Two people hiking to the top of a mountain during a vibrant winter sunset. Mount Harvey, North Vancouver, BC, Canada.

 

At the heart of our organization is the commitment and desire to provide superior performance and service to our clients. Our primary objective is to meet our clients’ expectations while ensuring our people are highly motivated and enthusiastic. This requires that we keep the business narrowly defined on what we do best, and endeavour to remain at the cutting edge of research and development initiatives within financial markets.

Investing in our Future Leaders

Once a year, we take the opportunity to share an annual update with our clients on our business, outlining how we are directing our efforts within CC&L to ensure we are prepared to fulfill our commitment to meeting investment performance and service objectives for our clients.

The past few years have been a period of transformation and growth at CC&L. Our teams have expanded as we are building the next generation of leaders. We have met our investment objectives across most of our strategies, which is contributing to asset growth. Most notably, the expansion in our quantitative equity capabilities and the broadening of our equity offerings and client base have meaningfully transformed our business. This growth is making us consider how to position our business for the next decade.

Our people are the foundation of our company and intellectual capital is our most precious resource. We remain dedicated to investing in our people through career development planning and leadership programs, we strive to enhance skill sets, the depth of our teams, investment processes, and plan for succession.

In support of talent development, CC&L’s Women in Leadership (WiL) initiative began in 2021, led by a committee comprising most of the women in the organization, to identify and address issues contributing to gender imbalance in the leadership within our organization, our industry, and our society.

This imbalance, we believe (supported by academic studies, industry research and personal experience) results from societal influences, complacency and unconscious bias. Although the statistics on gender imbalance in senior positions are disheartening, we are optimistic about driving change through thoughtful and coordinated action. If we successfully tackle the key issues contributing to the leadership gender imbalance, we will substantially broaden the talent pool from which great leaders emerge, creating better business outcomes.

An important – and unexpected – outcome of our efforts is that the solutions identified for leadership gender imbalance are also solutions that apply to broader issues, that can benefit everyone. In 2023, we began implementing the WiL committee’s recommended solutions. For more details, please read our Women in Leadership whitepaper.

Another major initiative over the past year was a project to foster a culture of continuous, real-time feedback, driving innovation, professional growth and motivation. We see feedback as essential for both individual and collective success. Challenging the status quo, innovating and taking risks are crucial in our competitive industry. Reaching our full potential depends on receiving constructive feedback for improvement. This belief led us to invest in a firm-wide development program, facilitated by a third-party consultant, to cultivate and strengthen a culture of feedback and innovation. This process started with an offsite meeting to arrive at a shared vision for our feedback culture and continued with six workshops to build foundational knowledge and skills and integrate feedback practices. This 10-month project was a significant step in our continuous efforts to improve our culture, leadership skills and processes.

In 2024, we will look at enhancing practices for managing parental leaves and career coaching.

In closing, I want to express gratitude to our clients for your trust, confidence and continued partnership.

Sincerely,

Photo of Martin Gerber
Martin Gerber
President & Chief Investment Officer

Our People

Our teams continued to grow in 2023. CC&L welcomed 25 new hires, resulting in a net increase of 18 employees for the year, bringing CC&L’s personnel count to 135. Our business also benefits from the 410 people employed by CC&L Financial Group, supporting business management, operations, marketing and distribution.

Our firm’s stability and specializations remain primary drivers of our business. Key to our success is thorough succession planning and a disciplined approach to career development. Our disciplined annual review process allows us to identify achievements, trends and areas for improvement.

We are pleased to share that several employees were promoted to Principal effective January 1, 2024 in recognition of their important and growing contributions to our firm.

Photo of Chang Ding, Adriana Gelbert, Jeremy Gill, Chris Holley, Richard Hsia, Jason Li, Conrad Ng, Bradley Pick, Diana Prenovost, Dana Russell, Ian Tai, James Wasteneys, Albert Wong, and Yegor Zadniprovskyy.

CC&L’s Board of Directors is pleased to announce that, effective January 1, 2024, the following individuals were promoted to business owners of the firm, in recognition of their leadership and impact in their roles.

