Heartwood Partners Announces the Sale of Super Sod

Heartwood Partners and Kainos Capital announced today that Kainos has acquired Patten Seed Holdings, LLC (dba "Super-Sod," or the "Company") from Heartwood Partners III, LP ("Fund III") and affiliates.

Super-Sod is an innovative provider of sod, seed, soil, and other landscaping solutions across the southern United States through a vertically integrated network of farms, retail stores, and an eCommerce platform. The Company's omnichannel approach and reputation for product quality and innovation have established Super-Sod as a trusted brand for professional landscapers and homeowners throughout the region.

Together, Heartwood Partners and Super-Sod executed a focused strategy to expand Super-Sod's team, enhance the Company's operational and technology capabilities, and broaden its geographic footprint. This was accomplished through investments in automation, production capacity, enterprise software, digital marketing and eCommerce solutions. During this time, Super-Sod significantly expanded its geographic reach through five acquisitions across Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia, and Texas.

"Heartwood Partners has been a great partner to Super-Sod throughout this journey," said Ben Copeland, CEO of Super-Sod. "They believed in our team and invested their resources and support behind us. Together, we built a much larger, technologically advanced, and geographically diverse organization, and I'm proud of what we accomplished together. We are excited for our next stage of growth with Kainos Capital who has a focus on helping businesses like ours scale aggressively through organic initiatives as well as complementary acquisitions."

Jeff Moredock, Partner at Kainos Capital said: "Ben and his management team have built a differentiated platform in the landscaping solutions industry. Given our experience creating strategic value with similar business models, we believe Kainos, as a result of our industry relationships, operating capabilities and capital base, is well-suited to help management quickly expand Super-Sod's leadership position through attractive add-on acquisitions, product innovation, geographic expansion, and new retail distribution."

James Sidwa, Managing Partner at Heartwood Partners commented: "This successful exit reflects the strength of Super-Sod's brand, the dedication of its employees, and the management team's focused execution of its long-term strategic plan. We are grateful for the opportunity to support the Company during this important chapter of its growth."

"We are thrilled to have partnered with the team at Super-Sod to expand the Company's industry-leading business model across the Southern U.S. through organic growth and add-on acquisitions. We are proud of the Company's market leadership and innovation and look forward to its continued success with Kainos Capital as its next partner," said Andrea Nelson, Managing Director, Heartwood Partners.

Peter Schnuck, Vice President at Kainos Capital, remarked: "Super-Sod has built a trusted brand in the landscaping solutions industry by delivering a seamless customer experience for both landscapers and homeowners. We are excited to partner with Super-Sod's exceptional management team as they expand the Company's product and service offerings to meet more of its customers' needs."

Kainos Capital is joined in its investment by Partners Capital who served as lead co-investor for the transaction. Baird served as financial advisor and Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP served as legal advisor to Kainos Capital.

Harris Williams served as financial advisor and Finn Dixon & Herling LLP served as legal advisor to Super-Sod, Heartwood Partners and its investors.

Please contact the following members of the investment team at Heartwood Partners with investment or add-on opportunities: