OKLAHOMA CITY--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Acorn Growth Companies, a private equity firm investing exclusively in aerospace, defense and intelligence, announced today the opening of its London office. The new location will support the expansion of business in Europe. Henry Gregson has been named a partner of the firm and will lead the new location. In his role, Gregson will focus on identifying and managing direct investment opportunities and transactions in the European market.
“We are very pleased Henry has joined our expanding firm as a partner to lead our efforts in the highly attractive European market,” said Rick Nagel, Managing Partner of Acorn Growth Companies. “Henry brings tremendous experience in private equity, delivering outstanding results for investors. As an investor in our London-based business Aerospheres we have had the opportunity to work with Henry over the past three years and look forward to his role in growing our portfolio of aerospace, defense and intelligence-focused companies in Europe.”
Gregson has spent 29 years in private equity during which he has made 25 investments, managed 29 investments, invested £881 million of equity, and achieved an average money multiple for investors of 3.1x.
Gregson is the founder of GR Investment Partners, a firm that focuses on investing its own and third-party money into U.K. and European mid-market private equity transactions with enterprise values ranging from €5 million to €200 million.
Prior to founding GR Investment Partners, Henry was managing director in the London office of HIG European Capital Partners, a mid-market European private equity investor; a partner at Pamplona Capital, a €1.3 billion fund based in London. He also spent several years at the private equity arm of Royal Bank of Scotland, where he led several successful transactions.
Gregson earned an MBA from Harvard Graduate School of Business Administration and a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from the University of Bristol.
Acorn Growth Companies is a middle market private equity firm focused exclusively on Aerospace & Defense. Acorn invests solely in operating companies that strive to enhance global mobility and protect national interests. Acorn has a formidable reputation in the industry and is recognized for its deep understanding of the Aerospace & Defense markets, with proprietary access to the best companies within these sectors. With operational expertise and its ability to lead and manage investments through variable economic and industry cycles, Acorn works in tandem with management to build its portfolio companies into significant market leaders. AcornGrowthCompanies.com