PHILADELPHIA, PA
FS Investments, a leading alternative investment manager, announced that its business development company (BDC) direct lending platform committed over $830 million to middle market companies in the second quarter of 2016, bringing its year-to-date total commitments to more than $1.2 billion. New directly originated investments during the quarter were made in support of 12 portfolio companies headquartered in seven different U.S. states.
“Our market-leading scale serves as a great deal sourcing advantage,” said Michael C. Forman, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of FS Investments. “Our ability to underwrite larger investments provides access to a broad set of investment opportunities for our investors and a flexible source of financing for our portfolio companies and their private equity sponsors.”
Newly committed capital was provided by five BDCs managed by affiliates of FS Investments and sub-advised by GSO Capital Partners LP (GSO) or its affiliate: FS Investment Corporation (NYSE: FSIC), FS Investment Corporation II (FSIC II), FS Investment Corporation III (FSIC III), FS Investment Corporation IV (FSIC IV) and FS Energy and Power Fund (FSEP). FS Investments is the largest manager of BDCs.
FS Investments’ directly originated transactions, which are unique to its BDCs and not typically accessible elsewhere, included investments in the following companies in the second quarter:
FourPoint Energy
FSIC, FSIC II and FSEP provided an upsized equity commitment to FourPoint Energy, a Denver, CO-headquartered private oil and gas exploration and production company. The new equity investment served to recapitalize and solidify FourPoint’s balance sheet and provided financing for its acquisition of new acreage. With over 875,000 net acres and over 3,000 potential drilling locations, FourPoint is the largest operator in the Western Anadarko Basin. FourPoint is a portfolio company of EIG Partners, a Washington D.C.-headquartered global energy investment firm.
Polymer Additives Holdings (dba: Valtris Specialty Chemicals)
FSIC, FSIC II and FSIC III provided a new senior secured unitranche commitment to Valtris Specialty Chemicals, an Independence, OH-headquartered manufacturer of specialty chemicals, including lubricants, stabilizers and polymer modifiers. The new term loan refinanced FS Investments’ previous investment in the company and provided incremental capital to help fund the acquisition of Akcros Holdings Limited, a manufacturer of additives for the processing and manufacturing of polymers. The acquisition of Akcros further diversifies Valtris’s product line and creates new avenues of growth for the combined entity. Valtris is a portfolio company of H.I.G. Capital, a Miami, FL-headquartered private equity investment firm.
A.P. Plasman
FSIC provided a new senior secured commitment to A.P. Plasman, a designer and manufacturer of exterior trim products to a variety of industries. FSIC’s new commitment refinanced its previous investment in A.P. Plasman and provided additional capital to support its acquisition of Plastal Industri, a supplier of exterior painted trim products for the European automotive industry. The acquisition expands the company’s product line, customer base and geographic reach. A.P. Plasman is a portfolio company of Insight Equity, a New York-based middle market private equity investment firm.
FSIC, FSIC II and FSIC III Successfully Exit Pittsburgh Glass Works Investment
In addition to new investments made during the quarter, FSIC, FSIC II and FSIC III’s senior secured first lien loan to Pittsburgh Glass Works was repaid in connection with the sale of the company. Pittsburgh Glass Works, a Pittsburgh, PA-headquartered leader in the automotive glass industry, was acquired by LKQ Corp., a Chicago, IL-headquartered provider of automotive parts and components. Prior to the acquisition, Pittsburgh Glass Works was a portfolio company of Kohlberg & Company, a Mount Kisco, NY-headquartered private equity investment firm who acquired Pittsburgh Glass Works in a carve-out transaction with PPG Industries. In connection with the repayment of its loan principal, FSIC, FSIC II and FSIC III generated a prepayment fee.
ABOUT FS INVESTMENTS
FS Investments is a leading asset manager that designs alternative investments to help institutional, advisory and individual investors build better portfolios. Its solutions provide access to alternative asset classes and top managers through a spectrum of structures, including business development companies, closed-end credit funds and operating companies. The firm is dedicated to setting industry standards for investor-centric service, education and transparency.
FS Investments was founded in 2007 as Franklin Square Capital Partners. It is headquartered in Philadelphia with offices in Orlando and Washington D.C. The firm currently manages six funds with over $18 billion in assets under management as of June 30, 2016, and co-manages an operating company. Its affiliated broker-dealer, FS Investment Solutions, LLC (member FINRA/SIPC), distributes its offerings.
Visit fsinvestments.com to learn more.
ABOUT BLACKSTONE AND GSO
Blackstone is one of the world’s leading investment firms. We seek to create positive economic impact and long-term value for our investors, the companies we invest in, and the communities in which we work. We do this by using extraordinary people and flexible capital to help companies solve problems. Our asset management businesses, with approximately $356 billion in assets under management, include investment vehicles focused on private equity, real estate, public debt and equity, non-investment grade credit, real assets and secondary funds, all on a global basis. Further information is available at www.blackstone.com. Follow Blackstone on Twitter @Blackstone.
GSO is the global credit investment platform of Blackstone. With approximately $85 billion of assets under management, GSO is one of the largest alternative managers in the world focused on the leveraged-finance, or non-investment grade related, marketplace. GSO seeks to generate attractive risk-adjusted returns in its business by investing in a broad array of strategies including mezzanine debt, distressed investing, leveraged loans and other special-situation strategies. Its funds are major providers of credit for small and middle-market companies and they also advance rescue financing to help distressed companies.
FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS AND IMPORTANT DISCLOSURES
This press release may contain certain forward-looking statements, including statements with regard to the future performance or operations of FSIC, FSIC II, FSIC III, FSIC IV or FSEP. Words such as “believes,” “expects,” “projects” and “future” or similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are subject to the inherent uncertainties in predicting future results and conditions. Certain factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected in these forward-looking statements, and some of these factors are enumerated in the filings FSIC, FSIC II, FSIC III, FSIC IV and FSEP make with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. FSIC, FSIC II, FSIC III, FSIC IV and FSEP undertake no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.