Professionally investing
patient capital to grow
great companies

Brinkmere is

Purposeful

Experienced

Personable

More than Capital

The Firm

Brinkmere Capital Partners, LLC is a Southeastern-based, private investment firm specializing in partnering with and further developing successful businesses responsibly over the long term.

Brinkmere Capital Partners was founded by Russell Beard, in partnership with the Baker family, based on a shared passion around investing in and building great companies. Prior to Brinkmere, Russell served as a senior investment professional at a Dallas-based institutional private equity firm and John Baker served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Florida Rock Industries, Inc., a 79-year-old business founded by his father.

The professionals at Brinkmere have extensive, combined experience in executive leadership, corporate finance and private investing. Brinkmere leverages this complementary experience to support management teams on multi-year strategic growth planning and resource allocation to improve sustainable, long-term competitive positioning.

Helping grow great companies over the long term.

Investment Approach

Holistic Perspective

Sustainably growing any business is hard work and requires preparation, collaboration, determination and leadership. We take a long-term approach to enterprise growth and maintain an open, constructive relationship with management.

Total Alignment

We seek alignment of interests with management through meaningful co-investment and incentive compensation tied to the sustainable expansion of equity value.

Collaborative Approach

We are active board members who support management leadership.

Investment Strategy

Allocate Resources Efficiently

Leverage our combined experience in leadership, finance and investing.

Plan Long-Term Growth

Collaborate with management on multi-year, strategic growth planning.

Manage Risk

Identify and diffuse concentrations of enterprise risk.

Maintain Flexible Investment Horizon

Continually evaluate path to optimum return for all stakeholders.

Passionate about collaborating with great families and founders to build best-in-class businesses.

Investment Criteria

Industries
  • Industrial technology
  • Niche manufacturing
  • Value-added distribution
  • Industrial services
  • Business services
Company Characteristics
  • EBITDA: $5 million to $25 million
  • Attainable EBITDA margins >10%
  • Defensible competitive position
  • Industry fragmentation
  • End market growth
Transaction Types
  • Family- or founder-owned
  • Management buyout
  • Structured minority
  • Recapitalization

The Team

John D. Baker II

John D. Baker II

Senior Advisor

Mr. Baker brings significant executive leadership experience to Brinkmere Capital Partners’ investment and portfolio company development activities and serves on its Investment Committee.

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Mr. Baker is currently executive chairman and chief executive officer of FRP Holdings, Inc. (successor to Patriot Transportation Holding, Inc.), a real estate company located in Jacksonville, Florida. From February 2008 until October 2010, he served as the president and chief executive officer of Patriot. Before joining Patriot, Mr. Baker was president and chief executive officer of Florida Rock Industries, Inc., a leading producer of construction aggregates and related materials throughout the Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic states. During his tenure as CEO, he led Florida Rock through a growth period that encompassed compounded annual operating earnings growth in excess of 15%, multiple add-on acquisitions of family and owner-operated businesses and culminated in a $4.6 billion sale of the company.

In the spring of 2020, Mr. Baker was appointed to the JEA board; he now serves as chairman. Mr. Baker is a former member of the of the board of directors of Wells Fargo & Company, Jacksonville Port Authority, Progress Energy, Vulcan Materials, Texas Industries and Hughes Supply. Mr. Baker maintains leadership roles in several community educational organizations including Tiger Academy, KIPP Jacksonville, Inc., Edward Waters College and the YMCA of Florida’s First Coast.

Mr. Baker received a B.A. from Princeton University, and graduated with honors from the University of Florida School of Law. Mr. Baker is a director of Blue Water Industries, LLC.

Professional Bio

F. Russell Beard, Jr., CFA

F. Russell Beard, Jr., CFA

Managing Director

Mr. Beard leads Brinkmere Capital Partners’ deal sourcing, deal execution and portfolio development activities and serves on its Investment Committee.

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Prior to Brinkmere, he served as a managing director of Brazos Private Equity Partners, LLC, a Dallas-based institutional private equity firm with approximately $1.4 billion of capital under management. For Brazos, Mr. Beard was responsible for sourcing, executing and monitoring control-oriented middle-market transaction opportunities in a variety of industries.

Prior to joining Brazos, he was the director of corporate finance of Helm Financial Corporation, a San Francisco-based operating lessor of locomotives and railcars. Prior to Helm, he was a financial analyst in the mergers and acquisitions group of Thomas Weisel Partners, LLC, a San Francisco-based investment bank and focused on the enterprise software and communications equipment sectors.

Mr. Beard currently sits on the boards of Certified Power, Inc., The Sy-Klone Company, LLC and Uptime Solutions, LLC. His previous board positions include Blackhawk Industrial Distribution, Inc., Impact Confections, Inc., Strategic Equipment and Supply Corporation, Golden County Foods, Inc. and Morton Industrial Group.

Mr. Beard currently serves as a member of the board of trustees of FreshMinistries, a Jacksonville-based not-for-profit focused on eliminating extreme poverty by empowering communities and individuals to realize their full potential. He received a Bachelor of Science degree with honors in Engineering Science and Economics from Vanderbilt University and is a CFA charterholder.

LinkedIn Profile

Professional Bio

Michael W. Cooper, Jr.

Michael W. Cooper, Jr.

Managing Director

Mr. Cooper supports Brinkmere Capital Partners’ deal sourcing, deal execution and portfolio development activities.

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Prior to Brinkmere, Mr. Cooper was an associate at BlackArch Partners, a leading middle-market investment bank providing M&A advisory services for owner-operators, families and financial sponsors. For BlackArch, he was responsible for executing and supporting middle-market merger and acquisition transactions in a variety of industries.

Prior to joining BlackArch Partners, Mr. Cooper led process improvement initiatives for a $500 million global business at General Electric (GE). He was responsible for identifying and implementing best practices to enhance business processes, instituting metric management and leading change. Additionally, while at GE, Mr. Cooper graduated from a two-year leadership program in which he worked in strategic marketing, sales support and business operations. Prior to GE, he was a sales account manager at Idexx Laboratories, a global leader in veterinary diagnostics.

Mr. Cooper received his Masters of Business Administration from Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business and Bachelor of Science degree in General Management from the United States Military Academy. Prior to his professional career, Mike served as a Captain in the U.S. Army where he was decorated with two Bronze Star Medals for performance in combat operations.

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Professional Bio

Sheridan Moser

Sheridan Moser

Research Analyst

Ms. Moser supports Brinkmere Capital Partners’ operations, including back office and database management, performing ad hoc analyses and conducting various research initiatives.

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Prior to joining Brinkmere, Ms. Moser was a Product Sustainability intern with VF Corporation, a global apparel and footwear company based in Greensboro, North Carolina. At VF she worked to research, analyze and ultimately capitalize on product-related data and consumer behavior regarding sustainability.

Ms. Moser received her Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from Guilford College, with honors.

LinkedIn Profile

Professional Bio

 

Contact Brinkmere

Brinkmere Capital Partners, LLC

1 Independent Drive
Suite 3207
Jacksonville, FL 32202

p: 904.437.4560

f: 904.212.4515

e: admin@brinkmere.com

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