As most are aware, Newlook Capital Inc. (“Newlook”) has worked closely alongside our operating partners throughout the unprecedented circumstances of COVID-19 which involved rapid-fire changes and new policies, procedures, and restrictions. Through all of this, we remain prouder than ever of the teams that we have assembled and the partners that we have chosen in both of our Industrial Services Funds and our Dental Fund.
It has been over a year since the reopening of dental practices following the recommended closures in response to COVID-19 and we are thrilled to shift our focus. Having successfully navigated an unprecedented storm, we are excited to return to doing what it is that we do best; continuing to build a successful group of dental practices, which locations have grown from one clinic to 15 clinics and counting!
In addition to the promising return to normal operations, Newlook is pleased to announce three additional investments by Dentalook since March 31,2021; Bellwoods Dental and Sherbourne Dental Associates, both located in Toronto, Ontario, and Viva Dental located in Thunder Bay, Ontario.
“These three acquisitions are only the beginning of the Dentalook expansion plan to approximately double the number of clinics in 2021. We have been preparing and building a strong team on every front to cater to our growth plans and the corresponding demands on our organizational skills, coordination, systems, communications and training,” says Abbas Osman, Chief Investment Officer at Newlook.
“Part of growing is becoming structurally sound and organized, becoming more of a buttoned-up organization that is run by structured processes and systems. This transition is critical in any group, and it defines the difference between success and failure as we scale up,” adds Elroy Gust, President at Newlook.
A portion of our growth and robust pipeline of acquisition opportunites can be attributed to the shift from independent practice as a result of COVID-19. Dentalook is capitalizing on this shift and is pleased with the opportunities available today that once may not have been presented. Dentalook is noticing now more than ever that dentists want to use the majority of their working hours tending to patients, while preserving clinical independence, offloading administrative responsibility, and benefiting from the business support and know-how delivered by a platform like Dentalook.
“As we review potential acquisition opportunities, we are finding that while there are obvious economic and financial advantages to a partnership with Dentalook, dentists more and more are seeking working arrangements that prioritize family and work-life balance. Our platform can assist in making these priorities a reality,” says Abbas Osman.
Throughout COVID-19, Newlook has continued to maintain low conventional bank leverage, and the Dental Fund remains in a healthy position to both continue expanding and paying its distributions.