Clippard joined Circle Peak in June 2005 after spending five years in financial services. He was formerly a vice president of equity derivatives at Bear, Wagner Specialists, a subsidiary of Bear Stearns Companies, and an analyst at Spear, Leeds, and Kellogg (SLK), a subsidiary of Goldman Sachs. Since joining Circle Peak as an associate in 2005, Clippard has worked on multiple transactions, supports all investment areas of the firm, and is involved in new deal generation, deal flow management, and ongoing portfolio management. Clippard serves on the board of directors for Fischbein LLC and is a board observer for WealthTrust, LLC and Luxury Optical Holdings, Co. He received an MBA from the University of Pennsylvania Wharton School of Business with a degree in finance. In addition, he earned a B.S. in Economics at Cornell University and attended the London School of Economics.

Forusz joined Circle Peak as a senior associate in June 2005, and previously worked in banking at Provident Bank and in private equity at the Walnut Group. As an associate vice president at Provident Bank, he worked in structured finance, underwriting debt and equity for cash flow and asset backed facilities in support of middle market mergers, acquisitions, refinancing and business development projects. At the Walnut Group, a middle market private equity firm, Forusz was a senior analyst responsible for managing deal flow, analyzing and structuring transactions, and monitoring performance of the firm’s investments, which were concentrated in the consumer products and business services industries. Forusz received his MBA in June 2005 from the University of Chicago, Graduate School of Business, and earned his BBA in Finance from the University of Cincinnati, graduating Summa Cum Laude as Valedictorian. Forusz is a board observer for Rocket Dog Brands LLC, Shari’s Management Corp., and Hill & Valley, Inc.

“Jim and Holbrook have both played a key role in Circle Peak’s recent growth and record of accomplishments in 2007. Their contributions were significant in our latest acquisitions, and their collective consumer experience across private equity and operations have strengthened our position in the small- to mid-market consumer marketplace,” said President and CEO R. Adam Smith.

Circle Peak Capital is a private equity firm based in New York that focuses on making control-stake investments in lower-middle market and middle market companies that operate in the consumer, industrial, and financial services sectors. Circle Peak Capital’s (“CPC”) sole focus is to create shareholder value by building leading national brands and sustainable competitive advantages in partnership with management. CPC’s principals have decades of experience in acquiring, managing, and expanding companies with $100 million to $1 billion in sales. CPC’s current portfolio represents more than $400 million in revenues, more than $60 million in EBITDA, and $200 million in equity invested.