Smiles Services with Two More Affiliations
Vancouver, WA, August 28, 2020 - Granite Bridge Partners LLC (“GBP”) portfolio company Smiles Services, LLC (“Smiles” or the “Company”) today completed its affiliation with Kirkland Dentistry in Kirkland, Washington. Dr. David Richardson who founded the practice over 35 years ago is retiring, and the Company is pleased to welcome Drs. Sonali Sharma and Ali Azar, both Kirkland natives, in joining the practice. The practice will operate under the Optima Dental Spa brand, joining affiliated practices in Bellevue, WA, Gig Harbor, WA, Lake Oswego, OR and the Pearl District downtown Portland, OR as the fifth Optima location managed by Smiles.
The affiliation in Kirkland follows on Smiles’ affiliation with Northwest Smiles in DuPont, WA, which was completed July 31, 2020. The Company assumed management of Northwest Smiles from Dr. Chris Elliott, who founded the practice in its current location in 2009 and is leaving Washington to live closer to his extended family. Smiles is pleased to welcome Dr. Barret Green, an experienced dentist from North Carolina who moved to the region with his wife who serves as veterinarian at the nearby Joint-Base Lewis McCord (“JBLM”). Northwest Smiles, which will retain its name under Smiles management, joins Smiles’ nearby practice in Lacey, WA in serving the military families living on and near JBLM as well as the wider south Puget Sound community with comprehensive, patient-centric general and specialty dentistry.
The practice affiliations in Kirkland and DuPont bring the total number of Smiles affiliated practices to 19 and mark the resumption of Smiles expansion activities after a challenging first-half of 2020 that saw state-mandated service restrictions severely limit the Company’s activity in response to the Coronavirus pandemic. While 75% of dentists in the Pacific NW closed their doors entirely, Smiles remained open and provided the communities where it operates reliable emergency dentistry, allowing local hospital emergency rooms to focus on serving critically ill patients battling COVID-19. Additionally, having secured excess personal protective equipment in the early stages of the pandemic, Smiles was proud to donate more than $25,000 worth of masks, gloves, gowns and shoe coverings to local hospitals in Oregon and Washington when they needed it most.
Reflecting on the recent affiliations, Dr. Raymond Frye, CEO of Smiles said, “Kirkland has long been a community we have targeted following on the success of our nearby Bellevue office, and adding a practice in DuPont furthers our ability to serve the south Puget Sound community with our unique brand of dentistry.” Said GBP Partner Jeff Gerson, “While we take nothing for granted and realize we’re still in the midst of a pandemic, we are very proud of the leadership shown by Dr. Frye and his team in reestablishing the operational momentum from earlier in the year, and we are pleased to support the Company’s continued growth.”
Smiles is actively seeking practice affiliations with offices of at least six operatories in Washington and Oregon. Interested practice owners should reach out to Dr. Raymond Frye for more information ray@ravingsmiles.com.
About Smiles Services LLC
Smiles Services LLC is the Pacific Northwest’s leading Dental Service Organization, managing 19 locations in Washington and Oregon under the Smiles Family Dental and Optima Dental Spa brands. The Company strives every day to have raving patients and raving employees - in short, raving fans of all kinds. Smiles aims to be the preferred dental provider in each of the communities where it operates, offering the highest quality, patient-centric general and specialty dentistry, including cosmetics, orthodontics, prosthodontics, endodontics and oral surgery. As an employer, the Company strives to be a sought-after destination for mid-career dentists seeking to focus exclusively on patient care without the hassles of practice ownership and management. The company’s motto is “We go the extra Smile.” For more information, please visit www.welovesmiles.com and www.optimadental.com.
About Granite Bridge Partners
Granite Bridge Partners LLC is a private equity investment firm that targets control investments in lower middle market companies with EBITDA between $2 million and $12 million in the following sectors: consumer products and services, outsourced business services and niche manufacturing. For more information, visit www.granitebridge.com
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