Creative Sign Designs, LLC (“Creative”), a full-service provider of consulting, design, fabrication, installation, and maintenance services for custom, exterior, and interior signage and environmental graphics solutions, is pleased to announce that it has successfully completed a growth recapitalization led by Heritage Growth Partners LLC (“Heritage Growth”), an Atlanta, Georiga-based private, family investment office.
The purpose of the recapitalization is to support Creative’s growing operations, enable expansion of capabilities and fund future acquisition initiatives.
Hancock Whitney Bank provided a new senior secured debt facility in connection with the transaction.
Creative’s partnership with Heritage Growth allows Larry Morgan, an investor and partner in the business since 2005, to focus efforts on his expanding auto dealership business, Morgan Auto Group. Remaining terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
“We are elated to enter this next phase of growth and thank Larry Morgan for his longstanding and continuing support of our growth objectives,” said Jamie Harden, CEO of Creative Sign Designs. “In addition to capital, Heritage Growth brings strategic relationships and acquisition expertise which will help Creative reach its true potential.
“We look forward to accelerating our growth organically as well as expanding the business through selective acquisitions that bolster our capabilities and broaden our reach.”
Founded in 1986, Creative Sign Designs, LLC focuses on driving efficiencies, maximizing accountability, and increasing customer loyalty by providing a seamless offering from concept to
completion. Creative is headquartered in Tampa, Florida; maintains a field office in Orlando, Florida; and has approximately 150 employees, including (15 sales representatives in Florida and Tennessee).
Heritage Growth Managing Partner Alex Mammen, who has joined the Board of Creative, added, “We are excited to partner with Jamie and the entire Creative team to help them reach their growth objectives and better serve their expanding client base. From the onset, we have been impressed by the culture, values and leadership of the Creative team and their impressive roster of projects which includes a number of high-profile clients in the transportation, industrial, hospitality, multi-family, healthcare, and education sectors.”
“Driven by differentiated design, a highly capable and experienced project management team and an impressive in-house manufacturing platform, Creative checks all of the boxes not just for its clients but for us as investment partners,” said Evan Toporek, partner at Heritage Growth, who also joined the Board of Creative as part of the recapitalization. “We look forward to helping Creative further establish itself as an industry leader.”
Trenam Law served as legal advisor to Jamie Harden and Creative, Macfarlane Ferguson & McMullen served as legal advisor to Larry Morgan, Squire Patton Boggs served as legal advisor to Heritage Growth, and Shumaker, Loop & Kendrick served as legal advisor to Hancock Whitney Bank. LCG Advisors, TBM (a BKS Partner), livingHR and 100 Day Advisory Partners provided Quality of Earnings, Insurance, HR, and IT diligence support services, respectively, in connection with the recapitalization.
—Press Release
