We always assume an active role in helping corporate management to devise an overall strategy and formulate the business’ long-term goals—regardless of whether our investment is a majority interest or a significant minority interest.

We establish and maintain strong relationships with key members of management teams, working closely with them to enhance the company’s ability to take advantage of growth opportunities. Most of Hampshire’s investments are in entrepreneurial companies that have operated with very lean corporate structures. Hampshire helps these companies build an organizational infrastructure that can capitalize on internal growth opportunities and external acquisition options while maintaining their entrepreneurial nature.

Our partners also exercise their influence on corporate affairs through active board participation, but we do not involve ourselves in day-to-day operations because we believe managers must have the authority to execute their plans. This respect for management is also reflected in our belief that management should directly participate in the equity value they create. As a result, we structure significant performance-based incentive packages for our management teams.

Hampshire Equity Partners provides its companies with patient capital. Our target holding period for any particular investment is designed to be long enough to create substantial additional value, at which point we will seek liquidity through a public or private exit.

We understand the importance of an appropriate capital structure, and we’re able to supply an entire range of financing resources. We directly provide equity capital and arrange the senior and junior financing required to fund a company’s business plan, often through banks and institutional investors that are Hampshire’s limited partners. We are convinced that an appropriate capital structure allows management to execute its business plan and not worry about its balance sheet.