BA degree in Economics Former
The London School of Economics Former

Organization Position Status
Circle Peak Capital LLC Current
Focus Management Group Current
Spencer & Associates CEO Former
Sprout Group Former
Overseas Private Investment Corporation Former
Pepsi-Cola Former
Seton Hall University BA Former

Organization Position Status
Circle Peak Capital LLC Current

Organization Position Status
Circle Peak Capital LLC Principal Current

Organization Position Status
Circle Peak Capital LLC Current
HSBC Bank USA, Inc. Executive Vice President Former
Chase Manhattan security analyst Former
Bates College BA Former

Organization Position Status
Circle Peak Capital LLC Current

Organization Position Status
Circle Peak Capital LLC Current

Organization Position Status
Circle Peak Capital LLC Current
RPI Corp. President Former
Drexel Burnham Lambert Inc. Former
Stanford University MBA Former
Harvard College BA in Government Former

Mr. Malloy is a Founding Investor in, as well as the Director of Institutional Sales of WisdomTree is a pioneer in global Asset Management, Inc. WisdomTree has developed the first family of fundamentally-weighted dividend and earnings indexes and ETFs. Mr. Malloy was previously at Bear Stearns & Co. Oppenheimer & Co. Inc., and TAG Associates, Ltd. At TAG, Mr. Malloy was Senior Management Director and CIO of Alternative Investment Products.

Organization Position Status
Wisdom Tree, Inc. Director of Institutional Sales Current
Circle Peak Capital LLC Board of Directors Current

Prior to ECCA, Bernie served as President, COO, and Director of Montgomery Ward and EVP ? Store Operations and Director at Circuit City Stores. Prior to Montgomery Ward and Circuit City , Mr. Andrews spent 20 years at Sears, Roebuck where he was National Marketing Manager ? Home Furnishings. Mr. Andrews is currently Chairman of the Board for Luxury Optical Holdings, a high-end eyewear chain owned by CPC in partnership with DLJ Merchant Banking and Goode Partners.

Organization Position Status
Circle Peak Capital LLC Board of Directors Current
Luxury Optical Holdings Inc. Director Current
Parago, Inc. Director Current
Staley Capital Management LLC Board of Directors Current
Airoom Incorporated Director Current
Eye Care Centers of America, Inc. Chief Executive Officer Former
Montgomery Ward President Former
Montgomery Ward Coo Former
Sears, Roebuck & Co. Former
Eye Care Centers of America, Inc. Chairman of the Board Former
Montgomery Ward Director Former

Brian Gustaitis. Mr. Gustaitis is currently Non Executive Chairman of Hill & Valley Inc., a No Sugar and No Sugar Added Baking Company, which is a portfolio company of Circle Peak Capital. Mr. Gustaitis is a senior executive with over 30 years of experience in the food industry. Most recently, Mr. Gustaitis was President and COO of Kozy Shack Enterprises, a $100 million dollar privately owned manufacturer of all natural refrigerated puddings. Under his leadership, the company enjoyed a financial turn-around, reversing declining sales trends, repositioning the brand and refinancing / reducing the company's debt. Prior to Kozy Shack, Mr. Gustaitis spent 5 years with Tetley USA, a well-known brand manufacturer and marketer of tea and coffee in the USA. He held the positions of President, Chief Operating Officer, and Vice President - Foodservice and Private Label. He was also responsible for the US interface of the worldwide Tetley group sale to Tata Tea of India. Prior to Tetley USA, Mr. Gustaitis spent 15 years with Pepperidge Farm Inc., a division of The Campbell Soup Company, where he was Vice President and General Manager of the $130 million Frozen Foods division and VP General Manager of the $90 million Foodservice division. Under his leadership, the Frozen Foods and Foodservice divisions enjoyed consistent sales and earnings growth fueled by new products and new segment penetration. Prior to Pepperidge Farm, Mr. Gustaitis was Group Marketing Manager of the Foodservice Division with The Nestle' Company. Mr. Gustaitis holds an MBA and a BS from the University of Bridgeport. He and his wife Patricia reside in Oxford CT.

Organization Position Status
No-Sugar Ltd Executive Chairman Current
Hill & Valley, Inc Executive Chairman Current
Circle Peak Capital LLC Board of Directors Current
Kozy Shack Inc. President Former
Tetley USA Inc. Former
Pepperidge Farm, Inc. Former
Campbell Soup Company Former
University of Bridgeport MBA Former
University of Bridgeport BS Former

Organization Position Status
Wealthtrust, Inc. Chief Executive Officer of Hsbc Asset Management North America Current
Wealthtrust, Inc. Vice Chairman Current
Circle Peak Capital LLC Board of Directors Current
HSBC Asset Management Limited Chief Executive Officer Former
HSBC Bank USA, Inc. Executive Vice President Former
Republic National Bank Former
HSBC Auto Finance Former
Boothbay Harbor Yacht Club Treasurer Former
New York University Mba Former
Bates College Ba Former

