Middle market PE firm Sentinel Capital Partners has acquired consumer home show organizer Marketplace Events. Terms were not disclosed. Marketplace Events of Solon, Ohio, is the largest operator of consumer home improvement and gardening shows in North America. The company has 44 North American events with a combined 14,000 exhibitors and 1.5 million consumers. The target also has 1.5 million unique web visitors per year. Sentinel partner Michael Fabian expects the home and garden show business to benefit from growth predicted for home remodeling and repairs in coming years. For more on trends in remodeling, see Construction Zone Boosts M&A Activity. New York-based Sentinel has been busy with deals. Recently, the firm bought marketing training company Corporate Visions; auto parts maker Driven Performance Brands; restaurant operator Fazoli’s Group; and Total Military Management, which provides relocation services to U.S. military and government personnel. Sentinel has also completed six exits in the past year: from Hospice Advantage, a provider of end-of-life care to patients in their homes; IEP Technologies, a distributor of industrial explosion protection services; dental office support services company Northeast Dental Management; North American Rescue, which supplies life-saving equipment to the U.S. military; yarn maker Spinrite; and auto parts supplier Vintage Parts. Sentinel Capital invests in businesses that have up to $65 million in Ebitda across the aerospace and defense, business services, consumer, distribution, food and restaurants, healthcare and industrial sectors.