Photo of Kathryn Alexander, Lisa Conroy, Jack Ferris, Ted Huang, and Calum Mackenzie.

Fixed Income

Over the past two years, Brian Eby, Portfolio Manager-Macro Strategy, has been executing the final step of his succession plan, working closely with TJ Sutter in a mentorship role, transitioning macro analysis, forecasting and portfolio decisions. After 25 years at CC&L, Brian will be retiring effective June 30, 2024.

Photo of Brian Eby

CC&L is pleased to announce that TJ Sutter has been promoted to Co-Head of the fixed income team. TJ joined CC&L in February 2021, after 10 years with RBC Capital Markets where he was a Director and Regional Head of the Fixed Income, Currencies and Commodities Group. Previously at RBC, TJ had significant responsibility for implementing investment risk strategies as well as leading a team of nine traders and salespeople with oversight of relationships with some of the bank’s largest clients. In his time here at CC&L, TJ has developed a strong track record as macro strategist for the fixed income team. TJ will partner with David George in the Co-Head role for the next two years as David transitions towards his retirement.

The investment record of the fixed income team is a testament to the excellent work that David has done in shaping the team and building out the fixed income team resources during his tenure. He along with the other partners have developed a talented group that will continue to develop and see opportunities to expand their roles over the next two years. David’s support over this period will allow for a seamless transition of roles and responsibilities ensuring that we are able to continue to successfully meet client investment objectives.

Photo of David George  Photo of TJ Sutter

Ted Huang, a quantitative analyst who joined the fixed-income team in 2018 and became a Principal in 2021, was appointed business owner this year. Ted’s combination of strong quantitative skills and practical fixed-income experience has been invaluable in finding unique sources of added value in the bond market.

Fundamental Equity

Brian Milne moved into a role covering the energy sector, replacing Mark Bridges who retired from CC&L effective December 31, 2023. Brian has covered the energy sector for equities and credit for 13 years. He is a business owner and former Senior Credit Analyst covering energy credit for the Fixed Income team, where he collaborated with Mark on the energy sector.

Photo of Brian Milne

Michael McPhillips was appointed Fundamental Equity Research Director effective December 31, 2023, following Mark Bridges’ retirement. Michael is a business owner with more than 10 years of experience and has been a Fundamental Equity team member since 2013.

Photo of Michael McPhillips

The team is focused on developing the next generation of investment leaders and is pleased to announce the appointment of three individuals to business owner:

Lisa Conroy joined the Fundamental Equity Team in 2013 as an analyst covering a number of sectors in the Canadian equity market. Over time, her responsibilities have increasingly focused on supporting CC&L’s clients with insights on portfolio strategy and positioning. In recognition of her impact on the firm as a Product Specialist, Lisa became a Principal in 2022 and a business owner in 2024.

Kathryn Alexander joined the firm in 2017 as a Research Associate focusing on companies in the industrials and diversified financial sectors. She assumed increased responsibilities over time and was promoted to Principal in 2019, before deciding to take a break to start a family. We were excited to welcome her back in 2023 and she has quickly adapted. Her coverage now includes companies in the energy infrastructure, telecommunications and forest products sectors, and she’s also learning the skills to be a lead portfolio manager.

Jack Ferris joined the firm in 2022 as a Research Associate focusing on companies in the materials sector. He became a Principal in 2023. After quickly mastering that sector, his focus expanded to include companies in the consumer staples sector. In addition to researching companies, Jack is learning the skills to be a lead portfolio manager.

Quantitative Equity

Jennifer Drake completed her transition to Co-Head of the Quantitative Equity team effective January 1, 2024. Jenny has assumed primary responsibility for business and team strategy, working alongside Steven Huang, who continues to lead investment strategy.

Photo of Jennifer Drake  Photo of Steven Huang

The team continues to grow, adding people to all sub-teams in 2023, with approximately 10 new staff, bringing the team to 72 members. The plan is to continue investing in leadership resources across sub-teams at a similar pace this year.

Kyle Ingham, lead of the Q Investment Process Management sub-team, transitioned to a strategic role, Head of Investment Management Operations (IMO), effective January 1, 2024. The Q Investment Process Management sub-team is transitioning to a co-leadership model led by Cam MacDonald and Chris Holley.

