CoBe Capital, a global private investment firm with a permanent capital base, delivers M&A solutions to meet the specific needs of corporate sellers looking to divest non-core and underperforming business units.

Everyday Basics

CoBe Capital owns and operates a diversified portfolio of companies that design, manufacture and market innovative products and services.

• Office supplies and data center services that keep businesses operating.
• Aftermarket automotive parts that keep school buses on the road.
• Aluminum tube and hose assemblies that keep car air conditioners cool.
• Solutions for MRO operators that repair rigid and flexible hydraulic lines and fittings.

Established in 1994 by Neal Cohen, CoBe Capital is a dynamic and nimble private equity fund with corporate headquarters in New York City. Building upon earlier successes and the bedrock of a portfolio of companies delivering solid financial results, we seek to expand our existing portfolio of operating companies with the intent of growing our businesses for the long term.

Tailored Divestiture Solutions for Corporate Sellers

We specialize in meeting the unique needs of corporate parents to successfully complete divestitures of non-core assets or underperforming businesses, divisions or product lines that no longer fit the corporate parent’s strategy. Our expertise is attuned to quickly and confidentially extracting a non-core division from its parent with minimal disruption.

In-House Resources

Having brought business development, M&A, transition, legal, real estate, finance and operations in-house, CoBe Capital is able to complete transactions swiftly and seamlessly, and deliver unique solutions to complex issues. Additionally, our permanent capital base means we can do deals without financial contingencies, and hold our investments for the long term.

Cross-border Transactions

We specialize in cross-border transactions, often focusing on divestiture projects where corporations have a limited presence. CoBe Capital maintains acquisition teams in both the U.S. and Europe. Darren McKenzie Chaffee, based in our New York City headquarters, oversees all of our transactions and leads all North American transactions directly. European acquisitions are led by our Managing Director based in Paris, France, Thomas Kermorgant, and leverages our European Advisor team for insight on opportunities, recruiting talent and managing deals with cultural proficiency.

Re-Vitalizing a Business to Create Long-Term Value

To create long-term value at our portfolio companies, we focus on two key ingredients that have been the basis of our success to date: (1) our M&A team always includes an industry specialist that ensures we implement achievable operating strategies and (2) a business culture that embraces lean and continuous improvement business philosophies.

While other private equity players focus on financial engineering and rely on the advice of consultants, we are evaluating a company, developing our investment thesis and building a business plan based on the insight and leadership from our industry specialists. The difference is that our process is very similar to that of a strategic buyer as opposed to an equity sponsor.

The guiding operating philosophy we implement at all of our portfolio companies -- lean management and continuous improvement -- allows us to shift the expectations, measures, performance and culture of our companies. In short, these tools help translate our business plans into a guide to measure how well we execute everyday activities and create options for doing even better.