Granite Creek Capital Partners Announces Investment in Odyssey Aviation U.S.


CHICAGO, Sept. 13, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Granite Creek Capital Partners, L.L.C., a private investment firm based in Chicago, today announced it has made an investment in Odyssey Aviation U.S. Odyssey is a Fixed Based Operator (‘FBO’) that provides fuel, hangar rental, aircraft de-icing, and other services to private aviation customers and air cargo operators at the Kissimmee Gateway Airport (ISM) in Kissimmee, FL and the Willow Run Airport (YIP) in Ypsilanti, MI. Granite Creek’s investment supports a broader recapitalization of Odyssey with Equivu Capital, LLC, the investment arm of Odyssey’s CEO Salvatore Calvino, becoming majority shareholder of the company.

In conjunction with Granite Creek’s investment in Odyssey, Granite Creek partners Mark Radzik and Jim Clark will join its board of directors.

Odyssey is led by Salvatore Calvino, CEO, and Ken Allison, President, highly-tenured executives with decades of combined experience in the FBO industry and aviation services. Granite Creek’s investment, along with Calvino and Allison’s leadership, will help strengthen Odyssey’s existing service offerings, support the growth of the operating team, and facilitate the company’s continued expansion in existing and new geographies.

“We are thrilled to partner with Odyssey's world-class management team and look forward to supporting the company as it executes its strategic plan,” said Mark Radzik, Co-Founder and Managing Partner at Granite Creek. “Odyssey's dogged focus on providing an exemplary customer experience, its sterling reputation, and its broad-based established platform position the company well for continued growth and success.”

“I am pleased to welcome Granite Creek on joining us in investing in Odyssey,” said Salvatore Calvino, CEO of Odyssey. “Granite Creek’s growth capital investment will help the company continue to meet the needs of its existing customers, capitalize on growing demand for private aviation, and broaden the footprint of Odyssey across the United States.”

About Odyssey Aviation U.S.
Odyssey is a fixed-base operator (‘FBO’) that provides aviation fuel, hangar rental, aircraft de-icing, and other services to private aviation customers and air cargo operators at the Kissimmee Gateway Airport in Kissimmee, FL and the Willow Run Airport in Ypsilanti, MI. The company is led by Salvatore Calvino and Ken Allison, who have decades of combined experience in the FBO industry and aviation services, and is headquartered in Bonita Springs, FL.

About Granite Creek Capital Partners, L.L.C.
Founded in 2005, Granite Creek Capital Partners, L.L.C. is a Chicago-based private investment firm focused on providing capital and operational resources to lower middle market companies engaged in manufacturing, business services, healthcare, and agribusiness. With an experienced team of investment professionals bringing expertise in private equity, banking, operations, and business development, Granite Creek has a successful track record of investing in and supporting its portfolio companies. In addition to providing funding to lower middle market companies, in 2011 Granite Creek co-founded Renovo Financial, one of the largest private lenders serving real estate entrepreneurs. Granite Creek was named to Inc.’s 2021 Private Equity 50 list. For more information on Granite Creek, visit www.granitecreek.com or call 312-895-4500.

For more media information, contact:
Lisa Hendrickson, LCH Communications for Granite Creek
516-643-1642
lisa@lchcommunications.com