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Find more information on the issues deeply affected by private equity investments:
Following Recent Acquisitions, Private Equity Firm Apollo Ranks Among Largest US Employers
In the last year and a half, Apollo Global Management has almost doubled the total number of employees at companies it owns, growing from about 290,000 employees to over 550,000. In May 2020, Apollo was the lead investor in a…
Cheesecake Factory Workers Bring Message about Roark Capital to Investor
“We are asking for Cheesecake factory to invest in us – before you invest in them” The private equity firm Roark Capital was able to make a $257 million profit (from April 2020 to July 2021) from their partial ownership…
Report: Roark Capital’s Booming Wage Theft Risk
The Private Equity Stakeholder Project has published a report documenting rampant wage theft at fast food companies owned by Atlanta-based private equity firm Roark Capital Partners, such as Dunkin’ Donuts, Jimmy John’s, Sonic Drive-Ins, and others. Roark Capital specializes…
The Guardian: After Opengate Capital acquired Hufcor, a Wisconsin company that ‘treated people like they were family’, it announced plans to move 166 jobs to Mexico
The Guardian exposed how things deteriorated soon after OpenGate Capital acquired Hufcor, a family-owned company founded in Janesville 120 years ago. Workers told reporter Steve Greenhouse, “They basically told us ‘We don’t want to get to know you.’” In late…
PESP and AFR Report, July 2021: OpenGate Capital: Vulture Capitalism in Action
OpenGate Capital is a Los Angeles-based private equity firm with $1.1 billion in assets. In a span of less than four years, OpenGate Capital ran at least five companies out of business, putting more than 1,300 U.S. workers out of…
Refresco Workers Win Their Union — Vote by an Even Wider Margin to Join UE
The private equity firm KKR recently acquired a majority stake in Refresco, the world’s largest independent bottling company. Refresco produces beverages such as BodyArmor Sports Drink for Coca-Cola, Gatorade for Pepsi, Arizona Iced Tea, and Tropicana juices.
Garment Workers Win Concessions from Apollo Management’s Tegra amid Layoffs
Garment workers in Nicaragua and Honduras went on strike to fight back against layoffs due to factory closures. These factories are owned by Tegra, which is owned by the private equity firm Apollo Global Management. Sourcing Journal, June 7, 2021:…
Articles Highlight Roark Capital-Owned Fast Food Chains’ Struggle to Find Workers
Roark Capital is an Atlanta-based private equity firm that specializes in buying and running franchise businesses, especially within the food and restaurant industry. There have been a number of recent news stories about restaurants and fast-food chains struggling to…
Buyouts: LACERS Commits to Roark Fund Despite Board Member Concerns: “How and When Are They Planning to Make Change?”
Private equity firm Roark Capital owns a number of fast food chains like Dunkin Donuts, Jimmy John’s, Sonic, Arby’s, and Buffalo Wild Wings. Roark’s portfolio companies and their franchisees employ almost a million workers. A report last year from…
Roark Capital-owned Dunkin’ Runs on Poverty Wages and Wage Theft
In December 2020, the Roark Capital-owned company Inspire Brands acquired Dunkin’ Brands for $11.3. billon. Dunkin’ Brands operates Dunkin’ Donuts and Baskin Robbins. Dunkin’ Donuts, the second largest coffee chain in the U.S. behind Starbucks, has a long record of…