Client Solutions

The team is adding to its leadership with an eye towards succession for Phillip Cotterill over the next couple of years. Calum Mackenzie joined the firm in July 2023, bringing significant experience from prior leadership roles and is increasingly contributing to the team’s strategic discussions. He became a Principal in 2023 and a business owner this year.

Diana Prenovost joined us in January 2023, working alongside Johanne Bouchard, a Senior Client Relationship Manager, who will be retiring on December 31, 2024, after 18 years at the firm. Diana was promoted to Principal this year and is CC&LIM’s first permanent employee located in our Montreal office.

Photo of Diana-Prenovost  Photo of Johanne Bouchard

Investment Management Operations

As Head of Investment Management Operations, Kyle Ingham is responsible for strategic leadership of investment management operations, reporting directly to the President and CIO. Kyle is a business owner who is providing succession for Lee Damji, and he also manages the Quantitative Equity Investment Process Management sub-team. Lee has been at CCL for 26 years, as Head of CC&LFG’s Information Systems team for 20 years and Managing Director, Operations for 2 years until 2019 when he transferred to CC&LIM to take on this new role. He continues to play an advisory role and provides mentoring for leadership development. His planned retirement date is December 31, 2024.

Photo of Kyle Ingham  Photo of Lee Damji

Responsible Investing

CC&L’s 2023 PRI evaluation scorecard reflects several improvements in our ESG activities. We are now ranked at or above median in all measurement categories.

The ESG Committee completed a review of our ESG practices in 2022 and prioritized several improvement areas. A project plan was developed, including enhancements to ESG training, reporting and engagement capabilities outside of Canada. Work in all of these areas began in 2023 and continues in 2024.

Business Update

Assets Under Management

CC&L’s assets under management (AUM) increased by CAD$10 billion in 2023 to CAD$64 billion as at December 31, 2023. We are pleased to report that our business continued to grow through new client mandates across all investment teams. In 2023, CC&L gained 21 new clients and five additional mandates from existing clients totalling CAD$2.6 billion. The majority of new mandates were for quantitative foreign equity from institutional investors outside of Canada.

By Mandate Type*. Fundamental Equity: 18%. Quantitative Equity: 50%. Fixed Income: 16%. Multi-Strategy: 16%. By Client Type*. Pension: $33,169. Foundations & Endowments: $2,468. Other Institutional: $9,060. Retail: $11,882. Private Client: $7,764. *Total AUM in CAD$ as at December 31, 2023.

Product Updates

We are launching a new Fixed Income Core Plus strategy in 2024 that will include CC&L’s core fixed-income strategy along with allocations to mortgages and emerging market debt managed by affiliated teams within CC&L Financial Group.

The distribution of CC&L’s Quantitative Equity strategies has been augmented with a Collective Investment Trust (CIT) platform in the US for ERISA-regulated pension plans. The Q Emerging Markets Equity CIT launched in January and the Q Global and Q International Equity CIT vehicles are also launching this year.

CC&L’s Ireland-based UCITS Fund platform is also expanding this year with the addition of Q Global Equity and Q Global Equity Small Cap funds.

Final Thoughts

We would like to thank our clients and business partners for their support and look forward to continuing to help you achieve your investment objectives.

Business team investment trading in a monitoring room on desktops with screens showing stock market data.

In May 2024, US and Canadian markets will be moving to T+1 settlement cycle. As we transition to the shorter settlement cycle, we believe it is important for you to be aware of this upcoming change and the preparation CC&L has been making, alongside our industry partners.

Below are answers to common questions to help you understand the upcoming T+1 settlement transition, as well as the work we are doing to prepare for it.

What is T+1 settlement?

T+1 settlement refers to the process where securities transactions are completed one business day after a trade has been executed. Currently, in Canada, the US and Mexico, the standard is to settle these transactions two days after the trade (i.e., T+2).

Which markets are moving to T+1?

The US and Canadian markets are planning to switch to T+1 settlement over the Memorial Day weekend between May 25 and May 28, 2024. Mexico wants to make this change to align with the US, but is waiting for regulatory approval.

