LOS ANGELES - Rowe Tomes Advisors (RT Advisors LLC), a boutique strategic advisory and merchant banking firm focused on middle-market clients, announced today that it served as the exclusive financial advisor to Watermen, Inc., a professional and lifestyle brand for surf and beach apparel and a market-leading provider of essential lifeguard uniforms and equipment, in its majority sale to HEPCO Capital Management, LLC (HEPCO) and Dan Levine, a seasoned executive in the surf, outdoor, and lifestyle apparel industry.
Founded by lifeguard veterans Jen Miller and Ken Miller in 2005, Watermen has become synonymous with quality, innovation, and the beach lifestyle. The brand is trusted for its first-to-market features, breakthrough fabric technologies, and comfortable cuts. Located in Vista, Calif., Watermen considers itself to be the “first authentic lifestyle brand” to be deeply associated with the lifeguard industry and is considered the gold standard in the industry. Today, the company’s pinnacle brand recognition has evolved well beyond the lifeguard industry possessing unique authenticity to become a leading lifestyle brand.
The Watermen brand has earned a highly defensible niche in the U.S. beach lifeguard apparel sector and estimates a dominant and long-standing market share among lifeguard apparel purchasing entities across the U.S. controlling an impressive portfolio of consumer-centric, in-demand trademarks; Original Watermen®, Earn Your Salt®, Watermen®, Stay Salty®, California Watermen®, North Shore Watermen®. It is these trademarks that reflect the Watermen values and which wearers of the company’s apparel live their lives by - true water people, energized by the ocean.
Watermen serves over 2,000 U.S. agencies and organizations including many of the largest beach cities and municipalities, top universities, leading water parks and resorts, and the U.S. Navy Seals and Coast Guard - amongst many others.
Watermen engaged RT Advisors to explore partnering with deeply experienced, strategically driven brand stewards after a highly focused and competitive process. “RT Advisors has a sterling reputation for its long-tenured industry knowledge, expertise, and the tenacity of its team for driving successful outcomes for clients," remarked Ken Miller, Founder of Watermen. "We wanted to find the right partners to help grow our core business and drive a value creation strategy that capitalizes on the opportunity we’ve identified in the market,” further commented Miller. “With HEPCO and Dan Levine’s proven track record building and managing businesses, we feel very optimistic about the future of Watermen and are excited to build upon the strong reputation we have established for our business.”
“We’re thrilled to have been able to help the Watermen shareholders realize their goals in finding the ideal partner to drive their future growth,” said Brien Rowe, Founder and Managing Director of RT Advisors. "With Dan Levine's expertise in leading large vertical apparel retailers and lifestyle consumer brands, and Watermen's passionate team, we're excited to see Watermen continue its legacy of innovation and style, spreading the love for ocean life even further."
Brien Rowe, Founder of Rowe Tomes Advisors, played a pivotal role in leading the seller process, and Akerman served as the legal advisor to HEPCO throughout the acquisition.
About RT Advisors
RT Advisors is a Los Angeles-based investment banking firm specializing in helping established brands and businesses achieve their strategic goals. The tea of passionate professionals brings decades of experience to the table, guiding clients in M&A, capital raising, and overall growth strategies across several consumer categories, including active and outdoor; fashion & footwear; food & agriculture; eCommerce & retail; personal & consumer products; home products; and manufacturing & technology. To learn more, visit rowetomes.com.
Deal Team Contacts
Brien Rowe, Founder and Managing Director | browe@rowetomes.com
John Tomes, Founder and Managing Director | jtomes@rowetomes.com
Tyler Kavanaugh, Principal | tkavanaugh@rowetomes.com
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