Content
CDD Report: Raymond Caron & Norax Supplements
CONFIDENTIAL: CDD SUMMARY

Raymond Caron

Source of Wealth & Business Exit Verification

Subject

Raymond Caron

Founder / Former CEO

Primary Entity

Norax Supplements

Rebranded as Somafina (2023)

Exit Date

March 2022

Private Equity Buyout

Business Profile

Raymond Caron founded Norax Supplements, LLC in 2014, establishing the company as a key contract manufacturer in the nutraceutical industry. Based in Newnan, Georgia, the company specialized in private label manufacturing for e-commerce brands. This report validates the timeline of his ownership and subsequent exit, clarifying discrepancies between private financial records and public media announcements.

Strategic Timeline

The following timeline reconstructs the corporate history based on Georgia Secretary of State filings, Heartwood Partners portfolio data, and legal dockets.

Nov 2014

Entity Formation

Raymond Caron registers Norax Supplements, LLC in Georgia. Operations begin in Newnan, GA.

Mar 16, 2022

The Liquidity Event (Buyout)

Heartwood Partners (Fund IV) acquires Norax Supplements. This is the effective date of the change in control and Caron's primary exit. Analyst Note: This date matches private financial documents but precedes the public rebranding.

Sep 26, 2023

Public Rebranding (Somafina)

Heartwood Partners publicly announces the investment and rebrands Norax to Somafina. John Niemi is introduced as CEO.

Feb 2024

Add-On Acquisition

Somafina acquires UST Corporation, expanding manufacturing capabilities.

The "Announcement Gap"

Comparing the actual transaction date vs. the public media release date. This explains the 2022 vs. 2023 discrepancy.

Takeaway: There was an ~18-month strategic delay between closing the deal and announcing the new brand, a common strategy in private equity to prepare for a relaunch.

Operational Eras

Evolution of the company's operational control and leadership structure.

Takeaway: The company transitioned from a Founder-Led model (Caron) to an Institutional Platform (Heartwood) in 2022.

Transaction Details

Data Point Detail Source (Click to Verify)
Seller Raymond Caron (Founder/Principal) GA Secretary of State
Buyer Heartwood Partners (Fund IV) Heartwood 2022 Year in Review
Deal Date March 16, 2022 PitchBook / Internal Logs
Rebrand Date September 26, 2023 Somafina Announcement

Generated for Customer Due Diligence (CDD) Review. Confidential.

Data Sources: Georgia Corporations Division, Heartwood Partners Public Filings, PR Newswire.

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