LongueVue Capital Invests in Kingston Brass
LVC Partners with Management to Support Growth of Branded Kitchen and Bathroom Fixtures Platform
New Orleans (February 26, 2024) – LongueVue Capital (“LVC”), a New Orleans-based private equity firm, is pleased to announce its investment in Kingston Brass (“Kingston” or the “Company”), a leading designer and distributor of kitchen and bathroom fixtures, bathtubs, and accessories. LVC along with its Consumer Operating Partner, Chris Homeister, partnered with Kingston’s founders, Erik Chen and Frieda Lin, to accelerate growth through strategic investments focused on customer, channel, product, and distribution expansion.
Headquartered in Chino, CA, Kingston designs and distributes water fixtures, bathtubs, kitchen and bathroom accessories, and other plumbing products for both residential and commercial applications. Kingston operates in both D2C and B2B channels with an extensive product portfolio supported by an innovative product design team and leading supply chain infrastructure. The Company has experienced rapid growth since its founding in 1998 and currently employs approximately 150 full-time and part-time employees.
“We are extremely excited to partner with Kingston,” commented Ryan Nagim, Managing Partner at LVC. “Given our relevant experience with a highly analogous business, TileBar, we strongly believe that we can immediately add value and strategically support the Company’s leadership team. We look forward to driving growth both organically and through acquisitions.”
“Kingston’s recent successes serve as a testament to the Company’s unwavering commitment to excellence in service, unparalleled quality, and continuous innovation,” stated Chris Homeister, LVC Consumer Operating Partner. “We are delighted to enter this partnership with an exceptional team that deeply appreciates LVC’s collaborative approach and shares our strategic vision and cultural values.”
“Kingston has an impressive track record of organic growth within the kitchen and bathroom fixtures market. With its proprietary, innovative designs and seamless channel integration, Kingston is not just a provider of plumbing fixtures; it’s a lifestyle brand,” said Evan Golden, Principal at LVC. “We are thrilled to partner with the Kingston team, and together we believe the Company is well positioned to become a disruptive industry leader.”
Erik Chen, Founder and CEO commented, “This partnership with LVC allows Kingston to accelerate its growth trajectory. We have been focused on finding the right partner that can support us strategically, and LVC is the ideal fit for our organization given the firm’s immense amount of highly relevant experience. We look forward to working closely with LVC on our next phase of growth.”
Vice President Erin Saer, Senior Associate Nick Davaz, and Associate Rankin Hobbs, worked alongside Ryan Nagim, Chris Homeister, and Evan Golden on the Kingston transaction.
Abacus Finance provided senior debt financing in support of the transaction.
Greenberg Traurig, LLP served as legal counsel to LVC.
To learn more about Kingston Brass and its diverse product portfolio, please visit www.kingstonbrass.com.
About LongueVue Capital
Founded in 2001, LongueVue Capital is a New Orleans-based private equity firm focused on providing human and financial capital, leveraging a proven 20+ year track record of partnering with entrepreneurs and management teams to drive value creation in middle-market companies. Having managed over $1 billion of committed capital spanning five funds, coupled with 200 years of combined operating and investing experience, the LVC team is an ideal partner for middle-market companies at inflection points and seeking to maximize value for all stakeholders. LVC has made successful investments in a wide variety of industries including specialty packaging, consumer, healthcare, food and beverage, transportation and logistics, and precision manufacturing.
For more information, please visit www.lvcpartners.com, and for media inquiries, please contact lvc@lvcpartners.com or call 504-293-3600.