MidOcean Partners was formed in February 2003 when the managers of DB Capital Partners acquired
Deutsche Bank's late stage
private equity investments in the United States and Europe for €1.5 billion in one of the largest
private equity secondary market transactions completed to date. Among the investors in the transaction were NIB Capital Private Equity (now
AlpInvest Partners),
HarbourVest Partners, Paul Capital Partners,
Coller Capital,
Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan and
CPP Investment Board,
Northwestern Mutual, The
Yucaipa Companies and Presidential Life. MidOcean also took over management of the liquidation of a €1 billion portfolio from a fund sponsored by Deutsche Bank. In 2002, MidOcean acquired
Jenny Craig, Inc.; it was sold it 2006 for $600 million, or 5 times the purchase price. In 2003, MidOcean sold
Jostens, a supplier of
class rings and school yearbooks, to CSFB for nearly $500 million. In January 2007, MidOcean acquired
Sbarro for $450 million. In 2013, MidOcean acquired
Water Pik; it was sold in 2017. In May 2016, MidOcean acquired Travelpro International and Holiday Group, a supplier of luggage, assorted bags, and travel accessories sold predominantly in the United States and Canada. In September 2018, MidOcean Partners acquired
Questex for an estimated $180 million. In December 2018, MidOcean acquired HW Holdco and Meyers Research, part of
Zonda Home. In May 2021, MidOcean sold its majority stake in The Planet Group, acquired in 2018, to ProPharma Group, making 8.5 times its investment. In November 2021, Hunter Point Capital acquired a minority stake in MidOcean. In June 2022, MidOcean Partners acquired Pragmatic Institute, a product management training company. In November 2024, MidOcean acquired Arnott Industries, a designer, developer, manufacturer and distributor of air suspension systems and suspension components for the automotive aftermarket. In April 2025, MidOcean acquired a majority stake in GSTV, a national video platform at fuel retailers. ==References==