Palm Beach Capital Fund VI has made a strategic investment in NELSON Worldwide through United Design Partners, advancing its strategy of building an integrated national architecture and design services platform. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
NELSON Worldwide is a national architecture and design firm providing architecture, interior design, graphic design, and brand strategy services. The company has more than 600 employees across 14 offices and operates through 10 specialized practice areas.
Its clients include Hilton, Macy’s, Comcast, Simon Property Group, Prologis, Yum! Brands, Boston Consulting Group, T-Mobile, Emory Healthcare, SAP Fieldglass, Kroger, Hyatt, Bayer, and Target.
The investment substantially expands United Design Partners’ national reach and provides the platform with access to NELSON’s infrastructure, operational capabilities, specialized industry expertise, and established client relationships.
United Design Partners plans to build its broader platform around NELSON’s national footprint and operational depth. Palm Beach Capital will also provide growth capital to support acquisitions, organic expansion initiatives, entry into additional architecture and design service categories, and geographic growth.
United Design Partners previously invested in Knoxville, Tennessee-based MBI Companies and Fort Myers, Florida-based Studio+. Together, NELSON, MBI Companies, and Studio+ will form the foundation of the platform, with each firm contributing to its strategic direction and long-term expansion.
With the addition of NELSON’s 14 offices, the combined platform will operate from 20 locations across the Northeast, Southeast, Midwest, and West Coast.
NELSON will retain its existing workforce, leadership team, and client-focused operating model. Its management team will continue overseeing day-to-day operations, enabling the firm to maintain service continuity while pursuing growth opportunities with the additional resources provided by Palm Beach Capital.
The transaction reflects Palm Beach Capital’s continued focus on the architecture, engineering, and construction services sector. The private equity firm previously served as the lead investor and growth partner behind Universal Engineering Sciences, helping the company expand into one of the country’s largest architecture, engineering, and consulting platforms.
Palm Beach Capital has also supported the expansion of engineering and consulting firm Pape-Dawson through investments in acquisitions, operational capabilities, and long-term value creation initiatives.
Dale Hersey, a director at Palm Beach Capital, will continue leading the firm’s investment in United Design Partners. He will work with NELSON and future acquisition targets to execute the platform’s growth strategy.
Dennis L. Knoer of Taft Stettinius & Hollister served as legal counsel to the seller. Reggie Zachariah and Matt Whited of Greenberg Traurig served as legal counsel to the buyer.
KEY QUOTES:
“From the day I joined my father’s 14-person boutique interior design firm, my vision has been clear: to grow, achieve industry leadership, maximize the return and value for our financial partners, and create exceptional career opportunities for our people. This partnership with PBC elevates that vision to an entirely new level, providing the scale, resources, and long-term stability needed to sustain our growth well into the future. As firms like ours evaluate a range of strategic paths, we feel incredibly fortunate to have formalized our relationship with PBC. Their shared values, strategic alignment, and commitment to our people make them the ideal partner for the next chapter of our journey.”
John “Ozzie” Nelson, Jr., CEO of NELSON Worldwide
“NELSON stands out for the consistent quality of its design work and the depth of expertise across its team. They have a strong foundation that is hard to find at this scale, which is what attracted us to the business. With ten specialized practices and a true national footprint, the firm is exceptionally well positioned to keep growing across new markets and sectors. We’re excited to partner with the NELSON team as they enter this next chapter and to support them as they continue building on nearly five decades of growth.”
Nate Ward, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Palm Beach Capital
