Linden Portfolio Company MeriCal, Inc. Appoints CEO, CFO, and Directors

December 28, 2016 | For Immediate Release

Chicago, IL (December 22, 2016) – Linden Capital Partners (“Linden”), a Chicago-based healthcare private equity firm, announced today that it has named Brian Smith as Chief Executive Officer of MeriCal Inc. (“MeriCal”), Joseph Sklencar as Chief Financial Officer, and Henry Burdick, Johannes Burlin, and Michael Johnson as Board Directors.

Mr. Smith was appointed interim CEO of MeriCal in September, serving as a Linden Operating Partner leading up to the closing of Linden’s acquisition. Prior to joining Linden, Mr. Smith served as CEO of First Engineering, a global provider of finished medical devices with over 3,000 operating personnel worldwide. Previously, Mr. Smith served as a Senior Managing Director at FTI Consulting.  He brings over twenty years of experience in healthcare focused manufacturing businesses.

Mr. Sklencar joins the executive team from Captek Softgel International, a contract manufacturer, where he served as Chief Financial Officer. He brings more than twenty-five years of financial leadership in manufacturing businesses, including roles as Chief Financial Officer of Heat Transfer Products Group, a specialty manufacturer, and plant controllership roles at LNP Engineering Plastics.

Mr. Burdick joins as a Board Director after most recently serving as an executive officer and Vice Chairman of Herbalife Ltd. Mr. Burdick is an industry pioneer having cofounded Pharmavite and at various times serving as Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and President. He also founded Pharmanex and served as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer.

Mr. Burlin joins as a Board Director after serving as President of Safe Foods International Holdings which sold to Labcorp in 2015. Mr. Burlin spent eighteen years with the Institut Mérieux serving as President of Silliker Laboratories, the world’s largest food testing company, and as Chairman of Advanced Bioscience Laboratories, a biomedical research, development, and manufacturing business.

Mr. Johnson joins as a Board Director after serving as interim CFO of MeriCal until the appointment of Mr. Sklencar. Mr. Johnson’s brings more than thirty years of finance experience including Chief Financial Officer roles at Cord Blood Registry and Fenwal, Inc. Mr. Burdick, Mr. Burlin, and Mr. Johnson will serve on the Board with Linden Operating Partner, Chris Kolber, and MeriCal Founder, Dean Baltzell.

“Linden is thrilled to have these four talented executives join the MeriCal team,” said Linden Managing Partner and MeriCal Chairman, Brian Miller. “They bring an additional century of industry expertise and proven track records driving growth in private equity backed businesses.”

About MeriCal

Merical is a recognized industry leader in the production and packaging of high‐quality nutritional supplement products with expertise in and a focus on the probiotics category. Founded in 1965, the Company provides value‐added contract manufacturing and custom bottling and packaging services, along with a broad range of laboratory support services to several of the most recognized retailers and nutritional supplement brands in the industry. For more information please visit www.merical.com.

About Linden Capital Partners

Linden Capital Partners is a Chicago-based private equity firm focused exclusively on leveraged buyouts in the healthcare and life sciences industries. Linden’s strategy is based upon three elements: i) healthcare and life science industry specialization, ii) integrated private equity and operating expertise, and iii) strategic relationships with large corporations. Linden invests in middle market platforms in the medical products, specialty distribution, pharmaceutical, and services segments of healthcare. For more information, please visit www.lindenllc.com.