Arcapita Investment Management B.S.C. (formerly First Islamic Investment Bank and Crescent Capital Investments) is an originator of investments in private equity and real estate assets which comply with Sharia principles. Headquartered in Manama, Bahrain, the company and its subsidiaries are wholly owned by Arcapita Group Holdings Limited. Arcapita has offices in Atlanta, London, and Singapore. It owns the Delaware, US-incorporated holding and real estate company Arcapita, Inc. (formerly known as Crescent Investments, Inc.), headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, which buys American companies for between $200 million and $1 billion, and sells them four to six years later.
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Name change
On March 15, 2005, parent company First Islamic Investment Bank and its subsidiaries changed their name to Arcapita and adopted a new logo. The name "Arcapita" is a combination of the words "arc" and "capital", "arc" symbolizing the company's global span, from Atlanta to London to Bahrain. The firm indicated that its name change did not relate to potential anti-Islam sentiments in the regions in which it was operating.
The name change resulted in some controversy as to whether it was done to hide the company's Middle Eastern roots. According to the company, the unified name was introduced to avoid confusion about the relationships between the parent company, First Islamic Investment Bank, and its subsidiaries, Crescent Capital in the U.S. and Crescent Capital (Europe) Ltd., based in London. The company also wanted to reassure investors who were uneasy about the perceived religious association of the old name.
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September 11 boycott
In response to the September 11th terrorist attacks, a boycott was initiated against the coffee chain Caribou Coffee, which Crescent Capital had acquired in 2000. According to Fred Taub, president of Cleveland-based Boycott Watch, some people objected to Muslim ownership of the U.S.-based coffee chain. However, the boycott did not have a significant effect on the growth of the chain, which grew from 175 stores in 2001 to more than 400 in 2006.
Compliance with Sharia
Every investment made by Arcapita Bank and its subsidiary corporations is approved by a four-member Sharia advisory board. The board includes a retired judge from Saudi Arabia's Supreme Court, and religious scholars from Pakistan and Bahrain. In accordance with Islamic Sharia law, the company does not invest in any businesses which offer credit or charge interest, or sell pornography, alcohol, or pork products.
According to representatives of the company, the Sharia advisory board does not make decisions about the financial merits of investments, and does not play a role in hiring or promotion of employees.
Investments
Arcapita's holdings have included:
- 3PD, Inc. - national provider of in-home delivery services based in Marietta, Georgia Sold to XPO Logistics on August 16, 2013.
- Ampad - supplier of paper office products, based in Richardson, Texas
- Bijoux Terner - fashion retailer and supplier of handbags, jewelry, watches, and other goods to airports, hotels, cruise ships, and entertainment venues, based in Miami, Florida
- Compagnie Européenne de Prestations Logistiques (CEPL) - contract logistics company based in Béville-le-Comte, France
- Cypress Communications - small-business telecommunications provider, based in Atlanta, Georgia
- Falcon Gas Storage - largest US-based independently owned operator of high-deliverability, multi-cycle (HDMC) natural gas storage capacity, based in Houston, Texas
- Church's Chicken - fast-food restaurant franchise, based in Atlanta, Georgia, sold to Friedman Fleischer & Lowe on August 10, 2009
- Church Street Health Management (formerly FORBA Holding, LLC) - dental practice management company that operates Small Smiles Dental Centers
- Freightliner - rail logistics company, based in London
- Jill Acquisitions - multi-chain retailer of women's apparel, accessories and footwear under the names J. Jill, Essentials and Core based in Quincy, Massachusetts
- Meridian Surgical Partners - owns and operates ambulatory surgery centers in partnership with physicians throughout the United States, based in Nashville, Tennessee
- PODS - moving and storage company based in Clearwater, Florida
- Roxar - manages reservoir problems in the oil and gas industries, based in Stavanger, Norway. Arcapita announced the signing of a definitive agreement to sell Roxar AS for approximately $370 million to CorrOcean ASA in 2007
- Southland Log Homes - a log home manufacturer, based in Irmo, South Carolina
- Tender Loving Care Health Care Services - home health care and hospice provider, based in Lake Success, New York. In March 2008 TLC was purchased from Arcapita and its co-investors by Amedisys, Inc.
- Tensar - site developer and provider of transportation infrastructure services, based in Atlanta
- Transportation Safety Technologies - manufactures specialty electrical components and safety products for vehicles, based in Indianapolis, Indiana
- Vogica - retailer and wholesaler of kitchens and bathrooms, based in Paris, France
- Working Rx - manages workers' compensation claims for retail pharmacies, based in Salt Lake City, Utah
- Yakima Products - manufacturer of sport racks and accessories for cars, based in Beaverton, Oregon
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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