Our Team

Edgewater knows that our firm's greatest asset is our people.

Mr. Childres has spent more than 17 years in mergers, acquisitions and structured finance, with extensive experience in the acquisition, oversight and divestiture of middle-market companies. He co-founded Edgewater Capital Partners, L.P. in 1998 to continue Edgewater's successful track record of investing in middle-market businesses and became Managing Partner in 2000. He is also Chairman of the Board of Syrgis Performance Products, LLC and Gabriel Performance Products and has held board positions in all portfolio investments of Edgewater. Prior to joining Edgewater, Mr. Childres was an attorney in the Mergers & Acquisitions department of the New York law firm Winthrop, Stimson, Putnam & Roberts, where he closed more than $2 billion in domestic and international acquisition, leveraged acquisition and debt-financing transactions, both for public and private companies. He is a graduate of Northwestern University's College of Arts and Sciences and the Fordham University School of Law.
Mr. Meany has more than 14 years of experience in leveraged buyouts, mergers and acquisitions, and investment banking. He joined Edgewater Capital Partners, L.P. in 2000 and has worked extensively on Fund I and II's transaction origination, execution, portfolio management and strategic planning efforts. He is also Chairman of the Board of Turbonetics Holdings, Inc. and PD International, LLC and has held board positions in all portfolio investments of Edgewater. Prior to joining Edgewater, Mr. Meany was an investment banker with NatCity Investments, Inc., the investment banking and brokerage subsidiary of National City Corporation. While at NatCity, Mr. Meany completed a variety of corporate finance transactions including mergers and acquisitions, corporate financings and other advisory services. These transactions spanned a variety of industries including manufacturing, metal fabrications, financial services, healthcare, food products and consumer goods. Mr. Meany is a graduate of the Weatherhead School of Management at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio, where he earned an M.B.A. He also holds a B.S. in Business Administration from Miami University.

Mr. Schwarz has been a limited partner of Edgewater and a member of its board of operating advisors since 2003. He joined the firm as a partner in 2004, and recently became the Director of Operating Partners.

Mr. Schwarz has over 30 years experience in operations management, leveraged buyouts, entrepreneurship, management consulting, and sales. His responsibilities have included full company profit and loss, mergers and acquisitions, product development, and strategic planning; both domestic and international. He has held various senior management and governance positions in manufacturing, distribution and chemicals.

Mr. Schwarz co-founded Sycamore Partners LLC, a Cleveland-based investment and advisory firm focused on investing in businesses in Northeast Ohio in 1997. Prior to Sycamore he was Director and President of Laurel Industries, which he co-founded through the leverage buyout of PPG's antimony products business in 1983. From 1983 to 1996 Mr. Schwarz grew the business through acquisitions and internal growth from a company with $7 million in sales to a worldwide business with revenue in excess of $55 million and a global operating presence. Laurel Industries was sold in 1996 to Occidental Petroleum at a significant return to investors. Prior to Laurel, Mr. Schwarz held various senior management positions in boat manufacturing, fastener, security and chemical businesses.

Mr. Schwarz obtained his B.S. in Chemical Engineering from Ohio State University, his M.B.A. from Case Western Reserve University and is a Registered Professional Engineer (PE) in the State of Ohio.
Mr. Girton joined Edgewater in January of 2011. He was previously an Investment Banking Analyst at Harris Williams & Co. and Candlewood Partners. He received his B.S. in Corporate Finance Management from the University of Akron and an M.B.A from the Weatherhead School of Management at Case Western Reserve University in 2009. He holds his Series 7, 79 and 63 securities licenses, is a Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst ("CAIA") designee and is a Chartered Financial Analyst ("CFA") Level Two Candidate.
Kristen joined Edgewater in 2007 and is responsible for the administrative management of the firm.  She has 10 years of professional and financial management experience. Prior to joining Edgewater, Kristen served as head of H.R. and then as Controller for Zoresco Equipment Co., Inc., a nationally recognized designer of transportation solutions.  Kristen holds an Associates of Applied Business degree from The University of Akron. In addition, she is currently a member of the Group of Aspiring Leaders (“GOAL”) at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation, The Cleveland Society for Human Resource Management (“SHRM”) and the Ohio Children’s Hospital Association (“OCHA”).

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