What Is the Carlyle Group?
You may not know it, but if you have recently purchased a cup of coffee from Dunkin' Donuts, rinsed your hair under a WaterPik showerhead,1 tracked your favorite band on the Billboard ratings,2 flown into the Orlando airport3 or taken a Metro North train4 out of New York City, you've interacted with the Carlyle Group.
Co-founded in 1987 by David Rubenstein, The Carlyle Group has more than $75 billion in assets currently under management5 and invests in a wide range of industries, including aerospace and defense, automotive and transportation, consumer and retail, energy and power, health care, industrial, real estate, technology and business services, and telecommunications and media. Either alone or as part of club deals, Carlyle has bought out such well-known companies as Loews Cinemas and Dunkin' Brands (Dunkin' Donuts and Baskin Robbins). At present, Carlyle's portfolio includes approximately 140 companies6 which in turn employ more than 200,000 workers and have $68 billion in sales.7 8
But we are concerned that Carlyle's business practices may put everyday Americans at risk by endangering public services, imperiling the environment, jeopardizing the health of vulnerable senior citizens and supporting human rights abuses abroad. CarlyleExposed.org will provide updates on the Carlyle Group's business practices that may be harmful to you.
It's time for the Carlyle Group to use its size and financial power to support our communities and create opportunity for all Americans.
1"The Carlyle Group Announces Agreement…to Buy Water Pik Technologies…" Carlyle Group Press Release, January 6, 2006. http://www.carlyle.com/News/News%20Archive/2006/item6839.html
2"Marketing firm VNU changes name to Nielson Co." Reuters, January 18, 2007. www.reuters.com/article/companyNewsAndPR/idUSN1840975520070118
3"Carlyle Group to Acquire ARINC…" Carlyle Press Release, July 5, 2007, http://www.carlyle.com/News/News%20Archive/2007/item7029.html ; "Orlando International Airport puts lightning safety first." TDN International Edition, October 10, 2007, Vicky Karantzavelou; also see "Orlando International Airport Puts Lightning…" ARINC Press release, http://www.arinc.com/news/2007/10-08b-07.html
4"ARINC Awarded Equipment Contract by New York MTA Metro North Railroad" ARINC Press Release, October 4, 2007; also see "Carlyle Group to Acquire ARINC…" Carlyle Press Release, July 5, 2007, http://www.carlyle.com/News/News%20Archive/2007/item7029.html
5"Assets under Management." Carlyle Group company Web site: http://www.carlyle.com/News/Fact%20Sheets/item8601.pdf
6Glassman, James K. "Big Deals." Jun 2006. Washingtonian. http://carlyle.com/News/Fact%20Sheets/item9959.pdf
7"Fact Sheet (Overview)" The Carlyle Group. http://www.carlyle.com/eng/presskitfiles/01%20Carlyle%20_Main_.pdf
8ALL CUT AND PASTED FROM BEHIND THE BUYOUTS REPORT, which can be downloaded at http://www.behindthebuyouts.org/introduction/