March 20, 2015, Chicago, IL – Akoya Capital Partners, a sector focused investment firm announced that Ken Kunin joined the firm as Managing Director, and new sector leader for Industrial Products. Akoya’s business model and success is based on its industry sector and strategic focus led by former CEOs with deep domain experience. Ken is a senior executive with 25+ years of experience building highly customized engineered products, processes, teams and companies. His experience includes President and CEO of Arens Controls, Executive Vice President of Cherry Corporation and President of Cherry Automotive.

Ken is known for his ability to effectively partner with board of directors, private equity sponsors, management teams and lenders through rapid and profitable growth including closing and integrating accretive acquisitions. In his most recent role at Arens, Ken led a private equity backed enterprise, where he managed a P&L for a developer and manufacturer of complex electromechanical and electronic automotive products. Sales grew more than 4x and EBITDA increased more than 12x during his leadership.

Before Arens, Ken served as EVP for a NASDAQ listed company, Cherry Corporation, a global designer, manufacturer and marketer of proprietary and custom electrical and electronic components. Cherry has 12 locations, 3,000+ employees and global customers in automotive, computer, consumer and commercial markets. As President of Cherry Automotive, Ken managed a $170 million division and P&L for 700+ employees. His responsibilities included sales, marketing, product engineering, operations, quality, purchasing, human resources, and accounting. Facilities included over 350,000 sq. ft. of manufacturing floor with industry recognized molding operations, decorative painting, an etching fabrication center, PCB fabrication, metal stamping and highly automated assembly processes for electromechanical products. Ken had sales and engineering responsibilities in the United States, Japan and Germany as well as manufacturing responsibility in the US, Mexico & China.

“We are thrilled to have Ken on the Akoya team – he brings significant knowledge of the highly engineered manufactured products industry and will allow us to continue to build-out our investment strategy of combining world-class executives, well-positioned companies, and fully developed value creation strategies to create significant value for management and investors,” said Max DeZara, Managing Partner of Akoya.

“I am very excited to be joining Akoya Capital Partners – the firm’s reputation for identifying, buying and growing businesses through active senior leadership and both organic and inorganic growth is a real differentiator in the marketplace. Akoya excels at robust human capital development, deep operational improvement and high-caliber strategic planning – a combination that is unique to the private equity community,” said Ken.

With Ken’s leadership and domain expertise in highly engineered products, we are seeking platform companies in a variety of categories. Our target segments include (but are not limited to):

• Commercial Vehicles
• Test & Measurement
• Power Management
• Sensors & Controls
• Manufacturing Equipment

Akoya combines world-class executives, well-positioned companies, and well-developed value creation strategies to create significant value for management and investors. Our strategy is focused on broadening product and geographic offerings, diversifying revenue streams, improving operational efficiencies, creating operating synergies and utilizing best practices.

Investment Criteria – Platform Companies

• Revenues from $20 to $200 million
• Minimum EBITDA of $3 million

We will consider smaller companies on a selective basis or as an add-on acquisition.

About Akoya

Akoya Capital is a sector focused investment firm that creates and nurtures partnerships between management and capital. With industry-leading sector leaders, proprietary platform organizations, experienced management teams and co-investors, we collaborate on compelling value creation opportunities. Together, we develop and execute industry sector acquisition strategies that deliver significant, measurable value for management, partners and shareholders.

Led by the industry knowledge of our sector leaders, and CEO’s, we are highly selective in the sector based investments we pursue. This exclusivity allows us to work with the finest companies from each industry. In addition to industrial products, we currently focus on investments in the following sectors: specialty chemicals, consumer foods, professional information services and consumer products.

March 20, 2015, Chicago, IL – Akoya Capital Partners, a sector focused investment firm announced that Ken Kunin joined the firm as Managing Director, and new sector leader for Industrial Products. Akoya’s business model and success is based on its industry sector and strategic focus led by former CEOs with deep domain experience. Ken is a senior executive with 25+ years of experience building highly customized engineered products, processes, teams and companies. His experience includes President and CEO of Arens Controls, Executive Vice President of Cherry Corporation and President of Cherry Automotive.

Ken is known for his ability to effectively partner with board of directors, private equity sponsors, management teams and lenders through rapid and profitable growth including closing and integrating accretive acquisitions. In his most recent role at Arens, Ken led a private equity backed enterprise, where he managed a P&L for a developer and manufacturer of complex electromechanical and electronic automotive products. Sales grew more than 4x and EBITDA increased more than 12x during his leadership.

Before Arens, Ken served as EVP for a NASDAQ listed company, Cherry Corporation, a global designer, manufacturer and marketer of proprietary and custom electrical and electronic components. Cherry has 12 locations, 3,000+ employees and global customers in automotive, computer, consumer and commercial markets. As President of Cherry Automotive, Ken managed a $170 million division and P&L for 700+ employees. His responsibilities included sales, marketing, product engineering, operations, quality, purchasing, human resources, and accounting. Facilities included over 350,000 sq. ft. of manufacturing floor with industry recognized molding operations, decorative painting, an etching fabrication center, PCB fabrication, metal stamping and highly automated assembly processes for electromechanical products. Ken had sales and engineering responsibilities in the United States, Japan and Germany as well as manufacturing responsibility in the US, Mexico & China.

“We are thrilled to have Ken on the Akoya team – he brings significant knowledge of the highly engineered manufactured products industry and will allow us to continue to build-out our investment strategy of combining world-class executives, well-positioned companies, and fully developed value creation strategies to create significant value for management and investors,” said Max DeZara, Managing Partner of Akoya.

“I am very excited to be joining Akoya Capital Partners – the firm’s reputation for identifying, buying and growing businesses through active senior leadership and both organic and inorganic growth is a real differentiator in the marketplace. Akoya excels at robust human capital development, deep operational improvement and high-caliber strategic planning – a combination that is unique to the private equity community,” said Ken.

With Ken’s leadership and domain expertise in highly engineered products, we are seeking platform companies in a variety of categories. Our target segments include (but are not limited to):

• Commercial Vehicles
• Test & Measurement
• Power Management
• Sensors & Controls
• Manufacturing Equipment

Akoya combines world-class executives, well-positioned companies, and well-developed value creation strategies to create significant value for management and investors. Our strategy is focused on broadening product and geographic offerings, diversifying revenue streams, improving operational efficiencies, creating operating synergies and utilizing best practices.

Investment Criteria – Platform Companies

• Revenues from $20 to $200 million
• Minimum EBITDA of $3 million

We will consider smaller companies on a selective basis or as an add-on acquisition.

About Akoya

Akoya Capital is a sector focused investment firm that creates and nurtures partnerships between management and capital. With industry-leading sector leaders, proprietary platform organizations, experienced management teams and co-investors, we collaborate on compelling value creation opportunities. Together, we develop and execute industry sector acquisition strategies that deliver significant, measurable value for management, partners and shareholders.

Led by the industry knowledge of our sector leaders, and CEO’s, we are highly selective in the sector based investments we pursue. This exclusivity allows us to work with the finest companies from each industry. In addition to industrial products, we currently focus on investments in the following sectors: specialty chemicals, consumer foods, professional information services and consumer products.

Contact Us

If you know of a company that fits this profile, we would welcome the opportunity to discuss it with you. Please contact Jason Apple at 312-546-8301 (japple@akoyacapital.com).

If you know of a company that fits this profile, we would welcome the opportunity to discuss it with you. Please contact Jason Apple at 312-546-8301 (japple@akoyacapital.com).