Welsh, Carson, Anderson & Stowe (WCAS), also referred to as Welsh Carson, is a private equity firm. WCAS was formed in 1979 and focuses on investing the industries of technology and healthcare, primarily in the United States. WCAS has a current portfolio of approximately 30 companies and has organized 17 limited partnerships with total capital of over $27 billion, consisting of 13 equity partnerships and four subordinated debt partnerships. WCAS is currently investing equity funds, including WCAS XII, L.P. and WCAS XIII, L.P.[1]
WCAS has approximately 90 employees,[2] including 15 general partners. The firm also has a Resources Group, which is composed of approximately 20 operating partners. The Resources Group assists the firm's portfolio companies by identifying and implementing initiatives focused on growth and operational improvement. The Resources Group works with the firm's investment professionals and portfolio company management teams to develop value maximization plans ("VMPs") for each new investment. These VMPs are unique for each portfolio company and encompass a wide range of strategic initiatives, including revenue enhancement and cost management strategies, corporate governance, motivation of key management team members, financial reporting dashboards, as well as potential acquisitions and integration timelines.
History
WCAS was formed in 1979 by three founders, Patrick Welsh, Russell Carson, and Bruce Anderson. Patrick Welsh and Russ Carson had previously served as president and Chairman of Citicorp Venture Capital. Bruce Anderson was formerly Executive Vice President of Automatic Data Processing. WCAS was originally a venture capital firm, and WCAS's first Equity Partnership totaled $33 million in commitments. In 1979, Richard Stowe joined WCAS as a General Partner, having worked previously at New Court Securities Corporation, now Rothschild Inc.
WCAS has been in business for over four decades, having raised over US$27 billion of capital as of 2019 in 13 equity partnerships and four subordinated debt partnerships.[1] Of the total capital raised, US$8 billion has been devoted to the healthcare sector.[3] WCAS has 15 General Partners, who work in New York and San Francisco offices.
In 2018, WCAS was fined by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) for a conflict of interest involving receipt of professional services fees between 2012 and 2016.[4]
Also in 2018, WCAS began development of a government services platform.[5]
Leadership
As of 2019[update], Anthony (Tony) de Nicola is the President and a Managing Partner of WCAS,[6][7] and serves as a member of the Management Committee. He focuses on the information/business and communications industry.[6]de Nicola joined WCAS in 1994, becoming a General Partner the same year, after working in the Mergers and Acquisitions Department of Goldman Sachs.[6] He received an MBA from Harvard Business School in 1990.[6][8]
In addition to de Nicola, the other Managing Partner of the firm is D. Scott Mackesy,[7][9] also a member of the firm's Management Committee. Mackesy co-leads the firm's healthcare practice.[3][9] Mackesy received a BBA from The College of William & Mary in 1991 and joined WCAS in 1998, becoming a General Partner in 2001.[3][9]
Portfolio investments
There are 40 current or former public companies in WCAS's two core industries that can trace their roots to the firm. The combined market capitalization of these companies exceeds $100 billion.
