Kainos Capital, a food and consumer-focused firm based in Dallas, has acquired Patten Seed Holdings (dba Super-Sod) from Heartwood Partners III, LP and affiliates. Super-Sod is an innovative provider of sod, seed, soil, and other landscaping solutions across the southern U.S. through a vertically integrated network of farms, retail stores, and an ecommerce platform.
Headquartered in Lakeland, Georgia, with offices in Charleston, South Carolina, Super-Sod’s omnichannel approach and reputation for product quality and innovation have made it a trusted brand for professional landscapers and homeowners throughout the region, Kainos said.
“Ben and his management team have built a differentiated platform in the landscaping solutions industry,” said Kainos Capital Partner Jeff Moredock.
“Given our experience creating strategic value with similar business models, we believe Kainos, as a result of our industry relationships, operating capabilities and capital base, is well-suited to help management quickly expand Super-Sod’s leadership position through attractive add-on acquisitions, product innovation, geographic expansion, and new retail distribution,” Moredock added in a statement.
Super-Sod has grown through five acquisitions
Heartwood Partners and Super-Sod have working with a deliberate strategy to expand Super-Sod’s team, improve the company’s operational and technology capabilities, and expand its geographic footprint. The companies said they targeted investments in automation, production capacity, enterprise software, digital marketing, and eCommerce solutions. During this time, Super-Sod expanded its geographic reach through five acquisitions across Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia, and Texas.
“Heartwood Partners has been a great partner to Super-Sod throughout this journey,” Super-Sod CEO Ben Copeland said in a statement. “They believed in our team and invested their resources and support behind us. Together, we built a much larger, technologically advanced, and geographically diverse organization, and I’m proud of what we accomplished together”
“We’re excited for our next stage of growth with Kainos Capital, [which] has a focus on helping businesses like ours scale aggressively through organic initiatives as well as complementary acquisitions,” Copeland added.
Growing now and in the future
Connecticut-based Heartwood Partners’ leaders are optimistic about the future of Super-Sod.
James Sidwa, managing partner at Heartwood Partners, commented, “This successful exit reflects the strength of Super-Sod’s brand, the dedication of its employees, and the management team’s focused execution of its long-term strategic plan.”
Andrea Nelson, Managing Director, Heartwood Partners, agreed.
“We’re thrilled to have partnered with the team at Super-Sod to expand the company’s industry-leading business model across the Southern U.S. through organic growth and add-on acquisitions,” Nelson said. “We’re proud of the company’s market leadership and innovation and look forward to its continued success with Kainos Capital as its next partner.”
Dallas-based Kainos Capital, which has more than $3 billion invested in more than 45 transactions, is joined in its investment by Partners Capital who served as lead co-investor for the transaction. Baird served as financial advisor and Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP served as legal advisor to Kainos Capital.
Peter Schnuck, VP at Kainos Capital, said Super-Sod “has built a trusted brand in the landscaping solutions industry by delivering a seamless customer experience for both landscapers and homeowners. We’re excited to partner with Super-Sod’s exceptional management team as they expand the company’s product and service offerings to meet more of its customers’ needs.”
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