Archer Capital is an Australian
private equity
In the field of finance, the term private equity (PE) refers to investment funds, usually limited partnerships (LP), which buy and restructure financially weak companies that produce goods and provide services. A private-equity fund is both a ty ...
investment firm based in
Sydney
Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountain ...
. It was founded as GS Private Equity in 1996. Archer Capital hosts multiple
investment funds
An investment fund is a way of investing money alongside other investors in order to benefit from the inherent advantages of working as part of a group such as reducing the risks of the investment by a significant percentage. These advantages inc ...
which invest in businesses across a wide array of industries and sectors, specifically targeting mid-market
leveraged buyout
A leveraged buyout (LBO) is one company's acquisition of another company using a significant amount of borrowed money (leverage) to meet the cost of acquisition. The assets of the company being acquired are often used as collateral for the loan ...
s in Australia and New Zealand.
The firm currently owns or co-owns a number of Australian and New Zealand companies including
Allity
Allity is an accredited Residential Aged Care Provider founded in March 2013 with 45 locations in Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia. The homes offer all levels of permanent and respite care allowing for aging in place as ...
and
Craveable Brands
Craveable Brands Ltd (formerly known as Quick Service Restaurant Holdings) is an Australian fast food holding company. It owns the Red Rooster, Oporto (restaurant), Oporto, and Chicken Treat brands with 580 restaurants in Australasia and Southe ...
. Previous investments include
Australian Geographic
Australian Geographic is a media business that produces the ''Australian Geographic'' magazine, ''DMag'' magazine, specialist book titles, travel guides, diaries and calendars and online media. It published editions of the Australian Encyclop ...
,
Dome
A dome () is an architectural element similar to the hollow upper half of a sphere. There is significant overlap with the term cupola, which may also refer to a dome or a structure on top of a dome. The precise definition of a dome has been a m ...
,
John West Foods
John West Foods is a United Kingdom-based seafood marketing company established in 1857, and currently owned by Thai Union Group of Thailand. The company produces canned salmon and tuna, as well as mackerel, sardine, herring, brisling, anchovies ...
,
MYOB,
Rebel
A rebel is a participant in a rebellion.
Rebel or rebels may also refer to:
People
* Rebel (given name)
* Rebel (surname)
* Patriot (American Revolution), during the American Revolution
* American Southerners, as a form of self-identification; s ...
,
Supercars Championship
The Supercars Championship is a touring car racing category in Australia, running as an International Series under Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) regulations, governing the sport.
Supercars events take place in all Australian ...
and
Repco
Repco is an Australian automotive engineering/retailer company. Its name is an abbreviation of Replacement Parts Company and was for many years known for reconditioning engines and for specialized manufacturing, for which they gained a high ...
.
Notable investments
![V8 Supercar start 2011](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e5/V8_Supercar_start_2011.jpg)
In 1998, the firm partnered with the then-management of
Australian Geographic
Australian Geographic is a media business that produces the ''Australian Geographic'' magazine, ''DMag'' magazine, specialist book titles, travel guides, diaries and calendars and online media. It published editions of the Australian Encyclop ...
to purchase the business for A$50 million. It was later sold to a consortium including the Myer family.
In 2000, Archer Capital gained a 50% stake in
Dome
A dome () is an architectural element similar to the hollow upper half of a sphere. There is significant overlap with the term cupola, which may also refer to a dome or a structure on top of a dome. The precise definition of a dome has been a m ...
coffeehouses, selling for A$20 million in 2003 to Navis. In 2001, Archer was part of a consortium (paying A$30 million) which purchased
Repco
Repco is an Australian automotive engineering/retailer company. Its name is an abbreviation of Replacement Parts Company and was for many years known for reconditioning engines and for specialized manufacturing, for which they gained a high ...
from
Pacific Dunlop
Pacific Dunlop was a highly diversified Australian conglomerate company that operated in, among other things, the Automotive, textile, electronics and biotechnology industries. Products commercialised included tires, car batteries, cables, clot ...