Europe and the UK are also looking to compress their securities settlement cycle. The Association for Financial Markets in Europe (AFME) established a T+1 industry taskforce in March 2023 and the UK formed a similar group called the Accelerated Settlement Taskforce in December 2022. However, neither Europe nor the UK has set a date for when they might move to T+1 settlement.

What is the live date for T+1 settlement in Canada and the US?

Canada settlement cycle T+1 transition timeline

Friday
May 24, 2024
Saturday
May 25, 2024
Sunday
May 26, 2024
Monday
May 27, 2024
Tuesday
May 28, 2024
Wednesday
May 29, 2024
Thursday
May 30, 2024
Last T+2 trade date Conversion weekend Conversion weekend First T+1 trade date Double settlement date Trade and settle T+1 Trade and settle T+1
Friday
May 24, 2024
Last T+2 trade date
Saturday
May 25, 2024
Conversion weekend
Sunday
May 26, 2024
Conversion weekend
Monday
May 27, 2024
First T+1 trade date
Tuesday
May 28, 2024
Double settlement date
Wednesday
May 29, 2024
Trade and settle T+1
Thursday
May 30, 2024
Trade and settle T+1

 

US settlement cycle T+1 transition timeline

Friday
May 24, 2024
Saturday
May 25, 2024
Sunday
May 26, 2024
Monday
May 27, 2024
Tuesday
May 28, 2024
Wednesday
May 29, 2024
Thursday
May 30, 2024
Last T+2 trade date Conversion weekend Conversion weekend Markets closed
conversion weekend
First T+1 trade date Double settlement date Trade and settle T+1
Friday
May 24, 2024
Last T+2 trade date
Saturday
May 25, 2024
Conversion weekend
Sunday
May 26, 2024
Conversion weekend
Monday
May 27, 2024
Markets closed
conversion weekend
Tuesday
May 28, 2024
First T+1 trade date
Wednesday
May 29, 2024
Double settlement date
Thursday
May 30, 2024
Trade and settle T+1

 

What are the benefits of T+1 settlement?

Moving to T+1 settlement has several advantages. According to the Securities Exchange Commission (SEC), it makes trading safer by shortening the time between making and settling a trade. This also helps protect investors and makes the trading process more efficient. A faster settlement time can lower credit and counterparty risk and collateral costs and increase market liquidity. It can also help reduce broker-dealer margin and collateral requirements.

What makes the move to T+1 distinct from previous settlement date compressions?

The shift to T+1 settlement is different and more complicated than past changes, such as the move from T+3 to T+2 in 2017, with a more aggressive timeline involving more complex technology and process updates. The previous change was a joint decision by the industry and regulators to make clearing and settlement safer and better coordinate with EU and UK trade lifecycle timelines. The move to T+1 is being driven by specific events and is mandated by the SEC, making it more challenging for market participants.

What are the key challenges in switching to T+1 settlement?

Moving to T+1 settlement brings up several challenges. First, while it reduces risk for those selling securities, it increases the work and potential for error on the buy side because of the compressed settlement timeline. This change means firms need to closely examine how they operate to handle the quicker pace.

Key issues for our firm include:

  • Different settlement times in global markets, which can make coordinating trades more complicated.
  • The timing of currency exchanges that need to happen after securities trades, which can affect when and how trades are settled.
  • Managing the cashflow cycle for pooled funds and segregated clients, which influences when trades can happen and requires changes in how investment teams work.

These challenges means firms must plan carefully to continue trading without issue under the new, quicker settlement timeline.

Which securities will the reduced settlement cycle affect?

The Canadian Capital Markets Association (CCMA) has compiled a list of securities scheduled to transition from the current T+2 settlement cycle to T+1 cycle in 2024. You can access the list at the CCMA’s website at: https://ccma-acmc.ca/en/t1-resources/canadian-t1-asset-list-liste-dactifs-canadiens-t1/.

The Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation (DTCC) also offers information on settlement cycles and related changes on its website at dtcc.com.

Will there be penalties for settling bonds and trades late?

