Stafford Capital Partners closes first investment for its new fund, Stafford International Timberland Fund VIII (“SIT VIII”)

November, 2016

Stafford Capital Partners (“Stafford”), a leading private markets investment group with a global presence and USD 4.4 billion under management and advice, is pleased to announce the first close on USD 180 million in commitments for its new timber fund, Stafford International Timberland Fund VIII (“SIT VIII”). SIT VIII is a specialist timberland fund providing liquidity to Limited Partners in existing timberland funds through the secondary market, additional equity for timberland managers through co-investment and separate account opportunities, and equity for new timberland funds.

One week after closing, Stafford is also pleased to announce a first SIT VIII investment of circa USD 50 million through a secondary transaction in five US timberland funds that hold a diversified portfolio of properties across several key timberland regions in the US.

SIT VIII follows on from Stafford International Timberland Fund VII (“SIT VII”), a USD 484 million timberland fund. Over the past 12 months Stafford has completed USD 497m of timberland investments across ten transactions including, six secondary transactions, two separate account mandates and two primary timberland fund commitments. Stafford was in a position to syndicate one of these SIT VII secondary transactions, raising an additional USD 80 million of capital from both new and existing clients. Stafford continues to see an increasing number of larger secondary transactions coming to market.