Ames Watson Affiliate Acquires South Moon Under

Ames Watson Acquires Claire's for $140M

September 23, 2025

Retail

Private equity firm Ames Watson has completed a $140 million acquisition of Claire’s North American business operations and intellectual property following the retailer’s Chapter 11 filing. The deal preserves a majority of Claire’s mall stores (at least 795, potentially up to 950) and thousands of jobs as Ames Watson aims to revitalize the brand through refreshed merchandising, elevated piercing services, and new store concepts.

Authentic Brands Group Acquires Champion; Ames Watson to Operate Collegiate and Teamwear Business

September 30, 2024

Consumer Products

Authentic Brands Group has completed the acquisition of the Champion brand and certain operating assets from HanesBrands. As part of the deal, Authentic granted a license for Champion's U.S. collegiate apparel and teamwear business to GearCo, which will be managed by Ames Watson (with Fanatics as an investor), to drive growth in the collegiate and teamwear markets.

Amwins Acquires Superior Underwriters

December 31, 2024

Insurance

Amwins, a leading wholesale distributor of specialty insurance products, has acquired Superior Underwriters, a Bellevue, Washington–based managing general agency (MGA). The business, which will join Amwins Access, closed on December 31, 2024; terms were not disclosed and the acquisition is intended to strengthen Amwins' presence in the Pacific Northwest and expand its small-business binding authority capabilities.

MERGE Acquires Blue Moon Digital

August 12, 2021

Marketing & Advertising

MERGE, a Keystone Capital portfolio company, has acquired Blue Moon Digital, a Denver-based performance marketing, data science, and digital agency. The deal expands MERGE's performance marketing and data science capabilities and deepens its retail, e‑commerce and pharma vertical expertise; terms were not disclosed.

Windermere Lease Source Acquires Watson Management Co.

October 10, 2024

Real Estate

Spokane-based Windermere Lease Source Property Management has acquired the assets of longtime Spokane property manager Watson Management Co., adding roughly 550 rental properties and bringing Windermere's portfolio to about 1,100 doors. Watson's owners, Rawley and Helen Harrison, have retired and four Watson employees were retained; terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

AE Industrial Partners Acquires Adcole Maryland Aerospace

March 2, 2020

Aerospace & Defense

AE Industrial Partners (AEI) has acquired Adcole Maryland Aerospace (AMA), a Marlborough, Massachusetts–based designer and manufacturer of mission-critical spacecraft components and small satellites, from Adcole Corporation/Artemis Capital Partners. The acquisition establishes AEI's space technology platform and aims to position AMA to capture growing demand from U.S. government and commercial space markets.