Investment Focus

SECTORS

Specialty Consumer

Our focus is on businesses that produce a highly differentiated product or service whether in consumables, apparel or retail. This methodology enables Hawthorn to exploit niche opportunities to build significant brand value.
 

Waterworks is a designer, manufacturer and marketer of complete bathroom solutions to the high-end luxury market. 

INVESTMENT THESIS

Invest alongside founding Management to restructure (through Chapter XI), refocus and grow the business.

J Brand is a leading branded premium denim company, managing all aspects of the product, from design to distribution.

INVESTMENT THESIS

Invest alongside experienced industry investors to professionalize management and develop the global potential of the brand.

EXIT

Sold to a strategic entity in 2012.

Natural Food Holdings is a leading branded natural-protein company, selling to retail, foodservice distributors, national accounts and further processors through North American and Asia.  NFH also provides custom processing services to domestic and international meat companies.

INVESTMENT THESIS

Build a differentiated specialty protein platform with high barriers to replication that leveraged growing demand for “all-natural” products derived from livestock humanely raised without antibiotics or added hormones in partnership with a 30 year protein industry veteran.  Acquire both highly recognized brands as well as separate highly flexible and unique protein specific processing assets.

EXIT

Majority Leveraged recapitalization in 2011, small retained ownership today.

One Floral is the largest Canadian consumer product company focused exclusively on the floral market.

INVESTMENT THESIS

Merge the category and logistics management expertise of the largest cut-flower supplier with one of the most sophisticated floral greenhouse operators in North America to create a diversified market leader in the floral space.