Greenbriar Equity Group Completes Acquisition of PetroChoice

RYE, N.Y., Jan. 17, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Greenbriar Equity Group LLC today announced the acquisition of PetroChoice, a leading, value-added distributor of petroleum lubricant solutions. Greenbriar acquired the Company from KRG Capital Partners.  Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Headquartered in Riddlesburg, Pennsylvania, PetroChoice is the largest distributor of consumable commercial, industrial, and passenger vehicle lubricants in the Mid-Atlantic and Upper Midwest regions of the United States.  It serves a diverse set of customers across a range of industries including original equipment manufacturing, off-highway construction, surface mining, energy, metal working, food processing and passenger automotive, providing its customers with total fluids management for their lubricant needs. The Company distributes an extensive line of bulk products and a full range of packaged lubricants. In addition, PetroChoice offers its customers value-added services including customer on-site tank systems, in-plant and off-loading filtration, application engineering expertise, coolant program expertise and expert oil analysis. PetroChoice is actively pursuing organic growth opportunities as well as acquisitions with a focus on partnering with best-in-class lubricant distributors to expand its geographic footprint and service offerings to its customers.

"Over the past four years, the PetroChoice management team has done a terrific job executing our collective strategic vision and directing substantial growth of the Company," said Stew Fisher, a Managing Director at KRG Capital Partners.  "PetroChoice is well positioned to continue to drive growth through its broad product line, leading customer service offering and multi-regional footprint.  We would like to extend our thanks to all the PetroChoice employees and wish them the best in their new partnership with Greenbriar."

"PetroChoice has grown significantly under the leadership of KRG Capital Partners. We look forward to continuing this trajectory by now partnering with Greenbriar Equity Group," stated Shane O'Kelly, Chief Executive Officer of PetroChoice.  "Greenbriar's successful track record of building businesses, and its distribution and logistics expertise make it a terrific partner for PetroChoice going forward."

"We are very impressed with the quality and depth of experience of PetroChoice's senior management team and the leadership position the business has built in the lubricants supply chain," stated Jill Raker, Managing Director of Greenbriar Equity Group. "We look forward to supporting management's efforts to grow the business both organically and through strategic acquisitions and are confident that our financial and operational resources will be a great match with the experience and commercial success of this management team."

Greenbriar was advised in this transaction by Hughes Hubbard & Reed LLP.  Senior secured debt financing for the transaction was provided by the Senior Secured Loan Program, which is jointly managed by Ares Capital Corporation and GE Commercial Finance Investment Advisory Services LLC.  KRG Capital was advised by Piper Jaffray & Co. and Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, LLP.

About Greenbriar Equity Group:
Greenbriar Equity Group LLC, a private equity firm with $1.5 billion of committed capital, focuses exclusively on the global transportation industry and transportation related manufacturing, including companies in freight and passenger transport, aerospace and defense, automotive, logistics and distribution, and related sectors. Greenbriar invests with proven management teams who are interested in being significant equity owners in their companies as well as with corporate partners who are interested in raising capital. Greenbriar's partners bring many decades of experience at the highest levels within the transportation industry. Additional information may be found at www.greenbriarequity.com.

About KRG Capital:
Founded in 1996, KRG is a Denver based private equity buyout firm with $4.3 billion of cumulative capital either deployed or available for future investment, which includes approximately $1 billion deployed since inception on behalf of equity co-investors. The firm seeks investment opportunities for its partners where KRG can work in concert with owners and operating managers who are committed to expanding their companies and becoming industry leaders. The result is a partnership that focuses on creating a significantly larger enterprise through a combination of internal growth and complementary add-on acquisitions. Since inception, KRG has invested in 41 platform companies and has completed 128 add-on acquisitions for those platforms. For more information on KRG, please visit www.krgcapital.com

SOURCE Greenbriar Equity Group LLC