Luisa Beltran

Graham Partners Buys Universal Cold Storage, Universal Pasteurization

Graham Partners has acquired Universal Cold Storage and Universal Pasteurization Co., both based in Lincoln, Nebraska, to form UCS & UPC Holdings Co. Financial terms were not announced. The seller was Universal founder and CEO John Jacobson. The investment is Graham's first in the food processing technology space. Jeffrey Legath, Henry Nassau, Sarah Gelb, Sean Porter, Brad Pollack and Jonathan Stott of Dechert provided legal advice to Graham Partners.

Warburg to Buy CROSSMARK

Warburg Pincus has agreed to make a majority investment in CROSSMARK. Financial terms were not announced. Company management will have a "significant" equity position. Plano, Texas-based CROSSMARK is a sales and marketing services company in the consumer goods industry. BofA Merrill Lynchadvised CROSSMARK, while Slava Leykind and Fuad Sawaya of Sawaya Segalas provided financial advice to Warburg.

Markel Inks $3.13 Bln Buy of Alterra

Markel Corp. said Wednesday that it has agreed to buy Alterra Capital Holdings for about $3.13 billion. Each Alterra common share will be converted into the right to receive 0.04315 Markel common shares plus $10 million in cash. The deal is expected to close in the first half of 2013. Markel will end up owning 69% of the combined company wile Alterra will have about 31%. Alterra, a reinsurer, is backed by Stone Point Capital. Citigroup advised Markel while BofA Merrill Lynch provided financial advice to Alterra.

Andersson Named President, COO of Schafer

Schafer Corp. , a Metalmark Capital portfolio company, said Wednesday that Mark Andersson was named president and chief operating officer effective Jan. 1. Andersson recently served as COO of Applied Signal Technology.

Synteract Inks Buy of Harrison Clinical

Synteract, which is backed by Gryphon Investors, has agreed to buy Harrison Clinical Research. Financial terms were not announced. Munich, Germany-based Harrison is a clinical research company.

peHUB Second Opinion 12.19

To end your Wednesday, we have news that Ron Conway is launching a huge campaign to stop gun violence, John McAfee's exploits are hurting his old company and Facebook's IPO was one of the top tech blunders of 2012.

peHUB Second Opinion 12.18

Today's news includes Instagram's new rules on photos, Apple is in talk with Foursquare to add local data to maps, and go to Canada if you need a Twinkies fix.

BelHealth Collects $150 Million with Most Recent Fund: CORRECTED

BelHealth Investment Partners has raised $150 million with its latest fund, which is below its $200 million target. The fund is still more than twice what its prior pool collected, says Harold Blue, a managing partner.

Braemer Energy Ventures Leads $3.5 Mln Round for Proterro

Proterro said Monday it completed a $3.5 million financing round led by current investor Braemar Energy Ventures. Cultivian Ventures and Middleland Capital joined as new investors, with other existing investors, Battelle Ventures and its affiliate, Innovation Valley Partners, also participating in the round. Proterro, of Ewing, N.J., makes sucrose instead of extracting it from crops.

U.S. Anesthesia Inks Buy of Great Houston Anesthesiology Assets

U.S. Anesthesia Partners, which is backed by Welsh, Carson, Anderson & Stowe, said Monday that Greater Houston Anesthesiology P.A. will serve as U.S. Anesthesia's cornerstone affiliated practice. As part of the deal, U.S. Anesthesia will buy the Greater Houston Anesthesiology assets that provide practice management and business support services. Financial terms were not announced. Greater Houston provides anesthesiology services for major medical facilities in Houston and Austin.