Many people in America today don’t understand how private equity works or the benefits it can offer to companies in distress. Hyland Software from Cleveland, Ohio is one company that helps to illustrate the many benefits private equity can provide. Hyland Software called itself “a slice of Silicon Valley in the Rust Belt” as they are an industry leading software company that develops content management software called OnBase.

They help businesses streamline their processes and share information. They partnered with Thoma Bravo in 2007 to grow the company with private equity assistance. Since Thoma Bravo’s initial investment, they have showed a significant growth and have doubled their employees to over 1300 from the 650 or so they had five years ago. Since the initial investment in 2007, Hyland Software has purchased five other companies and grown their revenue by $144 million.

As A.J. Hyland, president and CEO of Hyland Software explained in a recent press release, “It is unlikely that Hyland Software would be where we are today without private equity. Our private equity partners worked with us to grow the business, expand our customer base and sharpen our management skills, while allowing us to preserve the dynamic culture of the company.”

Orlando Bravo, managing partner at Thoma Bravo, added, “private equity is out there to improve corporate performance. Improving corporate performance involves evaluating and strategically enhancing all aspects of the corporation, including the customer base and employees, and doing so consistently over time.”