Barings Supports Zabel’s New Platform Investment in Golden Ceramic Dental Lab

Latest transaction brings Barings’ Global Private Finance year-to-date deployment activity to approximately $5.4 billion across 114 deals

CHARLOTTE, N.C.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Barings, one of the world’s leading investment managers, today announced that it has served as lead agent, sole lender, and minority equity investor to provide financing support for The Zabel Companies’ (“Zabel”) purchase of Golden Ceramic Dental Lab (“GCDL” or “the Company”). Based in Prospect Heights, IL, GCDL is a leading full-service dental laboratory specializing in implants, removables, crowns and bridges, orthodontics, digital dentures, clear aligners, and sleep solutions.

“Barings is very pleased to have made our second investment with The Zabel Companies and appreciates the opportunity to start a great partnership as both a debt investor and equity co-investor to GCDL,” said Scott Chappell, Managing Director in Barings’ Global Private Finance Group. “With comprehensive product offerings and best-in-class customer service, GCDL provides important resources to its customers across the dental industry. We are confident Zabel’s significant experience supporting founder owned businesses develop and execute upon a well-defined strategy will position the Company for accelerated growth.”

“GCDL’s commitment to quality, industry-leading turnaround times, and dedicated customer service, coupled with their technology-driven approach and ambitious team, made this partnership a natural fit,” said Rich Jones, Partner at The Zabel Companies. “We appreciate the financing support, flexibility, and partnership we received from Barings throughout the acquisition process, and we look forward to their continued support as the business scales.”

This transaction expands Barings’ $33.01 billion* Global Private Finance platform, which leverages a deep bench of more than 80 investment professionals ​and a 30-year track record of providing financing solutions to sponsors while seeking to generate attractive ​risk-adjusted returns for investors.

About Barings

Barings is a $431+ billion* global asset management firm that partners with institutional, insurance, and intermediary clients, and supports leading businesses with flexible financing solutions. The firm, a subsidiary of MassMutual, seeks to deliver excess returns by leveraging its global scale and capabilities across public and private markets in fixed income, real assets and capital solutions.

*As of September 30, 2024

About Golden Ceramic Dental Lab

Based in Prospect Heights, GCDL is a full-service dental laboratory that manufactures custom dental prosthetics for dental support organizations, group practices, and independent dentists nationwide. GCDL offers a diverse product line such as implants, removables, crowns and bridges, orthodontics, digital dentures, clear aligners, and sleep solutions among other products. The Company’s website can be found at https://www.gcdl.net/.

About The Zabel Companies

Based in Charlotte, NC, The Zabel Companies is an investment firm dedicated to partnering with management teams to invest in privately held companies over the long term within the niche manufacturing, value-added distribution, and outsourced business services sectors. Zabel brings a patient and flexible approach to investing in and growing high quality businesses. Whether through a buyout, recapitalization, or injection of growth capital, Zabel’s strategy is to work closely with management teams to grow businesses and build value for all parties involved.