OREANDA-NEWS. GE Antares, a unit of GE Capital, announced today it is serving as administrative agent on a \$138 million senior secured credit facility to support the acquisition of Bendon, Inc. by Irving Place Capital (IPC). GE Capital Markets served as joint lead arranger and joint bookrunner on this facility.

Established in 2002 and headquartered in Ashland, OH, Bendon is a leading provider of non-licensed and licensed children’s coloring and activity products. Bendon sells products such as coloring and activity books, kits, sets and play packs, puzzles and other early childhood development games.

“GE Antares’ willingness to underwrite the full commitment and their large hold position made them an excellent financing partner on this transaction,” said John Howard, CEO at IPC. “We continue to benefit from our relationships with the GE Antares team.”

“A proven market leader, Bendon is a welcome addition to the GE Antares portfolio, “said Gina Provenzale, senior vice president of GE Antares. “Bendon’s longstanding relationships with their customers and product innovation position them for continued growth, organically and through acquisitions. We look forward to supporting management and IPC going forward.”

About Bendon, Inc.

Based in Ashland, Ohio, Bendon is a leading designer and producer of children’s coloring and activity products in the United States. The company has a broad non-licensed and licensed product portfolio, including the world’s most popular children’s characters and brands, which is distributed into a variety of different retailing partners representing more than 80,000 points of distribution in North America. 

About Irving Place Capital

Based in New York City, IPC is a middle-market private equity firm that invests in buyouts, recapitalizations, and growth capital opportunities. The firm focuses on making control or entrepreneur-driven investments in retail and consumer, industrial and packaging companies where it can apply its substantial operating and strategic resources and expertise to enhance value. Since its formation in 1997, IPC has been an investor in 60 companies and has raised over \$4 billion of equity capital, including its current \$2.7 billion institutional fund. 

About GE Antares Capital

GE Antares is a unit of GE Capital. With offices in Atlanta, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, Toronto and San Francisco, GE Antares is the leading middle market lender, offering a “one-stop” source for GE’s lending and other services offered to middle market private equity sponsors. Providing more than \$123 billion in financing over the past five years alone, GE Capital was named 2014 Lender of the Year by Mergers & Acquisitions. GE Antares was also recognized by Private Debt Investor and Private Equity International as 2013 Lender of the Year, North America and Mid-Cap Lender of the Year, North America, respectively. 

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