No new penalties will be introduced; however, if registered dealers and advisers fail to meet the trade matching target requirements, they could face consequences. The Bank of Canada is considering charging a fee for any government bond trades that settle outside the prescribed timeframe. This fee would only be introduced after the transition to T+1 is complete, and the impact of the fee is properly assessed.

How is CC&L preparing for T+1 settlement?

In spring 2023, CC&L formed a project team to address the shift to T+1 settlement. This team is divided into four main workstreams focused on identifying and resolving issues and making changes in how trades are managed, covering everything from legal requirements to how trades are funded and settled.

It is also imperative that our peers and industry stakeholders are ready for this change. CC&L has started talking to brokers and custodians to understand their plans for T+1 and to determine what CC&L needs to maintain best execution.

Additionally, CC&L has consulted with technology providers to explore tools that could help with a shorter settlement period.

What are CC&L’s next steps?

As May 2024 approaches, CC&L will continue communicating with industry partners and clients, educating them about the change and working on necessary adjustments to meet the new standard.

Any updates to how CC&L handles transactions will be shared with clients closer to the start date.

If your question wasn’t answered above, please contact us at [email protected].

Image of wind turbines on prairies

Connor, Clark & Lunn Infrastructure (CC&L Infrastructure) is pleased to announce that it has entered into an agreement to acquire a majority stake in the Sharp Hills wind farm (Sharp Hills, or the Project) from EDP Renewables Canada Ltd. (EDPR Canada), a subsidiary of EDP Renewables for an estimated Enterprise Value of approximately C$0.6 billion for an 80% stake and inclusive of investment tax credits. With the addition of this investment, CC&L Infrastructure will own more than 600 megawatts (MW) of wind generation assets and the Firm’s total portfolio of renewable energy projects will exceed 1.8 gigawatts (GW) of clean energy capacity across Canada, the United States, and Chile.

Located in southeastern Alberta, Sharp Hills is one of the largest onshore wind farms in Canada with approximately 300 MW of capacity, representing clean energy generation equivalent to the amount of power used by more than 160,000 Alberta homes. The newly built project recently entered into operations, with remaining construction expected to be completed by Q2 2024. The construction of this facility marked a significant investment in the province, contributing to the local economy through job creation and funding to the community. Sharp Hills is fully contracted through a 15-year power purchase agreement with a high-quality counterparty.

“The Sharp Hills wind farm is an attractive addition to our increasingly diverse portfolio of infrastructure assets. We look forward to working further with our partner, EDPR, in the safe and successful operation of this facility for years to come,” said Matt O’Brien, President of CC&L Infrastructure. “CC&L Infrastructure has a long history and significant expertise as an owner of more than 80 clean energy projects. We are excited to continue expanding our asset base and are actively pursuing further investment opportunities created by the increasing demand for renewable power and the broader energy transition that is underway.”

“We’re excited to partner again with CC&L Infrastructure, this time in Alberta,” added Sandhya Ganapathy, CEO of EDP Renewables North America. “The Sharp Hills project underscores our continuing commitment to invest in Alberta and contribute to its grid resiliency and energy security. We look forward to continued efforts focused on Canada’s energy transition.”

This is CC&L Infrastructure’s second transaction with developer EDPR, having previously acquired a 560 MW portfolio of wind and solar assets in the United States. EDPR will retain a minority equity interest in Sharp Hills and continue to operate and manage the Project. National Bank Financial Inc. advised CC&L Infrastructure as financial advisor and Torys LLP as legal counsel while CIBC Capital Markets served as the financial advisor to EDPR Canada. The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions expected to be satisfied in the coming weeks.

About Connor, Clark & Lunn Infrastructure

CC&L Infrastructure invests in middle-market infrastructure assets with attractive risk-return characteristics, long lives and the potential to generate stable cash flows. To date, CC&L Infrastructure has accumulated over $5 billion in assets under management diversified across a variety of geographies, sectors, and asset types, with over 90 underlying facilities across over 30 individual investments. CC&L Infrastructure is a part of Connor, Clark & Lunn Financial Group Ltd., a multi-boutique asset management firm whose affiliates collectively manage over CAD$118 billion in assets.

For more information, please visit www.cclinfrastructure.com and follow us on LinkedIn.

