Shipley Poised for Growth and Innovation Under New Ownership

To accelerate growth, Shipley has partnered with Petra Capital Partners and Patriot Capital

Kaysville, Utah, September 6, 2022 — Shipley Associates today announced a growth-oriented investment from Petra Capital Partners and Patriot Capital. The official transfer of company ownership from its legacy owners to experienced investment partners positions the company to further pursue its domestic and global brand expansion. The transition allows greater flexibility to meet growth requirements and provides both capital and resources to enable Shipley to expand its global reach.

“We are thrilled to have new investment partners who are focused on facilitating Shipley’s global growth, innovation, and leveraging of technology solutions while continuing our thought leadership role in the business winning industry. Likewise, we appreciate the tremendous contribution of our previous ownership group and remain dedicated to providing the industry with exceptional talent through our skilled consultants, trainers, and employees,” said Todd Barnett, Chairman & CEO of Shipley.

As clients continue to seek industry best practice expertise, training, and key personnel to support must win pursuits, Shipley will maintain its legacy of being responsive and customer focused. “Our operating mantra has always been one of high business ethics with an extreme focus on client success,” said Brad Douglas, EVP of Global Strategy at Shipley. “We will continue our forward-looking approach to global business winning services to help clients succeed and win more business.”

For over 50 years, Shipley has provided clients with industry leading training programs and professional development certifications, consultants trained in best practices, and institutional thought leadership. Shipley Certification continues to be a sought-after credential to validate professional development in the key areas of capture management, proposal management, and proposal development.

Our current leadership team and global offices will continue to operate in all developed international markets to support clients with Shipley expertise. Clients throughout the world can expect to receive continued high-level support in assisting them to compete for and win business.

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About Shipley

Since 1972, Shipley has provided organizations and individuals with business development consulting, and training services focused on winning business in highly complex and competitive environments. With an unrivaled worldwide network of consultants and industry thought-leaders, Shipley supports major business development projects from strategy development, process improvement, web-based and classroom training, sales enablement, capture planning and proposal writing and management on over 1,100 proposal efforts per year.

Shipley, the global leader in business development services, also provides capture management and proposal development services to 21 of the top 25 U.S. Government contractors and has worked with 42 of the top 50 Fortune 500 companies to improve sales performance and pursuit win rates.

For more information, visit the website at www.shipleywins.com or contact Sonya Ellis at 888.772.9467 (WINS).

About Petra Capital Partners

Petra Capital Partners is a private equity firm engaged in providing growth capital for companies located throughout the United States.  Petra’s investment team has an established track record of success, spanning over 20 years and deploying more than $700 million of capital invested into more than 100 companies.   The firm is seeking investments for its current SBIC fund, Petra Growth Fund IV.  Petra can invest up to $20 million per company in equity or debt securities with a primary focus on backing high growth business services, tech-enabled services, and healthcare services companies.  More information can be found at www.petracapital.com.

About Patriot Capital

Patriot Capital is a multi-strategy middle market investment firm with offices in Baltimore, Chicago, Dallas, and Charlotte. Patriot seeks to make growth-oriented investments in businesses with annual revenues between $10 and $200 million that exhibit long-term positive trends and sustainable competitive advantages in their markets. Since 2000, Patriot Capital funds have invested over $1 billion of capital in more than 145 platform investments across five investment vehicles. For more information, please visit www.patriot-capital.com.

Shipley Associates-Lohfeld Consulting Group Strategic Alliance FAQs

About the Strategic Alliance
1. What is the purpose of this strategic alliance?
This strategic alliance strengthens our market position, expands our capabilities, and allows us to better serve our clients. This allows us to offer training electives for our certification program through Lohfeld, enhances Lohfeld Consulting's global reach and creates opportunities for Shipley's licensees, and enables us to respond quickly to the evolving GenAI marketplace in bid and proposals.
2. Will Lohfeld and Shipley remain independent, or will they be fully integrated?
Both companies will operate independently after the strategic alliance. This structure allows each company to maintain its unique identity and focus on delivering value to clients while exploring collaboration opportunities. They will operate under a strict firewall policy that prevents the disclosure of any competition-sensitive data.

From a governance perspective, Lohfeld's CEO Beth Wingate will report to Shipley's CEO Todd Barnett and the Shipley board.
3. How will this strategic alliance affect Shipley’s strategy?
Our overall strategy remains unchanged.
4. Will Shipley and Lohfeld continue to compete?
Yes, we will compete as firewalled subsidiaries of private equity groups routinely do. At times, we may partner on a case-by-case basis.
Impact on Employees and Licensees
5. Will there be layoffs because of the strategic alliance?
There are no planned layoffs. Both companies will continue to operate independently and remain focused on growth, not cost-cutting.
6. How will this affect my role and responsibilities?
Your role and responsibilities will remain the same.
7. Will employee benefits, policies, or compensation change?
Shipley's employee benefits, policies, and compensation practices will remain unchanged.
8. Will there be opportunities for employees to work on projects with the acquired company?
At times, we will jointly collaborate on projects according to the direction given in our firewall policy.
9. How will this impact Shipley's global licensees?
We anticipate that the strategic alliance between Shipley and Lohfeld will drive more global opportunities as we expand our client base. We will continue to follow the Global Sales Protocol, sharing it with Lohfeld's leadership.
Operational Changes
10. How will this strategic alliance impact our day-to-day operations?
There will be no immediate changes to our day-to-day operations. Each company will continue to operate independently while exploring synergies that benefit both organizations.
11. What happens to existing partnerships or vendor agreements?
Existing partnerships and vendor agreements will remain in place. Any potential changes will be carefully evaluated and communicated as needed.
Clients and Markets
12. How will this strategic alliance benefit our clients?
  •  Expand Training Opportunities: Shipley and Lohfeld’s globally recognized professional training programs will continue to create a seamless pathway for professionals to develop their skills and credentials, ensuring they remain competitive in today’s dynamic business environment.
  •  Enhance Global Reach: Lohfeld Consulting Group will leverage Shipley’s worldwide operations to expand its services across Shipley’s international network that covers 40 countries through 17 regional offices.
  •  Exploit Generative AI Capabilities: Both organizations bring deep expertise assisting companies to take advantage of the “force multiplier” capabilities GenAI offers for business development, capture, and bid and proposal development through training, workshops, implementation, and consulting support.
13. How will this affect our position in the market?
The strategic alliance solidifies our position as a market leader by expanding our capabilities, offerings, and talent pool.
The Transition
14. Who should I contact if I have questions or concerns about the strategic alliance?
Please reach out to your manager with any questions. We are committed to keeping communication open throughout this process.
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