Deal Briefs

Banexi Capital and Cerea Capital have offered to acquire the French frozen patisserie business of Premier Foods (LSE: PFD) for €50 million ($65.6 million).

Main Street Capital, a buyout firm based in Houston, Texas, has purchased trucking company Smokey Point Distributing alongside Dallas investor Don R. Daseke and Smokey Point CEO Dan Wrikkala, for $34 million. Allegiance Capital advised the sell side.

Accelerated Rehabilitation Centers, an outpatient physical therapy platform sponsored by Gryphon Investors, has recapitalized two physical therapy clinic groups: St. Louis-based PRORehab PC and Des Moines-based Therapy Services of Iowa. No financial terms were disclosed.

Alpine Biomed, a Fountain Valley, Calif.-based maker of diagnostic equipment used in gastroenterology, urology and neurology, has acquired Stellate Systems Inc., a Montreal-based maker of neurodiagnostic systems. No financial terms were disclosed. Alpine Biomed is a portfolio company of Water Street Healthcare Partners.

American Tire Distributors, a portfolio company of Investcorp, has, acquired Simi Valley, Calif.-based Am-Pac Tire for $75 million.

Ancor Capital Partners and Merit Capital Partners have acquired Tom Cat Bakery Inc., a New York-based commercial bakery specializing in artisan breads and sweet goods. No financial terms were disclosed. Tom Cat was advised on the deal by McGladrey Capital Markets.

Austin Ventures has formed Century Payments Inc., a Dallas-based acquisition platform focused on the payment processing market. The company will be run by Robert Wechsler, an AV executive-in-residence who previously was an executive vice president and head of global sales and services for Chase Paymentech Solutions. Austin Ventures is committing up to $50 million to the company, which already has made three acquisitions.

Bridgepoint has offered to buy Terveystalo Healthcare Oyi, a listed Finnish healthcare provider, for €162 million. Under terms of the agreement, Terveystalo stockholders would receive €2 per share, or a 203 percent premium to its closing price on Jan. 23.

Charlotte Russe Holding Inc. (Nasdaq: CHIC) said it is evaluating strategic alternatives, including a possible sale of the company. The women’s apparel retailer late last year rejected a $200 million buyout offer from KarpReilly Capital Partners and H.I.G. Capital.

Clessidra has agreed to acquire a minority stake in the Italian fashion house run by Roberto Cavalli. No additional terms were disclosed, except that Cavalli was known to be looking to sell between 15 percent and 20 percent.

CVC Capital Partners is planning to bid for a stake in UK postal operator Royal Mail, according to The Sunday Telegraph.

DFW Capital Partners has sponsored a recapitalization of Venio LLC, a New York-based provider of asset recovery services. No financial terms were disclosed, except that Praesidian Capital Investors provided approximately $16.5 million of debt.

Edmonds Capital, a buyout firm located in Arlington, Va., purchased two Atlanta, Ga.-based restaurant chains from franchiser Raving Brands: Shane’s Rib Shack and Planet Smoothie. No deal terms were disclosed.

Emerging Capital Partners has acquired a minority stake in Thunnus Overseas Group, a group of tuna processing and distribution companies in Cote d’Ivoire and Madagascar. No financial terms were disclosed.

First Quench Retailing, a United Kingdom-based drinks retailer that owns the Threshers chain, said that it has shut 100 stores over the past six months, and is reviewing other sites for possible closure. The company is owned by Vision Capital.

Four Seasons Health Care, a United Kingdom-based care homes operator, has received a six-month extension from its lenders, in order to negotiate an agreement over its massive debt load. A sale or debt-for-equity swap or are the two most likely options. Both Advent International and The Blackstone Group are considered possible bidders in a sale scenario.

Golden Gate Capital has emerged as one of three bidders in the auction for retailer Circuit City Stores, which filed for bankruptcy protection in November, the Wall Street Journal reported.

Golden Gate Capital has entered into a partnership agreement with Kevin O’Meara, former president and COO of Builders FirstSource Inc., to explore strategic investments in the building products industry. No financial terms were disclosed for the effort, which will focus on opportunities in the manufacturing sector.

GOME, a Chinese electronics retailer, has held talks with investment firms about raising new capital. Possible buyers include existing GOME shareholders like Warburg Pincus and Morgan Stanley, plus firms like Bain Capital and Hopu Investment Management.

Greatwide Logistics Services, a Dallas, Texas-based provider of third-party logistics, has received bankruptcy court approval for its acquisition by a group of its first-lien secured holders, including affiliates of Centerbridge Capital Partners and D. E. Shaw. The company had been acquired for $730 million in late 2006, by Investcorp and Hicks Holdings, while seller Fenway Partners retained a minority stake. It filed for Chapter 11 protection last October.

H.I.G. Europe has acquired FNZ Holdings, a United Kingdom-based provider of trade execution and custody services. No financial terms were disclosed.

HgCapital has reduced the management fees for its sixth fund from 1.75 percent to 2 percent, according to LBO Wire. The United Kingdom-based firm made the move in exchange for doubling the fund’s target to £2 billion.

Hochtief, a German construction group, has pulled out of the auction process for London Gatwick airport. This leaves bidders: Global Infrastructure Partners, Ontario Teachers Pension Plan/3i Infrastructure, Citi Infrastructure Investors/Vancouver Airport Services/John Hancock Life Insurance, Babcock & Brown/RREEF and Manchester Airport Group/Borealis.

