San Francisco, CA-based private equity firm JH Partners is at it again: On March 18, JH Partners recapitalized Cleveland-based AmeriMark Direct, a marketer of women’s apparel, cosmetics, jewelry, and health-related products.
The deal gives JH Partners a controlling share in AmeriMark. The $100 million-plus AmeriMark, which includes the Windsor Collection, Anthony Richards, Beauty Boutique, Healthy Living, and Complements titles, last year mailed between 85 million-90 million catalogs.
Gary Giesler, AmeriMark’s chairman and former controlling shareholder, will continue as chairman/CEO. Members of senior management will remain investors in the company. “AmeriMark’s new partners will be especially valuable during this next stage of our company’s growth, as we add new catalog titles via acquisition and broaden our customer base,” Giesler says, although he wouldn’t give a specific timetable.
JH Partners is also an investor in kitchen tools mailer Chef’s Catalog, which it acquired from Neiman Marcus this past November. The private equity firm had previously invested in gifts catalog Walter Drake, which it sold in December 2003. Other JH holdings include Peet’s Coffee & Tea, Bare Essentials, Performance Bicycle Shop, Bell Helmets, and Design Within Reach.