Strategy

New York -- Investment firm TowerBrook Capital Partners is acquiring women’s apparel retailer J. Jill, which operates some 250 stores nationwide. TowerBrook is buying the company from Investment firm Arcapita and private equity firm Golden Gate Capital.  

In a statement, J. Jill CEO Paula Bennett noted that the retailer has just completed its best sales year in history and 12 quarters of consecutive growth.

Boston - Gordon Brothers Group’s Valuation & Advisory Services Division and AccuVal-LiquiTec have entered into a merger to form Gordon Brothers-AccuVal.  The new group will operate as a wholly owned subsidiary of Gordon Brothers Group.

Toano, Va. – Despite bad publicity from a March 2015 “60 Minutes” report alleging carcinogenic materials in the laminate of some Chinese hardwood it sells, Lumber Liquidators beat Wall Street sales estimates in first quarter 2015. In a sales update, Lumber Liquidators said sales were $260 million, an increase of 6% from first quarter 2014.

Ace Hardware has always been known for its “helpful hardware folks” motto, but now the company is taking its customer service knowledge global.

Springfield, Mo. – Los Angeles-based private equity group Leonard Green & Partners is reportedly in talks to acquire a stake in specialty outdoor retailer Bass Pro Shops. According to the Wall Street Journal, Leonard Green may make an offer that would value the privately-held Bass Pro at between $4 billion and $5 billion, including debt.

Walmart CEO Doug McMillon's statement on social media Wednesday asking the state of Arkansas to reject legislation that critics say could allow discrimination against lesbians and gay men is indicative of the retailer's increased role in many social issues, according to the New York Times.

Oak Brook, Ill. -- C.B. Kuzlik, a 20-year veteran of the paving industry, has founded Let’s Pave, which is focused on buyers of commercial and industrial pavement services and solutions nationwide. The company is different from other national service providers, according to Kuzlik, in that it treats paving services and pavement management as separate specialties — offering one or the other, but never both to the same client.  

Framingham, Mass. - Staples has signed onto “100% Talent: The Boston Women’s Compact,” an effort to end the gender-based wage gap and advance women in the workforce. Staples has pledged to work with Boston Mayor Martin J. Walsh in a public-private partnership to make Boston the best city in the country for working women.