, publicly listing the company on the
Australian Stock Exchange
Australian Securities Exchange Ltd or ASX, is an Australian public company that operates Australia's primary securities exchange, the Australian Securities Exchange (sometimes referred to outside of Australia as, or confused within Australia as, ...
in 2003.
Archer Capital was involved in the purchase of
John West Foods
John West Foods is a United Kingdom-based seafood marketing company established in 1857, and currently owned by Thai Union Group of Thailand. The company produces canned salmon and tuna, as well as mackerel, sardine, herring, brisling, anchovies ...
from
Unilever
Unilever plc is a British multinational consumer goods company with headquarters in London, England. Unilever products include food, condiments, bottled water, baby food, soft drink, ice cream, instant coffee, cleaning agents, energy drink, t ...
in 2003. Archer divested a few years later.
In 2009, the company lead a A$450 million takeover of
MYOB, taking the company private.
It was sold two years later for A$1.1 billion to
Bain Capital
Bain Capital is an American private investment firm based in Boston. It specializes in private equity, venture capital, credit, public equity, impact investing, life sciences, and real estate. Bain Capital invests across a range of industry se ...
.
In 2011, Archer acquired Quick Service Restaurant Holdings (renamed
Craveable Brands
Craveable Brands Ltd (formerly known as Quick Service Restaurant Holdings) is an Australian fast food holding company. It owns the Red Rooster, Oporto (restaurant), Oporto, and Chicken Treat brands with 580 restaurants in Australasia and Southe ...
in 2017) for A$450 million from
Quadrant Private Equity
Quadrant Private Equity (also simply known as Quadrant) is an Australian private equity investment firm based in Sydney, Australia. The company was founded as Quadrant Capital in 1996 by Chris Hadley.
Quadrant hosts multiple investment funds w ...
, which holds 620 Australian-owned
Red Rooster
Red Rooster is an Australian fast food restaurant chain founded in 1972 that specialises in roast chicken, chicken burgers and fried chicken. Their product range includes whole roasts, half roasts, wraps, burgers, salads, beverages and desserts ...
,
Chicken Treat
Chicken Treat is an Australian barbecue chicken fast food restaurant chain that was founded and primarily operates in Western Australia. As of December 2022, Chicken Treat has over 60 outlets within Western Australia, one in Central Queensland, ...
and
Oporto
Porto or Oporto () is the second-largest city in Portugal, the capital of the Porto District, and one of the Iberian Peninsula's major urban areas. Porto city proper, which is the entire municipality of Porto, is small compared to its metropol ...
fast food
Fast food is a type of mass-produced food designed for commercial resale, with a strong priority placed on speed of service. It is a commercial term, limited to food sold in a restaurant or store with frozen, preheated or precooked ingredien ...
restaurants. In the same year it also became a major investor in the
Supercars Championship
The Supercars Championship is a touring car racing category in Australia, running as an International Series under Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) regulations, governing the sport.
Supercars events take place in all Australian ...
.
In 2013, Archer purchased 30 aged care facilities from
Lendlease
Lendlease is a globally integrated real estate company that creates and invests in communities, workplaces, retail, and infrastructure projects, headquartered in Barangaroo, New South Wales, Australia.
History Founding
The company was establ ...
, forming provider
Allity
Allity is an accredited Residential Aged Care Provider founded in March 2013 with 45 locations in Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia. The homes offer all levels of permanent and respite care allowing for aging in place as ...
. It has subsequently grown to be one of the largest care providers in Australia.
Funds
Archer Capital has operated a total of 5 individual funds.
References
External links
*{{officialwebsite, https://www.archercapital.com.au/
Australian companies established in 1996
Private equity firms of Australia
Investment companies of Australia
Privately held companies of Australia
Financial services companies established in 1996
Financial services companies based in Sydney