SAN DIEGO, Calif. – Competitor Group, Inc. (CGI), the leading active lifestyle sports media and event entertainment company, today announced that Calera Capital, a leading middle-market private equity firm, in partnership with CGI’s management, has acquired CGI from Falconhead Capital.
Scott Dickey, president and chief executive officer, and Steve Gintowt, chief operating officer and chief financial officer, will continue to lead the company.
Formed in 2007 by Falconhead, CGI is the active lifestyle industry’s leading media and event company dedicated to the sports of running, cycling and triathlon. CGI operates 83 events around the world including the Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon Series, publishes five media titles such as Competitor, Velo, Women’s Running and Triathlete, possesses a leading digital registration platform in RaceIt.com and a rapidly expanding digital community across the Competitor Endurance Sports Network of websites.
“Five years ago we set out to build a leading company in an industry that was highly fragmented, but well positioned for tremendous growth,” said Falconhead Chairman David Moross. “Competitor Group has grown dramatically during this period and realized much of the potential we originally envisioned. This success is due to the original strategy we developed to create the company, and the hard work of our very talented management team and our board of directors.”
Calera Capital Managing Partner James Farrell and Managing Director David Lorsch led Calera’s investment in CGI and will join CGI’s board. Lorsch is an avid endurance sport participant, having competed in numerous triathlons and marathons, including each of the marathon majors in the U.S.
“As a runner and triathlete who has followed Competitor Group and studied the industry at length, I believe strongly in the continued growth and value of active lifestyle sports in both the U.S. and abroad,” said Lorsch. “Calera is excited to support Scott Dickey and his team to continue providing athletes with great experiences at the best event venues in the world, industry leading content, and a superior event registration platform through Raceit.com.”
James Farrell of Calera added, “CGI is an outstanding business and a market leader. The company has a substantial opportunity for continued robust organic growth and we also look forward to investing behind management in developing new events and making strategic acquisitions.”
“We are very excited about this next chapter as we partner with a great team at Calera Capital and continue our development as the market-leading active lifestyle media and entertainment company,” said Dickey. “I want to personally thank David Moross, Peter Englehart and the team at Falconhead for their collective vision and guidance over the past five years.”
A Q&A witht Dickey regarding the sale can be read here.
Calera Capital will be investing in CGI through its fourth fund. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Perella Weinberg Partners acted as exclusive financial advisor to Falconhead Capital on this transaction.
About Competitor Group
Headquartered in San Diego, Calif., Competitor Group, Inc. (CGI) is the active lifestyle industry’s leading media and event entertainment company. The aggregate CGI customer base now exceeds 7 million endurance enthusiasts and athletes. CGI’s portfolio of media assets span the full range of the expanding endurance industry and include a robust digital community on the web and on mobile across the Competitor Endurance Sports Network of websites. Additionally, Raceit.com, a leading digital registration platform, is the catalyst for the company’s race services offering that looks to meet the needs not only for the company’s owned and operated events, but also for endurance events of all sizes on behalf of the entire industry.
With a leading market share of endurance enthusiasts, CGI owns and operates 83 events around the world, including the flagship Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon Series, the TriRock Triathlon Series, the NFL Run Series and the Muddy Buddy Series, collectively delivering more than 600,000 professional and amateur participants in 2012. Anchoring the company with rich content and marketing leverage are five publishing properties dedicated to running, cycling, triathlon and the world of multisport including Velo, Inside Triathlon, Triathlete, Women’s Running and Competitor with a combined monthly circulation of over 700,000. Further information about CGI and its digital, publishing and event entertainment properties can be found at CompetitorMediaKit.com.
About Calera Capital
Founded in 1991, Calera Capital, formerly known as Fremont Partners, is a private investment firm which has approximately $2.8 billion of capital under management. With offices in San Francisco and Boston, Calera invests across a diverse range of industries including business services, consumer and retail, financial services, healthcare, building products, and industrial manufacturing. Calera Capital makes substantial equity investments in operating companies, typically with enterprise values up to $1 billion, and seeks to build long-term sustainable value by working with management teams to implement strategic and operating initiatives. For more information, visit www.caleracapital.com.