MeriCal, Inc. Has Been Acquired by Linden Capital Partners

HOUSTON, October 4, 2016 – GulfStar Group (“GulfStar”), a leading middle market investment bank headquartered in Houston, is pleased to announce that MeriCal, Inc. (“MeriCal” or the “Company”) has been acquired by Linden Capital Partners. GulfStar served as the exclusive financial advisor to MeriCal throughout the transaction, which closed on September 30, 2016.

Headquartered in Orange, California, MeriCal is an industry-leading developer, manufacturer, and packager of probiotic and other nutritional supplements. Founded in 1965, the Company’s approximately 400 employees across several facilities provide value-added research and development, manufacturing and packaging services to many of the world’s most recognized retailers and nutritional supplement brands.

“I am very proud of the talented and dedicated employees at MeriCal and what we have been able to accomplish in terms of delivering superior service and extreme product quality and integrity for our growing base of loyal customers. With an enormous collective effort over the years, MeriCal has become a recognized leader in the industry, and I look forward to the continued growth and expansion of the MeriCal platform under the strong guidance of the Linden team,” said Dean Baltzell, Founder of MeriCal. “I would also like to recognize the extraordinary efforts of the teams at GulfStar Group, Payne & Fears and Brigante Cameron Watters & Strong for their unwavering commitment and practiced guidance through the rigors of the transaction process — and for achieving a truly fantastic outcome.”

Linden Capital Partners is a Chicago-based private equity firm focused exclusively on leveraged buyouts in the healthcare and life sciences industries. Linden’s strategy is based upon three elements: i) healthcare and life science industry specialization, ii) integrated private equity and operating expertise, and iii) strategic relationships with large corporations. Linden invests in middle market platforms in the medical products, specialty distribution, pharmaceutical, and services segments of healthcare.

“Great outcomes start with a great Management Team, and the group at MeriCal sets the standard as far as we are concerned. We would like to congratulate Dean Baltzell, Jeff Stallings, Richard Gates, Tom Bovich and the incredible workforce at MeriCal for a remarkable history of achievements, and for positioning the business for tremendous future success,” said Scott Winship, Managing Director at GulfStar Group. “MeriCal has found a terrific partner in Linden, and we stand assured that the Company will continue to increase its market leadership position and further expand into complementary manufacturing capabilities and services for its highly valued customers.”

The GulfStar team consisted of Managing Director Scott Winship, along with Vice President Ben Stanton, Associate Barbara Palmquist and Analyst John Glenn.

About GulfStar Group
GulfStar is a leading middle market investment bank headquartered in Houston. GulfStar specializes in providing merger and acquisition advisory services, institutional private placements of equity and debt, and general corporate finance advisory services to companies with revenues or enterprise values generally ranging from $25 million to $350 million. Since its formation in 1990, GulfStar has completed more than 650 transactions in 32 states and 15 foreign countries across a variety of industries.