Hayden Creek Capital makes investments in lower middle market consumer, business services, healthcare services, industrial and distribution, and niche manufacturing companies.
Unlike traditional private equity firms, we independently capitalize each investment we make, which allows for flexibility in the types of transactions we pursue and allows a true, long-term ownership time horizon for our involvement.
Investors, not allocators
Aligned incentives
We earn nothing on un-deployed capital. No captive fund with a fixed termination date forces us to be a buyer or a seller. We are compensated when equity value increases, and we make investments only when the timing and the opportunity are favorable.
A concentrated portfolio
Lower middle market companies reward active, hands-on ownership. We focus on a limited, select group of investments where we can add value, and we bring extensive operating experience to each of them rather than taking a hands-off, broad-portfolio approach.
Capital structured to fit
Our network of debt and equity providers includes institutions, family offices and high net worth individuals, and has been curated over many years. We select the structure and the best-fit partners based on post-acquisition objectives rather than a fund’s pre-determined approach.
We are active in supporting all aspects of the business
While we do not prefer to serve as day-to-day operators, we are active in supporting all aspects of the business. We work with management teams to execute our investment strategy with the goal to introduce best in class resources and implement sound business practices to foster growth and increase profitability.
We seek to partner with strong founders and management teams. Our level of involvement depends on the company’s specific needs, as identified by both management and us. We are architected to be value added partners to our companies.
For every business we’ve acquired, we’ve brought substantial resources to bear as board directors and active owners, and, in select cases, have taken hands-on, day-to-day roles as interim CEO or CFO. Across our portfolio, we have directly contributed in each of the following areas:
Partnering with
Management
What we look for
HCC has extensive, long-standing relationships with capital partners, including institutions, family offices and high net worth individuals, and can bring creative solutions and structures to bear for business owners seeking to maximize the value of their businesses.
Target company profile
- Lower middle market, US basedPreference for Western states
- Revenue of $10–250 million
- EBITDA of $3–25 million
- Investment range of $1–50 millionNo limitations for add-on acquisitions
What we look for
- Proven management team in place (we can fill in many cases)
- Identifiable growth opportunities
- Limited capital intensity
- Typically avoid operationally distressed situationsWe can work through capital structure or over-leveraged situations if the underlying business is performing
We offer flexible structures
- Control or minority equity
- Owner liquidity / dividend recaps
- Management sponsored buyouts
- Family transition planning
- Corporate carve-outs
- Mezzanine / structured debt
- Investment horizon of 5–7 yearsPotentially longer in select scenarios depending on capital source
HCC is not a fund and is not reliant upon a single funding source or a single template of investment structure. We evaluate each opportunity on its own merits and provide a customized solution that accommodates all stakeholders, supported by a deep network of co-investment partners within private equity firms and family offices.
04 · Industries of focus
05 · How we work
Source
We originate opportunities directly and through long-standing relationships with intermediaries and owners.
Structure
Each investment is capitalized independently, with the structure (control buyout, co-invest, structured equity or debt) matched to the owner’s objectives and best suited to the nuances of the opportunity.
Capitalize
We finance the investment via our extensive network of trusted financial partners we built over multiple decades.
Build
After closing, we work alongside management to professionalize and institutionalize operations, bring outside resources and data-driven decision making to the business, and pursue add-on acquisitions.
Ranked Top 20 Independent Sponsor: 2024, 2025 and 2026
Axial, a leading deal sourcing platform for the lower middle market, has named Hayden Creek Capital a Top 20 Independent Sponsor for three consecutive years: 2024, 2025 and 2026. The 2026 ranking placed HCC second out of 1,326 groups, based on closed deal activity and progress to the IOI and LOI stages. HCC was previously named a Top 50 Consumer Investor in 2023.
07 · The partners
Peter J.L. Vogt
Managing Partner
Peter Vogt has over 17 years of private equity investing focusing exclusively on middle market companies. Peter previously worked with Murano Group, a San Francisco based family office investment firm that executed private equity investments within the consumer and business services sectors. Prior to Murano, he worked at GESD Capital Partners, a middle market consumer food and beverage focused buyout fund. Peter started his career in Investment Banking with Financial Technology Partners in San Francisco. He has held Board of Directors and CFO level roles with the various portfolio companies with which he has invested. Peter graduated with honors from Saint Mary’s College of California with a double major in Economics and Finance.
Adam Valainis
Managing Partner
Adam Valainis has over 17 years of experience acquiring, starting and operating organizations. Adam has led or supported private equity investments totaling several hundred million dollars in both equity and debt, has been the CEO/President of two organizations, has held numerous Board of Directors roles, has been on the founding team of two companies, has been an advisor to multiple start-ups, and has been critical in the turn-around of the distressed operations of two organizations. Adam is also an active member in the Young Presidents’ Organization (YPO) in Los Angeles. Adam holds a BA from the College of the Holy Cross, an MS in Accounting from the University of Virginia, and an MBA from the Haas School of Business at UC Berkeley.
Start a conversation
Whether you are a business owner considering a sale or recapitalization, an investment banker or broker with an investment opportunity, or a debt or equity investor targeting direct investments in the lower middle market, we would welcome a conversation.