Organization Position Status
Tour Golf Group, Inc Chief Marketing Officer Current
Tour Golf Group, Inc Executive Vice President Current
Circle Peak Capital LLC Board of Directors Current
Diadora America, Inc. CEO Former
Callaway Golf Company Former
Nike, Inc. Former
University of Oregon BS Former

Organization Position Status
Agincourt Capital Partners LLC Managing Director Current
Palladian Capital Partners LLC Co-Founder Current
Circle Peak Capital LLC Board of Directors Current
Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. Managing Director Former
The Palladian Founder Former
Booz Allen Hamilton, Inc. Management Consultant Former
Furman Selz Officer Former
Harvard College A.B. Former

Organization Position Status
Charterhouse Group Inc. Partner Current
Charterhouse Group International, Inc. Partner Current
Circle Peak Capital LLC Board of Directors Current
Charter House Former
Vestar Capital Partners Former
Wasserstein Perella board member Former
Columbia University M.B.A. Former
University of Colorado at Boulder B.S. In Finance Former
University of Colorado B.S. in Finance Former

Kerry Kramp, CEO of Let's Dish!, brings nearly 30 years of food industry experience to the fast-growing, Minneapolis-based retail meal preparation company. A nationally-recognized expert in operations with a passion for building national brands, Kerry was immediately drawn to the concept, brand, and business strategy put in place by Let's Dish! Co-Founders Ruth Lundquist and Darcy Olson. Kerry joined Let's Dish! in March 2006 to lead the company's aggressive national expansion plan and further refine its operational infrastructure. He works closely with the company's executive team to guide the growth and direction of the business, focusing heavily on franchise and corporate store development, to make Let's Dish! the national category leader. Kerry has spent his career helping to build early-stage concepts into successful national brands. In 2004, he founded Level 5 Ventures, LLC, a restaurant development and franchise company focused on creating high-quality consumer foodservice concepts. Before Level 5 Ventures, Kerry spent 12 years with Minneapolis-based Buffets, Inc., the parent company of HomeTown Buffet, Old Country Buffet, and Tahoe Joe's. He joined Buffets, Inc. as director of operations when it was just a two-location enterprise. Kerry was named chief executive officer in 2000, the same year the company topped $1 billion in sales and more than 25,000 employees. From 1986 to 1988, Kerry was co-founder and chief operating officer of Chicken By George, Inc., a retail product line developed and marketed in partnership with former Miss America Phyllis George. Initially sold at one local grocery store, the concept quickly grew and was acquired by the Hormel Foods Corporation in 1988, and Kerry became Hormel's director of specialty foods. In 1980, Kramp joined Chi-Chi's, Inc., when the Mexican restaurant chain had only seven locations. By 1985, his last year as the company's vice president of food and beverage, Chi-Chi's had grown to more than 180 locations. Kerry has also held management positions with Steak and Ale Restaurants. Kerry has received numerous awards during his career. Most recently, he received the 2003 Golden Chain award from Nation's Restaurant News, the 2002 Silver Plate award in Chain Full Service from the International Foodservice Manufacturers Association, and the 2002 Commitment to People award from the Council of Hotel and Restaurant Trainers. Under Kerry's leadership, Buffets, Inc. received the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation's 2002 "Employer of Choice" award for its manager training and development programs. Kerry is a member of the advisory board of Elliot Leadership Institute, a global center for developing and training the next generation of hospitality and foodservice industry leaders and serves on advisory boards for four food industry companies across the country. Kerry earned his bachelor's degree in restaurant management from Ohio State University, Columbus, and was named a distinguished alumni of the university in 2005. He also attended the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, N.Y. and was inducted as a Fellow of the Institute in 2005. A native of Cleveland, Ohio, Kerry lives in the Twin Cities with his wife and three children. He is an avid cook and enjoys coaching football and collecting cars.

Organization Position Status
Let's Dish CEO Current
Food Service Inc. President Current
Food Service Inc. Founder Former
Home Town Buffet Inc. Board of Directors Former
Home Town Buffet Inc. Vice President of Operations Former
Chi-Chi's Vice President of Food and Beverage Former
The Ventures Founder Former
Hormel Corporation Director of Specialty Foods Former
Buffets Inc. Director of Operations Former
Chi-Chi's Director Former
The Ohio State University Bachelor's Degree In Restaurant Management Former

