WASHINGTON, DC, November 11, 2024 – HCI Equity Partners (“HCI”), a leading lower middle market private equity firm, today announced that it has been recognized by Inc. for the fifth consecutive year as a 2024 Founder-Friendly Investor. Inc.’s annual list recognizes the private equity and venture capital firms with the strongest track record of successfully backing entrepreneurs and remaining actively involved with the businesses they invest in.
“We are honored to be named to Inc.’s Founder-Friendly Investors list for the fifth year in a row,” said Doug McCormick, Managing Partner at HCI. “This recognition from Inc. reflects our commitment to building meaningful, collaborative partnerships with founders and our strategy of active engagement which lays a foundation for transformational growth. By aligning closely with our portfolio companies, we are able to unlock each business’s full potential—whether through organic growth initiatives or strategic acquisitions. Witnessing these companies’ continued success is incredibly rewarding and validates the strength of our approach.”
Inc. compiled the 2024 list by selecting firms with strong track records of supporting founder-led companies through a combination of financial backing and active collaboration. The list celebrates firms that are trusted by entrepreneurs to help fuel their business growth while maintaining an ongoing partnership.
“Partnering with HCI has been a transformative experience for ACR as we have grown from regional family businesses into a market leader and trusted partner for our customers,” said Scott Milberg, CEO of ACR. “HCI’s commitment to a collaborative approach and dedication to growth have enabled us to expand revenue by nearly 30x, scale from a single warehouse to 18 locations across North America and grow our team to nearly 1,000 employees. HCI’s partnership has been foundational to our success and continues to drive our vision forward.”
Bob Hund, Operating Partner at HCI, added, “This award is especially meaningful as it’s based on feedback from our portfolio companies’ founders. We understand their needs because over 90% of our current platform investments have been with founders and family-owned businesses. This recognition is a testament to the trust we’ve built with founders and our commitment to driving their success and sustaining their legacy.”
Disclaimer: Inc. Magazine’s Founder-Friendly Investors is a published list of U.S. founder-friendly private equity firms. HCI has paid a fee to be considered for this recognition. Private equity firms that have exited U.S.-based, founder-led, public or private, portfolio companies within the past five years were eligible to apply. This recognition is based on the analysis of and information gathered by Inc. Magazine using its own criteria and methodologies. As part of the vetting process, Inc. Magazine interviewed one or more portfolio company representatives about their experience partnering with HCI. For investments to qualify, portfolio company founders must have remained actively involved in their business for at least one year post-investment. The complete list of private equity firms considered for this award is not known to HCI. The award reflects information about a sample of portfolio companies and may not be representative of every portfolio company’s experience with HCI. There is no guarantee that similar awards will be obtained by HCI in the future. Portfolio companies should make their own determinations about the prospects of partnering with HCI.