Columbia River Partners Announces Investment in TiniFiber

SEATTLE, Oct. 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Columbia River Partners ("CRP") is proud to announce its investment in TiniFiber Holdings, LLC ("TiniFiber"), a fiber optic assembly and custom cable manufacturer. Columbia River Partners ("CRP") is a lower middle-market private equity firm focused on investments in business service, industrial, and information technology platforms in North America.

Headquartered in Farmingdale, NY, TiniFiber will continue to capitalize on the strong long-term FTTx trends by demonstrating the superior value of its product to customers across the country. TiniFiber's products are smaller, stronger, and lighter than those of the competition, resulting in substantial savings to contractors and end users via reduced labor and transportation costs.

"Our patented Micro Armor fiber helps customers do more of what they need to, run cable, and do it faster and cheaper than ever before," said Christian Peterson, CEO of TiniFiber. Barry Skolnick, Vice President of Operations, added, "Once a customer tries our TiniFiber product, they don't go back to the legacy Aluminum Interlocking Armor competition, it just doesn't make sense after they've experienced what TiniFiber can do for their business."

Nathan Chandrasekaran and Pooneet Goel, Partners at Columbia River Partners added, "Through Christian and Barry's leadership and dedication, TiniFiber grew from an idea into the most effective fiberoptic cable on the market today. We look forward to partnering with Christian, Barry, and the rest of the TiniFiber family to build on that foundation and execute on the numerous opportunities to grow the business."

Capital to support the transaction was provided by Tecum Capital Partners, Unity Hunt, UMB Capital Corporation, and Enterprise Bank & Trust. Enterprise Bank & Trust provided senior debt financing. Geffen Mesher provided financial and tax due diligence services. McGuire Woods served as counsel for CRP and Katten Muchin Rosenman served as counsel for Tecum Capital. Lockton provided all employment and insurance due diligence.

TiniFiber was represented in this transaction by Akin Bay Company, a leading NYC based M&A advisory firm serving the middle-market for 30 years. Akin Bay also acted as the debt placement agent and invested in TiniFiber. "TiniFiber is the type of company where we strongly believed in the company, its management, and unique market position, making a compelling financial advisory and merchant banking situation" and "We look forward to helping it grow both organically and through select add-on opportunistic acquisitions," said James Rybakoff, CEO of Akin Bay Company. 

With its patented, proprietary wrapped stainless-steel coil technology combined with Kevlar®, TiniFiber® Micro Armor Fiber™ Optic Cable provides unrivalled strength and resilience. Its unmatched armored bend radius delivers superior flexibility. Reliable, scalable, and sustainable, TiniFiber® can meet the demands of even the most challenging applications. Jackets are available for riser, plenum, indoor, outdoor, LSZH, direct burial, industrial and harsh environments. TiniFiber® patch cords can be adapted to accommodate all lengths for standard or custom projects. TiniFiber® Micro Armor Fiber™ Optic Cable has given the industry what it has long sought – an armored fiber optic cable solution with a smaller outer diameter that is also highly durable, flexible, and adaptable to deliver seamless, sustainable end-to-end value. To learn more about our innovative solutions please contact us at 631.932.2253 or visit us at www.tinifiber.com.  

Columbia River Partners is a private equity firm focused on control investments in lower-middle market companies in North America across the industrials, business services, and IT services sectors. Columbia River's experienced team of investors and executives seek portfolio company value enhancement through rigorous implementation of transformative strategic initiatives and operational improvements. Columbia River Partners is based in Seattle and San Francisco.

For more information, please visit www.columbiariverpartners.com.

Tecum Capital is a Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania-based private investment firm deploying capital in lower middle-market companies. Tecum provides mezzanine debt and equity investments in growth-oriented middle-market companies across the broader high-value manufacturing, value-added distribution, and business services sectors. Our team partners with independent sponsors, family offices, committed funds, business owners seeking succession plans, and management teams to create shared success. Tecum focuses on businesses with EBITDA greater than $3 million. Tecum seeks to invest $5 million to $20 million in potential portfolio companies. Tecum manages two Small Business Investment Company ("SBIC") licensed funds and is currently investing out of Tecum Capital Partners III, L.P, a $300 million fund launched in September 2021. Since 2006, the team has collectively invested more than $850 million in over 100 platform and add-on acquisitions.  For more information, please visit www.tecum.com.

UMB Capital Corporation is a small business investment company founded in 1984.  Since then, our focus has evolved to a multi-strategy fund, investing in companies across the continental United States.  Our specialty is capitalizing middle market businesses across many industries to effectively spur growth, assist in ownership transition, and develop platforms with subsequent add-on acquisitions.  Over the last seven years, UMB Capital Corporation has assisted more than 60 companies by providing financial solutions that meet their financial needs.  Our typical investment ranges from $1,000,000 - $7,500,000 with a focus on companies generating $2,000,000+ in EBITDA.  For more information, please visit our website at Mezzanine Debt | Minority Equity Investments | UMB Bank.

Unity Hunt is the company through which the Lamar Hunt family oversees its holdings.  It holds a diverse portfolio of companies and investments involved in sports/media, real estate, energy/resources, private and public equity, and hedge funds. For private equity, the firm deploys capital through co-investments, independent sponsor-led deals, unsponsored transactions, and funds. Targeted industries include industrial/manufacturing, business services, consumer, technology services, and health care.

Enterprise Bank & Trust is built on trusted, personal relationships and offers a range of business and personal banking services, wealth management services and a variety of specialized banking services. Enterprise Financial Services Corp, with approximately $13 billion in assets, is a bank holding company headquartered in Clayton, Missouri. Enterprise Bank & Trust operates 39 branch offices in Arizona, California, Kansas, Missouri, Nevada and New Mexico, and SBA loan and deposit production offices in Arizona, California, Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nevada, Ohio, Oregon, Texas, Utah and Washington. The Sponsor Finance team, a division of the bank's Specialty Banking group, is a dedicated senior leveraged finance division that partners with private equity sponsors, mezzanine lenders, SBICs, family offices and independent sponsors in support of mergers, acquisitions, and recapitalizations. The team manages more than $900 million in current commitments provided to 80+ companies. Industries served include business services, distribution, manufacturing, industrial, healthcare, and technology services, among others.

Akin Bay Company LLC ("Akin Bay"), founded in 1990, is a New York based, FINRA-registered investment banking firm serving middle market public, private and family-owned companies.  We have differentiated ourselves with a unique business style in which we provide investment and merchant banking services with the same high-quality analysis, industry knowledge and long-term relationships with a more customized and personal approach. For over 30 years, Akin Bay has provided corporate financial advisory services, which include: mergers and acquisitions, institutional private placements of debt and equity, financial restructuring, strategic advisory, valuations and fairness opinions. Akin Bay is one of the premier independent US investment banking boutiques, with exceptional depth and breadth of industry expertise in advising companies and institutional funds in North America, Europe and Asia. For more information, please visit www.akinbay.com.

Media Contact:
Pooneet Goel
(650) 799-4467
[email protected]

SOURCE CRP