Birch Equity Partners, a new private equity firm headquartered in Atlanta, has been launched by Holcombe Green, Jr., Vincent Oddo and Dr. R. Kirby Godsey. The new firm will invest in established expansion-stage businesses.
“Birch Equity Partners has been a vision of ours for some time and we are excited to finally get started,” said Vincent Oddo, Managing Partner. “Our success growing and operating Birch Communications over the past 18 years has enabled us to develop a unique set of assets and resources which we think will be very valuable to small and mid-sized expansion-stage businesses that are seeking capital as well as practical management expertise and a unique set of back-office capabilities.”
Birch Equity Partners makes minority and control investments of $1 million to $10 million in companies with $5 million to $50 million of revenue. Sectors of interest include business services, consumer services, education, telecom and broadband services, entertainment, internet and media, financial services, healthcare, information services, and technology. The firm is based in Atlanta (www.birchequity.com).
Holcombe Green is a co-founder of Birch Equity Partners and is Chairman of its Investment Committee. Mr. Green has over thirty years of experience investing in and growing public and private businesses. He founded private equity firm Green Capital Investors and served as the Chairman, Board Member and Chief Executive Officer of many of its portfolio companies. Mr. Green received his BA from Yale University and his JD from the University of Virginia.
Vincent Oddo, Managing Director, leads Birch Equity Partners investment activities and serves as a member of its Investment Committee. Mr. Odo has spent his entire 30-year career working with companies in the telecommunications and technology industries. He also serves as the President and Chief Executive Officer of Birch Communications, an IP-based communications and cloud services provider headquartered in Atlanta. He began his career at Graphic Scanning Corp., a BellSouth predecessor company. Mr. Odo received his BA and MPA in Management from Long Island University.
Dr. R. Kirby Godsey is a co-founder of Birch Equity Partners and participates as a member of its Investment Committee. Dr. Godsey also serves as Chairman of the Board of Birch Communications. Dr. Godsey served as the 17th president of Mercer University from 1979-2006. He earned his undergraduate degree in history and religion from Samford University in Birmingham, Alabama and he holds Master of Divinity and Doctor of Theology degrees from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, and a Master of Arts in Philosophy from the University of Alabama. In 1969, he earned a Ph.D. in Philosophy from Tulane University.
“While there are many private equity firms available in today’s marketplace, Birch Equity Partners can offer more than just a capital investment,” said Mr. Oddo. “The real value that we offer is our depth of experience that comes from years of hands-on, successful M&A, back-office operations, call center operations, business modeling and communications expertise that we can offer businesses looking to reach the next level. No one else has what we can offer.”
© 2014 PEPD • Private Equity’s Leading News Magazine • 1-7-14
