Golden Gate Capital teams with Kevin O’Meara

Golden Gate Capital, a San Francisco-based private equity firm, is partnering with building products industry veteran Kevin O’Meara to explore strategic investments in the building products industry, emphasizing opportunities in the manufacturing sector.

"Golden Gate has the capital and strategic vision necessary to take full advantage of the tremendous investment opportunities emerging from the current housing downturn," said O'Meara.

O'Meara was most recently president and chief operating officer of Builders FirstSource, which he co-founded in 1998 as its chief financial officer. Prior, O'Meara was vp-strategic planning and business development at building materials manufacturer Fibreboard Corp. He has an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School and a B.A. (economics) and B.B.A. (accounting) from Southern Methodist University. 

"In the wake of the unprecedented decline in housing, we believe [O'Meara's] blend of operating and strategic experience will make us uniquely qualified to capitalize on significant opportunities in the sector," said Rajeev Amara, a managing director of Golden Gate Capital. "The flexible, long-term nature of our fund will give us the unique ability to invest up and down the capital structure, including debt and equity securities."