Mr. Michel is on the Board of Directors of GVP and is the founder and President of Michel Capital, LLC, a hedge fund that invests in public companies using a private equity approach to the market. Mr. Michel was formerly a Managing Director and Group Head at TD Capital (USA) in New York, responsible for the Toronto Dominion Bank investment subsidiary's $500 million private equity portfolio, and has over 18 years of private equity experience. Mr. Michel has led or participated in over 45 private equity investments and while Mr. Michel was at TD Capital, approximately $415 million was invested or committed across 25 investments. Mr. Michel served on the boards of several of the portfolio companies and was a member of the fund's investment committee. Prior to joining TD Capital in 1998, Mr. Michel was a managing director of EOS Partners, L.P., a private investment firm. Prior to joining EOS Partners in 1994, Mr. Michel was a Vice President of Merrill Lynch Interfunding, a $1.3 billion subsidiary focused on middle market buyouts. He began his private equity professional experience as an analyst at Merrill Lynch Interfunding in 1984 and returned in 1987 after business school as an Associate. From 1983 to 1984 Mr. Michel worked for A.G. Becker Paribas, which was acquired by Merrill Lynch, in its Corporate Finance Department. Mr. Michel earned a bachelor's degree in business administration from Emory University in 1983 and an MBA from Wharton School of Business of the University of Pennsylvania in 1987.

Organization Position Status
Gersh Venture Partners, LLC Director Current
Circle Peak Capital LLC Board of Directors Current
TD Capital, Inc. Managing Director Former
TD Capital, Inc. Group Head Former
Eos Partners Former
Emory University Bachelor's Degree In Business Administration Former

Organization Position Status
Water-Jel CEO Current
Water-Jel International CEO Current
Latex International CEO Current
Latex International President Current
Water-Jel International Director Current
Vemics, Inc Board of Directors Current
Water-Jel Director Current
Circle Peak Capital LLC Board of Directors Current
Purple Beverage Company, Inc. Director Current
New York University Bachelor of Engineering Degree In Industrial Engineering Former

Organization Position Status
Circle Peak Capital LLC Board of Directors Current
Sacramento State University Former

Organization Position Status
Federal Home Loan Bank Chief Operating Officer Current
Federal Home Loan Bank Executive Vice President Former
Duke Realty Corporation Dean and Russell L. Carson Prof of Finance and Economics Current
Mediatech Investment Corporation Chairman Current
KKR Financial Corp. Board of Directors Current
Information Services Group, Inc. Board of Directors Current
MetLife, Inc. Board of Directors Current
Automatic Data Processing, Inc. Board of Directors Current
Ripplewood Holdings LLC Board of Directors Current
Duke Realty Corporation Board of Directors Current
Itu Ventures LLC Director Current
Cap-Mark Director Current
Information Services Group Director Current
Circle Peak Capital LLC Board of Directors Current
Economic Club of New York Board of Directors Current
Dex Media, Inc. Director Current
Kkr Financial Holdings LLC Board of Directors Current
American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research visiting scholar Former
Harvard Corporation Former
R.H. Donnelley Corporation Board of Directors Former
Harvard University Ph.D In Economics Former
University of Central Florida BA Former

Organization Position Status
Circle Peak Capital LLC Board of Directors Current

Organization Position Status
Circle Peak Capital LLC Board of Directors Current
Morgan Stanley Managing Director Former
European Investors Managing Director Former
Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. Managing Director Former
European Investors Principal Former
Montgomery Securities Consultant Former
Goldman, Sachs & Co. Former
Yale University BA In History Former
The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. member Former

Organization Position Status
Gilbert Global Equity Partners Team, Member Current
Circle Peak Capital LLC Board of Directors Current
Schroder & Co. Chief Executive Officer Former
Schroder & Co. President Former
Schroder & Co. Co-Head Former
City College of New York Graduate Former

Victor K. (Tory) Kiam, III is the President of Kiam Ventures LLC, a holding company consisting of diversified investments as well as five operating divisions: The Franzus Company, a leading travel appliance and accessory distributor; PIC Design, a manufacturer and distributor of precision industrial components; Cirrus Healthcare Products, a manufacturer and distributor of patented or proprietary consumer health products; Lia Sophia (formerly Lady Remington), a party plan jewelry company; and FamilyTLC, a provider of parenting and educational activities. Mr. Kiam began his career in 1982 in the corporate finance department with Drexel Burnham Lambert but has spent most of his career at Remington Products, a leading appliance manufacturer. At Remington, Mr. Kiam was a factory worker, a salesman, a product manager and eventually Vice President of both Marketing and Corporate Development. During that time, he oversaw many new product launches. He was also actively involved in the financial restructuring of Remington during the 1990s. Mr. Kiam is currently President of Lia Sophia and serves as a director of: Creations Manufacturing, a furniture manufacturer; and ITI China Holdings, a holding company with diversified investments in China. Mr. Kiam lives in Manhattan with his wife, Elena, and their three children. He serves on the boards of Trinity School and the New York Junior Tennis League and is a member of the Young Presidents Organization. A native of New York City, Mr. Kiam graduated from Trinity School and holds a BA in Government from Harvard College and an MBA from Stanford University. In his spare time, he enjoys sports, particularly tennis and running.

Organization Position Status
Young Presidents' Organization Board of Directors Current
The Trinity School Board of Directors Current
Circle Peak Capital LLC Board of Directors Current
Stanford University MBA Former
Harvard College BA In Government Former

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