private ownership industry private equity founded 1995 founder john w. childs headquarters waltham massachusetts united states products private equity funds leveraged buyouts total assets 3.1 billion 1 website www.jwchilds.com j.w. childs associates jwc is an american private equity firm focused on leveraged buyout and recapitalization transactions for middle market growth companies . jwc places particular emphasis on consumer products healthcare and specialty retail companies . the company is headquartered in waltham massachusetts and was founded in 1995 by longtime buyout investor john w. childs who had previously been the number two partner at large cap boston based private equity firm thomas h. lee partners . history edit the firm was founded in 1995 by long time leveraged buyout investor john w. childs after a split from thomas h. lee . prior to founding j.w. childs associates from 1987 through 1995 childs had been a managing director and subsequently the senior managing director of thomas h. lee partners thl . while at thl childs had helped negotiate the buyouts of snapple beverages and ghirardelli chocolate company along with others of the firm s largest investments . from 1971 through 1987 childs had held various investment positions at the prudential insurance company of america . j.w. childs completed a number of large leveraged buyouts including takeovers of several of the following notable companies nutrasweet 2 chevy s empire kosher equinox fitness 3 south beach beverage company 4 and edison schools . 5 additionally the firm has raised approximately 3.1 billion of investor commitments in three private equity funds jw childs equity partners 1995 352 million jw childs equity partners ii 1998 983 million jw childs equity partners iii 2002 1.75 billion jw childs equity partners iv failed fundraising in 2007 2.5 billion target the firm began premarketing its fourth private equity fund in early 2006 with a target size of 2.5 billion . however in mid 2007 j.w. childs decided to postpone the fundraising process because institutional investors were proving less receptive to the offering than had been expected . performance at two of the firm s previous funds was below median for their respective vintage years and many investment professionals resigned from the firm . additionally the fundraising environment for private equity firms became increasingly difficult with the onset of the 2007 2008 credit crunch . 6 in march 2008 following the failed fundraising for jw childs equity partners iv jwc registered with the securities and exchange commission for a 200 million ipo of j.w. childs acquisition i corp. a publicly traded special purpose acquisition company spac . 6 several fallen buyout professionals have pursued spacs most notably thomas o. hicks formerly of hicks muse tate & furst to raise capital when the more common institutional market is unreceptive . 7 references edit reflects investor commitments since inception monsanto selling sweetener ingredient business . new york times march 28 2000 sorkin andrew ross fitness clubs will be sold so a chain can expand . new york times december 17 2000 hays constance l. sobe beverages plans a strategy to sustain its heady growth . new york times july 20 2000 applebome peter . influx of money to expand edison . new york times november 20 1996 a b syre steven . blank check investing . boston globe march 25 2008 j.w. childs acquisition i corp. s.e.c. form s 1 march 11 2008 tracy tennille . fishing in the j.w. childs talent pool . wall street journal july 19 2007 external links edit j.w. childs associates company website v t e private equity and venture capital investment firms investment strategy venture growth mezzanine secondaries leveraged buyout history history of private equity and venture capital early history of private equity private equity in the 1980s private equity in the 1990s private equity in the 2000s investors angel investor corporate venture capital commercial 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