LAKESIDE PARTNERS ADVISES The Memory Company ON ITS Majority Recapitalization by Fruition Partners
Lakeside Partners (“Lakeside”), a leading boutique investment bank specializing in M&A advisory services, acted as the exclusive financial advisor to The Memory Company (“TMC”) on its majority recapitalization by Fruition Partners (“Fruition”). The Memory Company is a premier licensee of top sports and lifestyle brands, with a market-leading presence in drinkware, home décor, and other consumer product categories. The Company has established a strong foothold across core end markets and is quickly growing its presence in grocery, e-commerce, and mass retail channels. With a high tenured base of licensor and retail relationships, Fruition’s investment will enable the business to aggressively pursue future acquisitions, drive operational efficiencies, and become the premier licensing platform in the sports market.
The transaction, led by Chase Wichelmann, Partner at Lakeside Partners, further strengthens the firm’s expertise in the licensed and promotional products space. “We take pride in helping founders and investors navigate pivotal moments in their business journey,” said Chase. “In this case, our sector knowledge and close collaboration with the client enabled us to position the business effectively, generate strong buyer interest, and identify the right partner in Fruition. Fruition’s investment marks a key inflection point that will accelerate TMC’s growth trajectory and unlock new opportunities. We’re incredibly grateful for the trust Charles and his team placed in us and look forward to tracking their progress in the future.”
Charles Sizemore, Founder and CEO of TMC said, “We’re excited to partner with Fruition to take our business to the next stage of growth. Their team understands the opportunity ahead of our team and will provide the infrastructure and expertise to scale efficiently. We’re also grateful to Lakeside Partners for their guidance—they played a key role in helping us find the right partner and deliver a great outcome.”
This transaction marks Lakeside personnel’s fourth successful deal in the licensed and promotional products sector. Drawing on deep industry expertise and long-standing relationships, the Lakeside team crafted a highly targeted outreach strategy and executed a competitive marketing process that resonated with the most relevant buyers. Lakeside led every critical aspect of the transaction—from strategic positioning and materials development to investor outreach, negotiations, and process management—ensuring speed, alignment, and a successful outcome for all parties. The engagement reflects Lakeside’s growing presence in the sector and continued commitment to delivering exceptional outcomes for founder-led businesses.
Stephen McKay and his team at Holland & Knight served as legal counsel to TMC.
Zach Detra and his team at Davis Graham served as legal counsel to Fruition Partners.
About The Memory Company (www.memorycompany.com)
The Memory Company partners with today’s leading sports and consumer brands to provide high-quality, licensed drinkware, home décor, and other hard goods products to a multitude of major retailers, value chains, e-commerce platforms, grocery operations, and more. TMC has longstanding relationships (and multi-year licenses) with the leading sports leagues in the United States, as well as globally recognized consumer brands, and acts as a brand steward for these brands repping their product offerings to a diverse base of customers.
About Fruition Partners (www.fruitionpe.com)
Fruition Partners is a private equity firm focused on the lower middle market, primarily investing in companies with strong organic growth potential and sizable, addressable markets. They partner with entrepreneur-owned or led businesses that provide critical, recurring services or sell consumable products with stable, predictable revenue. Fruition also actively seeks merger and acquisition opportunities to create value for their partner companies.
About Lakeside Partners (www.lakesidepartners.com)
Lakeside Partners, which has offices in Minneapolis, MN, Seattle, WA, and Sioux Falls, SD, provides M&A advisory services to privately-held businesses. The firm has extensive expertise serving businesses across multiple industry verticals including business services, consumer & retail, food & beverage, industrials, specialty distribution, and technology, among many others.
For more information about our firm or this transaction, please contact:
Chase Wichelmann
Partner
cwichelmann@lakesidepartners.com
651.356.1753
Matt Holcomb
Vice President
mholcomb@lakesidepartners.com
952.239.4297
Spencer Sumpter
Associate
ssumpter@lakesidepartners.com
360.510.4011