About Horizon Holdings
Horizon Holdings, LLC is a private investment firm that acquires and makes investments in private companies and divisions of larger corporations with revenue generally between $10 million and $150 million and that invests in private equity, private debt, real estate and other securities offered by top tier independent third party managers.
Horizon has a long term, patient investment approach, and many of its investments have been in the Horizon portfolio for 20 years or more.Since its founding in 1989, Horizon and its portfolio entities have acquired 20+ companies that are organized into 4 platforms, and it has invested in approximately 25 third party funds.
Because Horizon invests its own capital rather than funds from large institutions or money managers, the firm has a significantly different investment approach than most private equity firms. The firm is small by design and offers a user-friendly, individualized, non-institutional approach to making direct investments and managing investments once they are made. Horizon’s principals work very closely with the key executives at each of its companies to build long term equity value.
About Our Team
Horizon’s co-founders and principals, Phil Estes and Jim Shorin, have extensive experience in a wide range of disciplines including capital formation, business strategy, executive recruiting, finance and control, law, operations and sales and marketing.
Phillip S. Estes, Managing Member
Prior to co-founding Horizon in 1989, Phil was an investment banker with Drexel Burnham Lambert in New York and Beverly Hills. He holds an MBA from Harvard Business School, completed master’s level coursework in petroleum geology at Stanford University and holds a BS in Geology from the University of Oklahoma. In addition to serving on the board of directors of each of Horizon’s portfolio companies, Phil is an active community volunteer and serves on a number of non-profit boards around the country, including those with human service, educational and environmental missions. He and his wife have also endowed scholarships at eight colleges or universities in all cases to benefit high achieving students from under resourced communities. He is a 2011 recipient of the Jefferson Award for Public Service, holds a US Coast Guard Captain’s License and is an instrument rated aviation pilot. In his spare time, Phil is the drummer in an aspiring rock band.
James M. Shorin, Managing Member
Prior to co-founding Horizon in 1989, Jim was a consultant with Bain & Company, a leading management consulting firm in San Francisco. At Bain, he helped clients formulate and implement marketing, operating improvement, acquisition and post-acquisition integration strategies. Jim serves on the board of directors of each of Horizon’s portfolio companies. Jim holds a JD from Stanford Law School, an MBA from the University of Chicago and a BA from Duke University. He is a member of the California State Bar has passed the CPA exam. Jim is also an alumni advisor and prospective student interviewer for Duke University. Jim is active as a coach and supporter of youth sports in his community, and he also is an avid photographer including being a regular volunteer photographer at many Stanford University sporting events, including three Rose Bowls (unfortunately, likely the last ones for Stanford). In his spare time, Jim is dedicated to personal fitness and can be found exercising in his gym or in the hills adjacent to his home.
Colleen Planting, Executive Assistant and Office Manager
Colleen joined Horizon Holdings in 2015 as Executive Assistant and Office Manager. She manages the firm’s day to day administration including travel and logistics, office operations and banking, and certain corporate matters for Horizon’s portfolio companies. Before joining the company, Colleen was EA and Office Manager at d.light design, a for profit social enterprise with offices in Kenya, Delhi, Shenzhen and San Francisco. Prior to d.light, she held various EA/Office Manager positions in the financial services sector, primarily for high level executives in the financial district of San Francisco including, Gryphon Investors, and Bessemer Trust. Her hobbies include golf, dancing, hiking, cooking and entertaining friends and family both near and afar.