Gresham House takes majority stake in Mississippi-based forestry manager
Gresham House has announced it will be acquiring a majority stake in Mississippi-based Molpus Woodlands Group, which will create a investment manager with approximately £6bn in forestry assets.
The newly formed group will form the third largest timberland investment manager, according to the announcement, with operations in the UK, Ireland, US, Australia and New Zealand. It is Gresham House’s first corporate acquisition in the US. Last year, Gresham House acquired SUSI Partners, a Zurich-based firm focused on energy transition infrastructure.
Tony Dalwood, CEO of Gresham House, said the US acquisition will significantly expand the global client offering and “deepen our investment and operational capabilities”.
“The combined business will provide an exciting opportunity for our investors to gain exposure to the US market in key areas like timberland, afforestation, reforestation, carbon credits and land optimisation. The Molpus team is an ideal complement to our core values, deeply entrenched culture, and leading sustainable investment strategies, including energy transition and infrastructure, where we are market leaders.
“As natural capital increasingly becomes a component of global asset allocation, we seek to continue to build a differentiated, global platform with the necessary scale, capability and ambition to support our clients’ evolving needs.”
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Meanwhile, Terrell Winstead, president of Molpus Woodlands Group, added: “We are excited to join the Gresham House team. From the outset, it has been clear that there is a strong alignment of cultures, vision and ambition between our two organisations. We look forward to working together to capture the opportunity of this growing asset class. By combining our strengths, we seek to create a platform with the scale, depth of expertise and long-term mindset that should position us to deliver even greater value for our clients and to create meaningful opportunities for our teams.”
Molpus Woodlands Group’s existing leadership team including Terrell Winstead, Michael Cooper, George Dahduh, Tyler Rosamond, Chad McElvany and Ashley Harris will continue to lead operations in the US, and also join the Gresham House global executive management team and investment committees alongside members of the Gresham House executive team. The Molpus team will continue with maintaining day-to-day operations, investment process and client service. The combined business will remain privately owned, aligning employee incentives with client outcomes.
Financial terms were not disclosed, and the transaction remains subject to customary closing conditions, including regulatory approvals.
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