GTCR Announces Partnership with Charles A. Nicolais to Form Ceba-Tech Specialty Solutions

CHICAGO, Jan. 31, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- GTCR, a leading private equity firm, today announced that it has entered into a partnership with Charles A. Nicolais to form Ceba-Tech Specialty Solutions, Inc. ("Ceba-Tech"). The new company, headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri, will focus on acquiring companies and assets in the specialty chemicals, materials and ingredients industry as part of a strategy to build a market leading company in the space. GTCR, the firm that pioneered the Leaders Strategy™ – finding and partnering with management leaders in core domains to identify, acquire and build market-leading companies through transformational acquisitions and organic growth – will invest in Ceba-Tech from GTCR Fund XI, a private equity fund with $3.85 billion of equity capital commitments, alongside a substantial investment from Mr. Nicolais.

Mr. Nicolais is a 30-year veteran of the specialty chemicals, materials and ingredients industry. Prior to partnering with GTCR, Mr. Nicolais most recently served as Chief Executive Officer of SensoryEffects, a leading provider of performance ingredients to the food and beverage industries. He founded SensoryEffects in 2006 and significantly grew the business via acquisition and organic growth before completing a successful sale of the company in 2014.  Prior to founding SensoryEffects, Mr. Nicolais spent 22 years in leadership positions at Air Products & Chemicals and Sensient Technologies, running a range of value-add specialty chemicals businesses, both in the United States and Europe.  

"We are excited to partner with Charles to build a leading company in the specialty chemicals, materials and ingredients industry," said GTCR Managing Director, Dean Mihas. "Charles' broad industry experience, strong strategic vision and exceptional track record of creating value via organic and inorganic growth make him an ideal partner."

"I am pleased to have the opportunity to work with GTCR to build Ceba-Tech into an industry leader in the specialty chemicals space," said Mr. Nicolais. "The firm has a long history of backing experienced CEOs and providing them with the resources and support to build successful companies through both organic growth and acquisitions. The firm has invested significant resources into the specialty chemicals industry over the past several years, and I look forward to working with GTCR to create a market-leading platform in the space."

"Charles has an outstanding track record of value creation, and we're excited to build a platform with him and his team in this attractive industry," added Sean Cunningham, Managing Director at GTCR. "We are actively looking for potential acquisitions, including founder-owned businesses and corporate assets, among others, and believe that our strong track record of recapitalizing and growing these companies positions us as a compelling buyer."

About GTCR

Founded in 1980, GTCR is a leading private equity firm focused on investing in growth companies in the Financial Services & Technology, Healthcare, Technology, Media & Telecommunications and Growth Business Services industries.  The Chicago-based firm pioneered The Leaders Strategy™ - finding and partnering with management leaders in core domains to identify, acquire and build market-leading companies through transformational acquisitions and organic growth.  Since its inception, GTCR has invested more than $12 billion in over 200 companies.  For more information, please visit www.gtcr.com.

About Ceba-Tech Specialty Solutions

Ceba-Tech Specialty Solutions was formed in January 2017 as a partnership between Charles A. Nicolais and GTCR. Ceba-Tech's mission is to build a leading company in the specialty chemicals, materials and ingredients industry by acquiring outstanding businesses in these areas. For more information about Ceba-Tech Specialty Solutions, please contact (312) 953-3305.

Media Inquiries:
Eileen Rochford 
(312) 953-3305
[email protected]

SOURCE GTCR

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