Our Team
Operating Executive Board
RFE’s breadth of resources includes our Operating Executive Board. These individuals have partnered with us as Portfolio Company CEO’s and led their companies through significant earnings growth and meaningful liquidity events. These Operating Executives represent a broad spectrum of skills and have worked with RFE for an average of ten years. Certain individuals have worked with the firm for as long as two decades. This invaluable resource multiplies our ability to assist portfolio company management in building value and fully realizing business potential.
Mark Abrahams
Mark Abrahams is the President and CEO of DelStar Technologies, Inc., a former RFE VI portfolio company. DelStar was formed by RFE through the acquisition and merger of the Specialty Netting and Nonwoven Division of Applied Extrusion Technologies and U.S. Netting, Inc. The combined companies became the leading manufacturer of specialty extruded apertured films, netting and nonwoven products for filtration applications. Under RFE’s ownership, these two companies were integrated and then expanded via organic growth and acquisition.The Company had doubled in size at the time of its sale by RFE at a value representing more than 4x RFE’s cost.
Raymond Barton
Ray Barton is the Chairman of Great Clips, Inc., a former RFE V portfolio company. Great Clips is a franchisor of hair salons and has grown to become the largest single hair-care brand in the world with more than $700 million in system-wide revenues and over 2,700 franchise stores in 42 states and western Canada. RFE purchased the ownership interest held by two of the four founding shareholders when Great Clips had only 800 franchise stores. RFE V sold its ownership interest in Great Clips to Mr. Barton over several years at a value representing more than 6x RFE’s cost.
Richard Brooks
Richard Brooks is the former CEO of Health Watch Holdings, Inc., a former RFE VI portfolio company. Health Watch was formed by RFE in early 2004 to acquire the operating subsidiaries of Response USA, which had successfully emerged from bankruptcy protection in October 2002. Health Watch became the second largest provider of medical alert monitoring services in the United States during RFE’s ownership through increased internal growth and several acquisitions. Monitored subscribers grew from 45,000 to over 125,000 and monthly recurring revenues increased from $900,000 to over $2.5 million per month during RFE’s ownership. In April 2007, Health Watch was acquired by Royal Philips Electronics at a value representing more than 3x RFE’s cost.
Martin Doolan
Martin Doolan, with over 25 years of experience as a corporate turnaround executive, has been highly successful in restoring shareholder value and long-term profitability in several manufacturing companies including Bestop, Inc., a portfolio company of RFE I and RFE III. RFE recruited Mr. Doolan to Bestop as CEO after owning the Company for two years. Mr. Doolan led efforts to restore profitability to the Company, sell underperforming product lines and ultimately to achieve significant profitable growth. The Company had a successful IPO and was sold by RFE a couple of years later at a value representing more than 6x RFE’s cost. Mr. Doolan has served on the boards of several other RFE portfolio companies including DelStar Technologies and Lectrus Corporation.
Alan Glass
Alan Glass is the former CEO of Commonwealth Business Media, Inc., a prior RFE VI portfolio company. Commonwealth was formed in 2000 with RFE’s acquisition of several trade and transportation directories and publications from Primedia. Under RFE’s ownership, the Company nearly quadrupled its revenues including acquiring the Journal of Commerce Group from the Economist to form the largest single source of content serving the Global Trade and Transportation markets. Upon selling the Company, RFE VI realized a value of approximately 3x its cost.
Richard Matros
Richard Matros is the is the Chairman and CEO of Sabra Health Care REIT, Inc. and the former CEO of Sun Healthcare Group, Inc., a former RFE V and RFE VI portfolio company. RFE merged Peak Medical Corp., its nursing home owner and operator into Sun Healthcare after expanding Peak from 6 to 56 nursing homes located across the Rocky Mountain region of the U.S. Michael Foster became a Director of Sun following this merger and worked closely with Mr. Matros on the subsequent growth of the combined companies. Sun is a publicly traded nursing home operator with more than $2 billion in revenues. RFE sold its Sun shares in the public markets realizing more than 4x its cost.
Kevin McKenzie
Kevin McKenzie is the former CEO of McKenzie Sports Products, Inc., a former RFE VI portfolio company. McKenzie is the leading supplier of forms and supplies to taxidermists used to mount trophies harvested by hunters and fishermen. Under RFE’s ownership, the Company completed and integrated six strategic acquisitions (including expansion into the fish reproduction market); expanded its geographic presence by opening a new remote distribution warehouse; and, streamlined the business by divesting an underperforming ancillary product line. Upon selling the Company, RFE VI realized a value of approximately 3.5x its cost.