Appalachian Capital

Appalachian Capital (AppCap) is a private investment firm dedicated to managing the assets of select families and individuals. The firm focuses on establishing long-term investment partnerships, encompassing minority, majority, and buyout scenarios. AppCap demonstrates a particular interest in what it describes as "boring" companies, characterized by stable client bases, recurring revenue opportunities, and/or fragmented industries. Their investment approach often involves highly scalable opportunities, such as "buy and build" strategies, frequently targeting multi-unit or multi-location businesses with a services or consumer goods focus. The firm's permanent capital base provides the flexibility to hold and develop these opportunities over extended periods, distinguishing it from funds with limited time horizons. Geographically, Appalachian Capital concentrates on opportunities within the greater Appalachia region, spanning from western New York to South Carolina. The firm typically considers platform investments with EBITDA between $3 million and $25 million, revenue between $10 million and $100 million, and enterprise values ranging from $8 million to $200 million.

Appalachian Capital was founded in 2013 by Jason Allevato. Mr. Allevato brings over a decade of experience in private equity investing and portfolio management to the firm. Prior to establishing AppCap, he was a member of the investment team at Olympus Partners, an operationally-oriented private equity firm, and also worked at McKinsey & Company, a management consulting firm. His career began at Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz and as an Economist with the United States Department of Commerce, Bureau of Economic Analysis. The firm's institutional values are deeply rooted in its Appalachian heritage, emphasizing hard work (grit), integrity, and mutual respect.

Appalachian Capital's portfolio includes investments in companies such as Anytime Fitness and Comfort Keepers, reflecting its focus on consumer services and multi-unit operations. The firm has also been involved as a co-investor in the formation of Fairwood Brands, a group of landscaping companies. AppCap targets a diverse range of industries including Consumer & Retail, Healthcare / Fitness / Wellness, Business Services, Distribution / Logistics, Restaurants / Food & Bev, and Franchises. Transaction types include partnering with small business founders/owners for growth or liquidity, management-led buyouts, corporate divestitures, recapitalizations, going-private transactions, growth capital infusions, mezzanine debt, and other special situations.

The firm's leadership, primarily Jason Allevato, possesses extensive expertise across various sectors including industrial, business services, consumer services, restaurant, energy services, and healthcare & wellness. Appalachian Capital positions itself uniquely in the investment landscape, combining the hands-on involvement and flexibility typically associated with a search fund with the substantial capital access and deep experience characteristic of larger private equity firms. This blend allows them to be creative problem-solvers and wise deployers of capital, focused on growth and forward-looking strategies with high ethical standards.