About EDP Renewables North America

EDP Renewables (Euronext: EDPR) is a global leader in renewable energy development which has built a significant position in the energy landscape, establishing a presence in four global hubs – Europe, North America, South America, and Asia Pacific. With headquarters in Madrid and leading regional offices in Porto, Houston, São Paulo and Singapore, EDPR has a sound development portfolio of top-level assets and market-leading operating capacity in renewable energies. Its business mainly encompasses onshore wind, distributed and large-scale solar, offshore wind (through a 50/50 joint venture – Ocean Winds) and complementary technologies to renewables, such as hybridization, storage and green hydrogen. EDPR is a division of EDP (Euronext: EDP), a leader in the energy transition with a focus on decarbonization. EDP – EDPR’s main shareholder – has been listed on the Dow Jones Index for 16 consecutive years, recently being named the most sustainable electricity company on the Index.

For more information, please visit www.edpr.com/north-america and follow us on LinkedIn.

Contact

Kaitlin Blainey
Director
Connor, Clark & Lunn Infrastructure
(416) 216-8047
[email protected]

Tom Weirich
Lead – Marketing & Stakeholder Relations
EDP Renewables North America (EDPR NA)
(281) 825-2771
[email protected]

Image of car side mirror with view of scenery behind the car.

In 2023, we at Banyan Capital Partners continued our journey of strategic growth, investment and delivering value to our investors.

New to Banyan and recent promotions

Photo of Chris Luongo
Chris Luongo
to Senior Associate
Photo of Gordon Yee
Gordon Yee
to Senior Analyst
Photo of Miranda Li
Miranda Li
to Senior Analyst
Photo of Dominic Mitchell
Dominic Mitchell
has joined as
Director of Finance

These promotions and additions reflect our culture of professional growth and recognizing the contributions of our team members. Our team’s development is integral to our ongoing success and capacity for identifying and nurturing promising investment opportunities and our investment portfolio.

New platform investment

Image of dried flower arrangement.

Second Nature Designs

Founded in 1994, Second Nature is a leading manufacturer and distributor of home décor and gifting products made up of dried florals and other naturally and sustainably sourced botanicals. The company sources materials globally, manufactures its products in Hamilton, Ontario and services a recognizable customer base across North America.

We’ve partnered with Second Nature’s President and founder as well as its management team, to facilitate succession planning and execute on the business’s next phase of growth.

Portfolio spotlight

Image of vitamins

Purity Life

In November 2023, Purity Life completed its acquisition of the assets of Indigo Natural Foods Inc., a leading distributor of natural health products based in Toronto. This transaction deepens Purity Life’s market presence in Ontario and enhances its portfolio with numerous new brands.

Image of bike rack on top of vehicle

Rack Attack

In January 2023, Rack Attack completed the acquisition of Racks Unlimited, a leading provider of vehicle rack solutions with two stores in Calgary, Alberta. This strategic acquisition allowed Rack Attack to expand its footprint in the Western Canadian market.

With the additional opening of four new stores in Kitchener, London, Winnipeg and Philadelphia, the company now has a total of 46 stores across North America.

Innovative Surface Solutions

In April 2023, Innovative was pleased to announce the appointment of David Safran as President & CEO. David was formerly the CEO of the Kissner Group and brings over 15 years of experience in the salt and derivative products industry.

Learn more about our current investment portfolio

Operating Partner Network

Since 2008, Banyan has partnered with the best operators in their industries to successfully buy and build businesses with a long-term ownership focus.

Photo of Andy O'Brien
Andy O’Brien
Operationg Partner
Photo of Jason Grouette
Jason Gouette
Operationg Partner

Andy O’Brien joined Banyan as an Operating Partner in June 2023, targeting investment opportunities in the food service, food retail, consumer products and retail sectors.

This follows the addition of Jason Grouette as an Operating Partner in 2022 to target investment opportunities in the safety and industrial B2B space.

Learn more about our Operating Partner Network

Looking ahead

Banyan is poised for further growth and expansion as we move into 2024. Our focus remains on identifying new investments in middle-market businesses across North America while maintaining our commitment to long-term value creation. We will continue to leverage our expertise and network to foster strategic partnerships, ensuring sustainable success for our portfolio companies and investors.