Irving Place Capital Management and Oaktree Capital Management have received U.S. Bankruptcy Court approval for their planned $485 million acquisition of paperboard and plastic packaging maker Chesapeake Corp.

Kohlberg & Co. has completed its take-private acquisition of Centerplate Inc., a Stamford, Conn.-based concessions company.

Lincoln Educational Services Corp. (Nasdaq: LINC) has acquired the Baran Institute of Technology for approximately $25.3 million in cash. Lincoln Educational is majority-owned by Stonington Capital.

Manatron Inc., a Portage, Mich.-based provider of property tax solutions for state and local governments, has acquired Software Techniques Inc., a provider of computer-assisted mass appraisal software to government property appraisal districts. Thoma Bravo, which took Manatron private last year for $66 million, helped finance the deal. No overall pricing terms were disclosed.

Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment Ltd. has agreed to acquire an 80.1 percent stake in soccer network GolTV Canada from Insight Sports Ltd. for an undisclosed amount. Maple Leaf Sports is majority-owned by Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan.

MedAvant Healthcare Solutions, a Santa Ana, Calif.-based provider of technology for the electronic exchange of medical claims and clinical information, has acquired the Medicare crossover business of HDM Corporation. No financial terms were disclosed. Marlin Equity Partners acquired the assets of MedAvant out of bankruptcy last fall.

Millennium Private Equity has invested AED 92 million ($25 million) into Kuwait Energy Co., an independent exploration and production company.

NPC International Inc., a Lenexa, Kan.-based franchisee and operator of Pizza Hut franchises, has agreed to acquire 51 additional units from Pizza Hut Inc. for $14.4 million in cash. NPC was acquired in 2006 by Merrill Lynch Global Private Equity, and currently operates 1,098 restaurants and delivery/carryout units in 27 states.

Nuprecon/CST, a West Coast demolition contractor owned by Evergreen Pacific Partners, has acquired Marcor Remediation Inc., a Maryland-based environmental remediation contracting company. No financial terms were disclosed, except that the combined entity will generate approximately $250 million in annual revenue.

OpenGate Capital acquired UK modeling agency Models 1 from Nova Capital for an undisclosed amount.

Permira has sent capital call letters, in order to raise $917.8 million for its $3.6 billion take-private buyout of United Kingdom-based security business NDS, which is being done in partnership with News Corp.

Pfingsten Partners has acquired the assets of Aviation, Power & Marine Inc., a Boynton Beach, Fla.-based distributor of aeroderivative gas turbine engine parts and related services. No financial terms were disclosed. Farlie Turner & Co. advised the seller.

Platinum Equity has acquired a majority stake in DAUM Commercial Real Estate Services, a provider of commercial real estate services in Arizona and Southern California. No financial terms were disclosed.

Polo Resources Ltd. (AIM: PRL), a UK-based coal mining company, said that it had received an unsolicited buyout offer from Denham Capital Management. It also said that the offer significantly undervalues the company.

Selling Source LLC, a Las Vegas-based provider of data and consumer leads to financial service providers, has acquired the marketing unit of CompuCredit Corp. (Nasdaq: CCRT). No financial terms were disclosed for the deal, which will help Selling Source launch a consumer financial products group. Selling Source is a portfolio company of London Bay Capital.

Sun Hung Kai Financial (HK: 0086) said that it is launching a $100 million fund that will partner with Paulson & Co., and its distressed asset investment fund that focuses on financial companies.

TallyGenicom LP has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, to facilitate its sale to Printronix Inc., a portfolio company of Vector Capital.

TAV, the Turkish airport operator, is looking to sell a 30 percent stake in ground-handling subsidiary Havas. The deal reportedly would value Havas at between €275 million and €350 million.

The New York Times Co. (NYSE: NYT) is in advanced talks to sell a large portion of its Midtown Manhattan headquarters to W. P. Carey & Co. in a sale-leaseback transaction.

The Riverside Company announced that it has acquired Sencore Inc., a Sioux Falls, S.D.-based maker of measuring instruments used in troubleshooting by broadcasters, manufacturers of broadcast hardware, video production engineers, cable operators and retailers of audio and video and audio products. No financial terms were disclosed for the deal, which Buyouts magazine first reported on last month.

Topspin LBO has acquired Hart Systems Inc., a New York-based provider of self-scanned physical inventory systems. No financial terms were disclosed.

TPG is considering taking a stake in HeidelbergCement jointly with Goldman Sachs, according to news reports. Bain Capital was also weighing involvement in the bid for a stake, together with Goldman Sachs and TPG. HeidelbergCement is a German cement maker controlled by the family of the late Adolf Merckle.

Tribune Co. has narrowed down the bidders for the Chicago Cubs to three groups. One is led by Tom Ricketts, CEO of Incapital, one is led by Chicago real estate executive Hersh Klaff and the other is led by Marc Utay, a managing partner with Clarion Capital Partners.

Warburg Pincus has agreed to buy $175 million of common stock in Nuance Communications Inc. (Nasdaq: NUAN). Warburg Pincus already holds approximately 15 percent of all outstanding Nuance shares.

WL Ross & Co. has agreed to buy more than a 68 percent stake in First Bank & Trust Co., an Indiantown, Fla.-based community bank with $83 million in assets, from the widow of the bank’s former chairman.

Zune Industries LLC, a water management subsidiary of Rexnord LLC, has agreed to acquire Fontaine-Alliance Inc. for C$30 million ($24.6 million). Rexnord is a portfolio company of Apollo Management.