Kilmer Group

Kilmer Group is a multi-generational platform for business development and investment based in Toronto, Canada. The firm operates as a family-owned and professionally managed holding company, focusing its investments across three primary verticals: Private Equity, Infrastructure & Real Estate, and Sports & Media. Kilmer Group emphasizes a long-term investment horizon, partnering with management teams to foster sustainable growth both organically and through acquisitions, and is known for its operational expertise and relationship-driven approach.

The firm's roots trace back to the 1950s when the Tanenbaum family acquired Kilmer Van Nostrand (KVN). Over the decades, KVN diversified from construction and ready-mixed concrete into major civil works, including subway systems in Toronto, Atlanta, and Caracas. The 1970s saw the acquisition of Warren Paving and Materials Group, which grew into a national asphalt and aggregates platform. Kilmer Group formalized its equity investing through Kilmer Capital Partners in the 1990s, notably leading the initiative to acquire the Toronto Raptors and Air Canada Centre, creating Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment.

Kilmer Group's portfolio spans a wide array of industries. Notable investments and developments include significant stakes in sports franchises like the Toronto Maple Leafs and Toronto Raptors, as well as the acquisition of the Toronto Argonauts. In the infrastructure and real estate sectors, the firm has been involved in major projects such as the Pan Am Village (Canary District), Billy Bishop Airport, and various residential developments, surpassing 10,000 homes completed or in progress. Their private equity investments have included companies in pharmaceutical services (Altasciences), business process outsourcing (Atelka), and consumer goods (Give & Go, Coca-Cola Bottling).

The team at Kilmer Group brings extensive experience in operating and investing across diverse industries. Key leadership includes Lawrence Tanenbaum, OC, Chairman & CEO of Kilmer Van Nostrand Co. Limited, and Kenneth M. Tanenbaum, Vice Chair. The firm's investment philosophy, particularly its shift to a fund-less model, underscores its commitment to longer hold periods and a focus on being a long-term owner in well-established businesses with strong cash flows across North America.