Ridgemont Equity Partners is a

private equity Private equity (PE) is stock in a private company that does not offer stock to the general public; instead it is offered to specialized investment funds and limited partnerships that take an active role in the management and structuring of the co ...

firm focused on making investments in middle-market companies in the U.S. within certain industries such as basic industrial, energy, healthcare, telecommunications, media and technology. The firm focuses on equity investments up to US$250 million. Prior to forming Ridgemont in 2010, the team previously had been known as BAML Capital Partners, and prior to that Bank of America Capital Investors. Since 1993, Ridgemont and its predecessors have invested over US$4.4 billion of equity capital. The firm is based in

Charlotte, North Carolina Charlotte ( ) is the List of municipalities in North Carolina, most populous city in the U.S. state of North Carolina and the county seat of Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, Mecklenburg County. The population was 874,579 at the 2020 United ...

Predecessors

Ridgemont Equity Partners completed a spinout from Bank of America in 2010, prior to which it was known as BAML Capital Partners. In turn, BAML Capital Partners traced its roots back to 1993 with the formation of Bank of America Capital Investors. From 2009 through 2010, BAML Capital Partners was the private equity and mezzanine investment unit of

Bank of America Merrill Lynch BofA Securities, Inc., previously Bank of America Merrill Lynch (BAML), is an American multinational investment banking division under the auspices of Bank of America. It is not to be confused with Merrill, the stock brokerage and trading pla ...

. BAML Capital Partners was formed in 2009 following the merger of

Bank of America The Bank of America Corporation (Bank of America) (often abbreviated BofA or BoA) is an American multinational investment banking, investment bank and financial services holding company headquartered at the Bank of America Corporate Center in ...

and

Merrill Lynch Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated, doing business as Merrill, and previously branded Merrill Lynch, is an American investment management and wealth management division of Bank of America. Along with BofA Securities, the investm ...

from the combination of each bank's respective private equity units: Bank of America Capital Investors (BACI) and Merrill Lynch Global Private Equity (MLGPE). Following the acquisition of

, MLGPE ceased making new investments. Bank of America Capital Investors, a private equity division of Bank of America, has historically made much smaller investments than MLGPE. The two units were integrated in early 2009 with the elimination of much of the MLGPE team.

Merrill Lynch Global Private Equity

Merrill Lynch Global Private Equity (MLGPE) was the

investment arm of

, prior to its merger with

. The MLGPE business was focused on

leveraged buyout A leveraged buyout (LBO) is the acquisition of a company using a significant proportion of borrowed money (Leverage (finance), leverage) to fund the acquisition with the remainder of the purchase price funded with private equity. The assets of t ...

and

growth capital Growth capital (also called expansion capital and growth equity) is a type of private equity investment, usually a minority interest, in relatively mature companies that are looking for capital to expand or restructure operations, enter new markets ...

investments across a range of industries. MLGPE was among the most active investment banking sponsored

merchant banking A merchant bank is historically a bank dealing in commercial loans and investment. In modern British usage, it is the same as an investment bank. Merchant banks were the first modern banks and evolved from medieval merchants who traded in commod ...

programs in the mid-2000s buyout boom. The firm, which is based in

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

, was founded in 1996. Since inception, MLGPE has invested more than US$5 billion of capital across more 30 companies. Among the group's most notable investments are some of the largest

transactions of the last decade, including

The Hertz Corporation Hertz Global Holdings, Inc. (formerly The Hertz Corporation), known as Hertz, is an American car rental company based in Estero, Florida. The company operates its namesake Hertz brand, along with the brands Dollar Rent A Car, Firefly Car Re ...

Hospital Corporation of America HCA Healthcare, Inc. (historically known as Hospital Corporation of America) is an American for-profit operator of health care facilities that was founded in 1968. It is based in Nashville, Tennessee, and, as of May 2020, owned and operated 186 ...

,SORKIN, ANDREW ROSS.
HCA Buyout Highlights Era of Going Private
"

New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

, July 25, 2006.

Debenhams Debenhams plc was a British department store chain that operated in the United Kingdom, Ireland and Denmark, as well as franchised locations across Europe and the Asia Pacific. The company was founded in 1778 as a single store in London and gr ...

and

Rexel Rexel S.A. is a French company specializing in the distribution of electrical, heating, lighting and plumbing equipment, but also in renewable energies and energy efficiency products and services. The group has 1,950 points of sale in 19 count ...

References

Merrill Lynch charges into private equity
June 13, 2008 {{Merchant banking private equity groups Private equity firms of the United States Bank of America Financial services companies established in 1993