TorQuest Partners Inc. was formed in 2002 to provide institutional investors with an opportunity to participate in the Canadian private equity markets. The Fund’s objective is to invest, alone or with partners, in meaningful positions in established businesses. TorQuest will take a leadership role in developing these businesses, helping to create and implement value-creation and growth strategies. Since 2002 TorQuest has been an active investor as a generalist firm with deep relationships across many different industry sectors, but has developed particular competitive advantages in the most attractive sectors of manufacturing, business services, financial services, food, consumer products, and chemicals.

TorQuest’s first investment vehicle, TorQuest Partners Value Fund L.P. with a capitalization of over $180 million was raised from a group of principally Canadian institutional investors, including many of the largest banks and pension funds. The fund has invested in five platform companies: Granby Steel Tanks, GCAN Insurance Company, CNC Global, Lowepro, and Associated Brands Income Fund with three successful realizations to date.

TorQuest’s second private equity fund, TorQuest Partners Fund II L.P., with a capitalization of $550 million raised from a group of institutional investors, including many of the largest banks and pension funds in Canada and institutional investors in the U.S. and Europe, began its investment period in May 2006.

The Senior Managing Partner of TorQuest Partners is Brent Belzberg, founder and former President and CEO of Harrowston Inc., a publicly traded private equity fund that earned a compound IRR of 44% on its realized investments. He leads a unique group of individuals with deep experience in the areas of mergers and acquisitions, business operations, investment management, credit policy, and risk management. Some of these individuals were key participants in the success of Harrowston, which delivered exceptional returns to its investors from its inception in 1993 to its acquisition by the Toronto-Dominion Bank’s private equity group in 2001. The TorQuest team was built on this successful foundation.