Dawson-Forté Cashmere Shareholders Sell Majority Equity Stake to Tempus Partners
March 28 2024 - 12:00PM
Business Wire
Dawson-Forté is a wholesaler and distributor of
KINROSS and &Isla branded luxury cashmere & apparel
Dawson-Forté Cashmere (“Dawson-Forté”), the brand parent of
KINROSS Cashmere and &Isla, is pleased to announce that the
current shareholding group has sold a majority position to Tempus
Partners, a consumer-focused private equity firm.
Andy Bartmess will remain Dawson-Forté’s CEO and a shareholder.
In a statement, Bartmess said, “We are excited to work with Tempus
Partners to accelerate the growth of our KINROSS and &Isla
brands as we expand into more stores and across channels.” Mary
McCann, Dawson-Forté’s SVP of Sales and Merchandising who also
remains an executive and shareholder added, “I’m thrilled to work
with Geoffrey and Kyle at Tempus Partners as we enter
Dawson-Forté’s next chapter together. Their proven experience in
successfully growing consumer brands makes them excellent partners
for Dawson-Forté’s future.”
Geoffrey Champlin, Managing Partner of Tempus Partners, said,
“We were drawn to Dawson-Forté because of its long history of
excellence, dedication to product quality, and its passionate
customer base.” Kyle White, Managing Partner of Tempus Partners,
added, “We’re especially happy Dawson-Forté will continue under
Andy's and Mary’s leadership as we work to expand while keeping in
place what makes the KINROSS and &Isla brands so special.”
Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed. MMG
Advisors, Inc. brokered the transaction and acted as exclusive
financial advisor to the sellers. Scholhamer Business Law acted as
legal advisor to the sellers; Benesch Friedlander Coplan &
Aronoff acted as legal advisor to Tempus Partners.
About Dawson-Forté
KINROSS Cashmere is a luxury apparel brand with a heritage of
excellence in cashmere and other fine natural fibers spanning over
150 years. KINROSS products offer effortless elegance, timeless
style, and are hand-crafted to endure. &Isla is a UK-inspired
luxury cashmere brand for customers seeking an easy, elevated
aesthetic with a touch of the unexpected. All Dawson-Forté products
are thoughtfully designed and adhere to strict production standards
- from garment technical design and fiber selection through dyeing,
yarn spinning, garment production, quality control, and customer
service. Dawson-Forté’s brands can be found at over 600 stores
across the US & UK including Mitchells, Halsbrook, Wits End,
Wilkes Bashford, and Valentina. Visit our brands at
kinrosscashmere.com and www.andisla.com.
About Tempus Partners
Tempus Partners invests in defensible and profitable small
businesses in the Consumer Products and Consumer Manufacturing
categories. They are committed to helping businesses with a strong
foundation unlock their next phase of growth. Their deep industry
expertise with consumer brands enables Tempus to take an active
role and to immediately pursue strong, capital efficient, low risk
strategies to grow sales and enhance profitability. For more, visit
www.tempusep.com.
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version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240328953847/en/
Kyle White Managing Partner, Tempus Partners
info@tempusep.com