New investments

We continue to actively seek to invest in businesses with EBITDA of at least $5 million.

Do you have an opportunity in mind? Explore our investment criteria or connect with us today.

Photo of Sabrina Lacroix

 

As Chief Compliance Officer, Sabrina Lacroix builds on the strong foundation established during her tenure as Senior Compliance Manager. She brings a deep understanding of regulatory frameworks and a commitment to maintaining stringent compliance standards.

We look forward to her ongoing impact at Global Alpha.

Image of Arthur Erikson Place

Crestpoint Real Estate Investments Ltd. (in joint venture with Vestcor Inc.) KingSett and Reliance Properties Ltd., announced today that the iconic building, Arthur Erickson Place in Vancouver, BC has received the Canada Green Building Council’s (CAGBC’s) Zero Carbon Building – Performance Standard™ certification.

Photo of floral arrangement from Second Nature Designs

Banyan Capital Partners (“Banyan”), a leading Canadian middle-market private equity firm, is pleased to announce its acquisition of Second Nature Designs Limited (“Second Nature” or the “Company”). Second Nature marks Banyan’s second platform investment through Banyan Committed Capital LP, an evergreen investment vehicle established in December 2021.

Founded in 1994, Second Nature is a manufacturer and distributor of home décor and gifting products made up of dried florals and other naturally and sustainably sourced botanicals. The Company sources materials globally and manufactures its products in Hamilton, Ontario. The Company services a recognizable customer base across Canada and the United States.

Banyan is partnering with the Company’s President and founder, Steve Koning, who has served in this role since 1994.  Along with the management team, he will retain a minority ownership in the Company.

“Banyan’s long-term investment philosophy aligns with the objectives of my team to continue to grow our business throughout North America,” said Steve Koning. “We look forward to working with a partner that shares our strategic vision and values.”

“Since founding Second Nature in 1994, Steve and his team have built a remarkable business centred on delivering exceptional products and service to customers. This investment allows Banyan to partner with an impressive team to embark on the next chapter of growth for the business,” said Simon Gélinas, Managing Director and Partner at Banyan.

About Second Nature Designs

Founded in 1994, Second Nature imports dried florals and other naturally and sustainably sourced botanicals used in design bouquets, bowl filler collections and other home décor products, serving big box stores, grocery banners, wholesalers and independent home retailers across both Canada and the US with high-quality and sustainable products.

About Banyan Capital Partners

Founded in 1998 and under current management since 2008, Banyan Capital Partners is a Canadian-based private equity firm that makes equity investments in middle-market businesses throughout North America. Through a long-term investment approach, Banyan has developed into one of Canada’s leading middle-market private equity firms with an established track record of success in providing full or partial liquidity to founders, families and entrepreneurs and helping them take their business to the next level.

Banyan is part of Connor, Clark & Lunn Financial Group Ltd., an independently owned multi-boutique asset management firm whose affiliates are collectively responsible for over $110 billion in assets under management on behalf of institutional, private and retail clients.

Canada Life Investment Management

Canada Life Investment Management, a leader in financial services, is committed to partnering with investment managers to enhance its wealth management offerings. We at CC&L Investment Management are excited to announce our collaboration as a new subadvisor for Canada Life’s wealth products.

Shop assistant using barcode reader, customer is reaching for product.

Banyan is pleased to share that Purity Life Health Products LP has completed its acquisition of the assets of Indigo Natural Foods Inc., a leading distributor of natural health products based in Toronto. This transaction broadens Purity Life’s distribution network and enhances its portfolio with numerous new brands.  

To facilitate a smooth transition for Indigo’s customers and vendor partners, two key members of its team are joining Purity Life.  

This acquisition builds on Purity Life’s strategy of growing both organically and through M&A and will strengthen Purity Life’s offering to all of its stakeholders and allow it to continue to service customers and vendors with the highest possible quality. 

Sain Godil, a previous recipient of a scholarship, and Global Alpha have established $30,000 bursaries to support women studying finance at Concordia’s John Molson School of Business, with the goal of increasing diversity in the finance profession and helping to break down gender barriers.