Washington, D.C. – Private equity firms invested more than $144 billion in 1,702 U.S.-based companies in 2011, according to an analysis released today by the Private Equity Growth Capital Council.
The top five states in terms of investment were Texas, New York, California, North Carolina and Oklahoma. Additional states that made the top 20 include Florida, Colorado, Ohio, Virginia, and Nevada.
This is the PEGCC’s second annual report examining the geographic dispersion of private equity investment, providing new information about the number of companies infused with capital from private equity investors, the number of active private equity firms and the total deal value by region, country, state and congressional district. According to this year’s analysis, private equity firms invested $14 billion in 47 companies is New York’s 14th Congressional District, represented by Democrat Carolyn Maloney, more than any other U.S. congressional district. Congressional districts represented by Reps. John Sullivan (R-OK), Charles Gonzalez (D-TX), Patrick McHenry (R-NC) and Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) rounded out the top five.
“This report shows that despite the challenging economic environment private equity continues to be a critical source of capital for U.S. companies looking to grow or retool,” said Steve Judge, President of the PEGCC. “Over the next several months, we expect the general election to amplify the conversation about private equity, but one thing is clear, private equity drives economic activity and growth across the U.S. economy. These numbers are an unambiguous reminder that, at its core, private equity is about investing in and strengthening American companies.”
In the U.S., private equity investment was dispersed throughout the country. More than $20 billion was invested in 206 companies in Texas, the most of any state during 2011. Oregon rounds out the top 20 with 16 companies receiving more than $1 billion. Overall, 20 states received more than $134 billion in private equity capital during 2011. A complete breakdown of private equity investment by state is available at www.pegcc.org.
This year, the Private Equity Growth Capital Council unveiled its new Private Equity at Work Campaign, a new initiative aimed at educating media, policy makers and the public about the private equity industry and its positive contributions to the American economy. The campaign is anchored by a new website and resource center, www.PrivateEquityAtWork.com, featuring educational content, industry data and an in-depth look at specific private equity investments that are driving growth and creating jobs.
The PEGCC’s geographic dispersion analysis was conducted using data provided by Thomson Reuters and Pitchbook, with an analysis by the Council. The full report can be found at www.pegcc.org.
About the Private Equity Growth Capital Council
The Private Equity Growth Capital Council (PEGCC) is an advocacy, communications and research organization and resource center established to develop, analyze and distribute information about the private equity and growth capital investment industry and its contributions to the national and global economy. Established in 2007 and formerly known as the Private Equity Council, the PEGCC is based in Washington, D.C. The members of the PEGCC are 36 of the world‘s leading private equity and growth capital firms united by their commitment to growing and strengthening the businesses in which they invest.
