ABOUT US

We have all been both operators and investors. We understand how and when to pitch in to add value and when to give company leaders the room to drive their own agenda. Because we focus on long-term growth, we fundamentally understand building a business can be a bumpy process, and we support teams consistently as they navigate toward a long term goal.

Our Team

Benjamin A. Krick, Partner

Prior to founding Willcrest Partners, Ben was a Partner and Co-Founder of Redwood Pacific Group (RPG), a direct investment firm focused on niche growth businesses. Prior to RPG, he was Vice President at Parthenon Capital where he was responsible for sourcing, underwriting, and managing investments in middle-market businesses and served as a Director for several of Parthenon Capital’s portfolio companies. Ben’s industry experience includes financial services, software, marketing services, and healthcare services. Ben holds an MBA from Stanford University, where he was an Arjay Miller Scholar, and a BA in economics, summa cum laude, from Wake Forest University. Ben is currently the President of Pearce Services and a board member of Precision Aerospace.
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Bret Forster, Partner

Prior to founding Willcrest Partners, Bret was the CEO of FetchForce, an outsourced provider of data management and email remarketing for the lead generation industry. Bret built FetchForce from the ground up and sold to a strategic acquirer. Prior to FetchForce, he was a Vice President with Serent Capital, a private equity firm investing in emerging service and technology businesses. Before joining Serent, Bret was an Operations Manager and then Client Development Manager at ServiceSource, a technology support sales organization where he led the international expansion of the company, and developed relationships with ServiceSource’s largest clients. Bret was also a strategy consultant with McKinsey & Co. Bret holds an MBA and BS from Stanford University. Bret is currently the CEO of Pearce Services and chairman of the board of Precision Aerospace.
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Louis Brownstone, Partner

Louis has spent the past twenty years in various operating, consulting, and M&A advisory roles for middle market companies. Prior to joining Willcrest Partners, Louis was managing director of Copper Dean, an M&A and value creation advisory firm supporting manufacturing, distribution and business services firms. Before Copper Dean, Louis stepped in as President of Hobbico, a distressed $250M consumer products company that he led through to a strategic sale. Louis was also a Senior Principal at The Keystone Group, a consulting firm with M&A, Strategy and Turnaround advisory services. Louis is an award winner of the Turnaround Management Association (TMA) National Turnaround of the Year and the M&A Advisor 40 Under 40. Louis holds a BS in Finance from The Kelley School of Business at Indiana University. Louis an Ambassadors Circle member of Books for Africa and has sent over 100,000 books to students in need across Kenya and Tanzania.
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