“Summit has played a vital role in strengthening NVA on many fronts – from escalating our acquisitive capabilities to introducing new products years ahead of industry trends.”
Greg Hartmann, President and CEO
Location:
Agoura Hills, CA
Leadership:
Greg Hartmann
Founded in:
1996
invested in:
2007
Status:
Acquired by Ares Management 2014
Case Study:
National Veterinary Associates
The largest private owner of freestanding veterinary hospitals in the U.S.
Dramatically increased acquisition pace, adding 150+ veterinary hospitals during Summit’s investment
Acquired by Ares Management in 2014
National Veterinary Associates (NVA) was founded by Dr. Stanley Creighton, DVM, with an emphasis on supporting local medical standards as established by individual hospitals and practitioners.He had a vision to consolidate the fragmented veterinary practice market through an acquisition model that would provide practice management support services while allowing veterinarians to focus on delivering outstanding patient care.
How Summit helped:
- Recruited COO Greg Hartmann, who became CEO as part of a planned transition from the founder
- Recruited and built a business development team to focus on practice acquisition
- Amended and upsized existing senior credit facility, providing additional capital to support acquisitions
- Recruited two independent board members with healthcare experience
- Engaged Summit’s Peak Performance Group to evaluate new products, including new pet wellness plans that increased same-store-sales
Under Greg Hartmann’s leadership, NVA has continued its rapid growth trajectory. With over 850 veterinarians providing a full range of medical and surgical services at more than 240 hospitals across 39 states, NVA is the largest private owner of freestanding veterinary hospitals in the United States.