"Swander Pace has had the opportunity to work with many of the so-called Private Equity groups at the major insurance brokers. Equity Risk Partners is the only one dedicated to our industry and the needs of our portfolio companies. They put our best interests first. We consistently get to work with their senior people and we get the same team on every deal. Additionally, they brought outside resources to our deals that surpassed the internal resources we saw at their competitors. They have been great partners for us."
J. B. Handley, Co-Founder and Managing Director - Swander Pace Capital
"Equity Risk Partners has handled the risk management assessment for every acquisition Cambria has led and has done a superb job for us on each. Our small deal focus is not too small for ERP and we consistently receive senior partner level attention."
P. Lew Davies, Founder and Managing Principal - Cambria Group, LLC
"We have been "pitched" by all of the insurance brokers. Equity Risk Partners has exceeded their promises. We have senior level access, a consistent deal team, and we don't have to double check our invoices. Equity Risk Partners did not just make promises, they delivered."
Eric Menke, Partner - Champlain Capital Partners
"Equity Risk Partners has been a valued member of the JFL team since their inception. We do not shy away from "tough" deals and ERP has added value on every one, including coordinating the due diligence on two recent deals in Europe. We get senior partner attention, an immediate response, and an experienced deal team. They have consistently put our interests ahead of their own and have walked away from deals where the incumbent broker was performing. We respect their long term and honest approach to business."
John F. Lehman, Founder - J. F. Lehman & Company
"We operate in an extremely competitive and fast-paced environment for private equity opportunities. Consequently, we have high expectations of our service professionals to behave as our business partners in identifying and solving difficult problems that may present obstacles to closing deals in a timely fashion. On this dimension, over the course of many transactions, Equity Risk Partners has never disappointed. The team at Equity Risk Partners unfailingly commits the resources of the firm at the most senior levels to expertly and efficiently support our efforts."
Mark Rosen, Managing Director - Charlesbank Capital Partners
"I appreciate Equity Risk Partners' willingness to tell us what they believe and not necessarily what we always want to hear. On previous deals, our firm has found them to be direct, honest and timely even if their advice does not optimize Equity Risk Partners' short-term economic interests."
L. Thomas Gregory, Managing Director - American Capital Strategies, Ltd.
"Equity Risk Partners has exceeded our expectations. They have combined the experience and resources of the large brokers with the focus and responsiveness of the small agents. Our calls are returned immediately, our issues are addressed proactively, our interests come first, and our claims are handled in a professional and timely manner. ERP is a very effective advocate for Market Fare."
Al Carfora, Chief Executive Officer - Market Fare Foods, Inc.
"THARCO is a portfolio company of a large Private Equity Group. Our PEG used a large insurance broker to handle all of their portfolio group's needs, thinking this was the best way to get the lowest cost and best service. Because of substandard service from the broker, we were finally given the approval to put our insurance brokerage needs out to bid. Through this process, Equity Risk Partners impressed us with their attention to our needs, both service and reducing costs, and they won us over as an account after beating out the national "big" firm.
To date, Equity Risk Partners has met and exceeded our high requirements for service and cost reduction. Compared to our previous "big" insurance broker, ERP is a dramatic improvement. Even without the benefit of a PEG portfolio insurance approach, we have still reduced our costs significantly. We feel that we are important to ERP and not just another client. Unlike their competitor, they do not take us for granted. We are very pleased with Equity Risk Partners and look forward to their continued efforts on our behalf."
Bo Fears, Chief Executive Officer - THARCO Containers
"As a $40.0 million revenue company, we were not too small for Equity Risk Partners. They treated us as if we were the biggest account they had. We are now one of ERP's biggest clients as a $400.0 million revenue company. Through hard markets and soft, through add-ons and divestitures, and through three different owners, we have had the same ERP team, the same sense of urgency, and the same competitive pricing and coverage terms. They are truly our partner."
L. Craig Smith, Chief Financial Officer - Wyle Laboratories
"We trusted Equity Risk Partners to look out for our best interest. We could not have been more pleased. Despite our program being placed with an insurer where ERP had a contingency arrangement, they actively sought competing quotes. When they found a potentially better deal from another carrier, they followed through and delivered."
Daniel F. Muth, CEO - Fleischmann's Vinegar Company
