Gridiron Capital Partners With Colibri Group
New Canaan, CT, May 2, 2019 – Gridiron Capital, LLC (“Gridiron Capital”) is pleased to announce an investment in Colibri Group (“Colibri” or the “Company”), a leading national provider of online learning solutions for licensed professionals operating in regulated end markets.
Headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri, Colibri Group operates a family of brands dedicated to serving licensed professionals as they progress through their careers in healthcare, financial services and real estate. Through primarily online channels, the Company offers seamless education solutions focused on qualifying licensure, continuing education and career lifecycle management. Since 1989, Colibri Group has been at the forefront of education for licensed professionals with numerous leading brands, including Securities Training Corporation, Elite Learning, Western Schools, Advance Healthcare Network, Real Estate Express, Allied Schools, McKissock Learning, The Institute for Luxury Home Marketing, and Superior School of Real Estate.
“We are enthusiastic about our new partnership and look forward to achieving further success with Gridiron Capital. The combination of the culture, systems and business model we have built with Gridiron’s experience scaling direct-to-consumer and B2B brands will help us achieve our shared strategic vision for the Company,” stated Mike Duran, CEO of Colibri. “We believe there are significant expansion opportunities, both organically and through acquisitions to expand deeper within existing Colibri end markets and through entering several of the more than 100 additional end markets that have mandated professional education requirements.”
Kevin Jackson, Managing Partner at Gridiron Capital stated, “We are honored that Mike and the Colibri team have chosen Gridiron to be their partners for the next phase of growth. Colibri Group is building the future of online learning for licensed professionals on a scalable platform, and we are excited to continue to support the success of the company.”
Will Hausberg, Managing Director at Gridiron Capital added, “The Company’s exceptional management team and its ColibriConnect technology platform make Colibri highly scalable and efficient in managing the learning experience for professionals across many end markets. We look forward to providing Gridiron Capital’s financial and intellectual capital to build upon Colibri’s exceptional growth trajectory.”
Finn, Dixon & Herling LLP advised Gridiron Capital on the transaction.
About Colibri:
Colibri Group helps millions of licensed professionals manage and advance their careers through online learning solutions for licensing, continuing education and professional development, all powered by our proprietary ColibriConnect technology platform. ColibriConnect, a cloud-based platform, connects professionals with real-time information that is easily accessed from a user-friendly dashboard.
Headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri, Colibri Group offers a seamless experience to help licensed professionals progress throughout their careers, focused on licensing, continuing education, industry news, and job opportunities for healthcare, real estate, and financial services, among other professions.
Colibri’s leading brands include Securities Training Corporation, Elite Learning, Western Schools, Advance Healthcare Network, Real Estate Express, Allied Schools, McKissock Learning, The Institute for Luxury Home Marketing, and Superior School of Real Estate. Visit colibrigroup.com for more information.
About Gridiron Capital:
Gridiron Capital is an investment firm focused on partnering with founders, entrepreneurs, and management teams, and creating value by building middle-market companies into industry-leaders in branded consumer, B2B and B2C services, and niche industrial segments in the United States and Canada. We help transform growing companies by winning together through hard work, partnerships grounded in shared values and a unique culture that comes from hands-on experience building and running businesses. As a team led by former operators and entrepreneurs, we know what it takes to run successful businesses on a day-to-day basis. Additional information is available on the firm’s website: www.gridironcapital.com
Press Contact:
Kevin Jackson, Managing Partner, Gridiron Capital, LLC
kjackson@gridironcapital.com