Roark Capital Group


Roark Capital Group is an American private equity firm with over US$ 13.0 billion in equity capital raised since inception. The firm is focused on leveraged buyout investments in middle-market companies, primarily in the franchise/multi-unit, restaurant and food, retail healthcare and business services sectors. It is named for Howard Roark, the protagonist in Ayn Rand's novel, The Fountainhead. The firm claims that its name is not meant to connote any particular political philosophy but instead signify the firm's admiration for the iconoclastic qualities of independence and self-assurance embodied by the central figure in The Fountainhead.

History

The firm, which is based in Atlanta, Georgia, was founded in 2001 by the current Managing Partner, Neal K. Aronson. Senior team members include President Paul D. Ginsberg, Senior Managing Director and Co-Chief Investment Officer Ezra S. Field, Senior Managing Director and Co-Chief Investment Officer Erik O. Morris, and Managing Directors Timothy Armstrong, Stephen D. Aronson, Geoff Hill, Kevin Hofmann, Gregory Smith, Michael Thompson, Steven Romaniello, and David Wierman.
Prior to founding Roark Capital Group in 2001, Aronson was a co-founder of U.S. Franchise Systems in 1995. Roark currently is investing out of its fifth institutional private equity fund.

Investments

Roark's current and former portfolio companies include:

Current investments