Avetta—WCAS acquired a majority stake in the firm from Northwest Venture Partners in 2018.[11] Northwest retained a minority stake, and TCV at the same time acquired a minority stake.[11] Avetta is a risk management software vendor based in Irvine, California.[11]
General Computer Corporation—Company based in Twinsburg, Ohio producing health care computer systems, acquired by GenCC, a WACS fully owned subsidiary, in 1994.[13] The initial action in 1994 was the purchase of a sub-majority stake which would be followed by full acquisition through purchase of all outstanding shares.[13] General Computer had been traded on the NASDAQ exchange under ticker symbol GCCC, but the 1994 sale took the company private.[13]
GlobalCollect
Global Knowledge Network
Green Street Advisors – research, data and analytics company acquired from Golden Gate Capital in July 2019 for an undisclosed amount.[14]
JCPenney Business Services—In 1996, WACS acquired this subsidiary of J. C. Penney which provided credit services and electronic network transaction processing.[15]
Paycom—As of 2014, WCAS held a majority stake in the firm's outstanding stock.[16] The company's decision to go public was in part to raise funds to repay loans provided by WCAS.[16]
Windstream Yellow Pages—In 2006, Windstream spun out its directory publishing unit and arranged for its sale to WCAS, which completed in 2007.[18]
Former holdings in technology
Amdocs—WCAS at one time held as much as 35% of this firm.[19] As of September 2003, WCAS had completed distributing all holdings in the firm to its partners, leaving it with no direct holdings.[19]
Bridge Information Systems—This company was acquired in 1995, after which the unit purchased a number of other companies, ultimately filing for bankruptcy in 2001, leading to the sale of its units to several entities, including Reuters.[20]
Windstream—In 2006, WCAS sold its 4.1% stake in this telecommunications company back to the company as part of its acquisition of Windstream Yellow Pages.[18]
Kindred Healthcare —As part of a consortium including Humana and TPG Capital, WCAS acquired the company in 2018.[21] The acquisition included Kindred's long term acute care hospitals, inpatient rehabilitation facilities and contract rehabilitation services, but did not include other parts of Kindred collectively referred to as Kindred at Home.[21]
U.S. Acute Care Solutions—launched by WCAS in 2015 as capital partner, in collaboration with Emergency Medicine Physicians, an Ohio-based concern.[3][23] U.S. Acute Care Solutions acquired Ergentus Emergency Service Physicians of Denver in July 2016.[3] Solutions had previously acquired Emergency Physicians at Porter Hospitals in Denver, Colorado; APEX Emergency Group in Colorado; MEP Health in Maryland; and Tampa Bay Emergency Physicians in Florida.[3] Solutions is majority owned by the physicians of the concern.[3]
U.S. Anesthesia Partners aka USAP—WCAS became a major backer of this Fort Lauderdale, Florida-based concern in 2013.[3] Partners acquired in July 2016 East Texas Anesthesiology Associates, aka ETAA, of Tyler, Texas, which president is Dr. Shawn Thomas.[3]
US Oncology
US Radiology Specialists
Valeritas
Westminster Healthcare
Investment funds
In July 2019, WCAS closed its 13th fund at $4.3 billion. Investors in the fund include the California State Teachers' Retirement System, the Minnesota State Board of Investment and the Board of Education Retirement System of the City of New York.[2] Since its founding in 1979, WCAS has raised thirteen private equity funds and four mezzanine capital funds:[1]
^ abcBeltran, Luisa (March 21, 2018). "Welsh, Carson, Anderson & Stowe, TCV buy Avetta". The PE Hub Network (This is a news piece derived from a press release; the press release appears below the referenced piece, but was not consulted.). New York City: Buyouts Insider. Retrieved April 27, 2019.
^"Welsh Carson Anderson & Stowe". Cooley LLP. September 1, 2016. Retrieved April 27, 2019. Advised Welsh Carson Anderson & Stowe in its acquisition of Clearwater Analytics.
^ abcAdams, David (December 7, 1994). "General Computer bought out". Akron Beacon Journal. Vol. 156, no. 237. Akron, Ohio: Knight Ridder. p. B8. Retrieved April 28, 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
^ abBailey, Brianna (March 12, 2014). "Paycom: Proceeds will repay debts". The Oklahoman. Vol. 123, no. 66. Oklahoma City, Oklahoma: The Oklahoma Publishing Company. p. 4C. Retrieved April 28, 2019.
^Billings, Claire (October 16, 2001). "Slowdown expected to hit Reuters results". Campaign US. New York City: Haymarket Media Group. Retrieved April 28, 2019. Reuters completed the acquisition of some of rival system Bridge Information Systems at a cost of £254m on October 1.
^"Welsh, Carson, Anderson & Stowe". Partners. US Acute Care Solutions. Retrieved April 27, 2019. In October 2015, Welsh, Carson, Anderson and Stowe (WCAS) joined in partnership with Emergency Medicine Physicians (EMP) to form US Acute Care Solutions (USACS).
