OpCapita, a private equity firm specializing in the operational improvement of businesses in the retail, consumer and leisure industries, agreed to acquire Maurices, a specialty retailer focused on women’s value apparel, from Ascena, an American retailer of women's clothing. Certain members of the maurices management team will invest alongside OpCapita in the transaction, which values maurices at an enterprise value of $300m. “We believe there is a real opportunity to increase the profitability of maurices through hands-on operational improvement. We firmly believe that our consistent focus on operational discipline is a key differentiator embedded in the heart of our organization, and one we look forward to implementing at maurices. As we establish maurices as an independent stand-alone company, we welcome the continued support of ascena through their retained stake and the range of services they will provide,” Henry Jackson, OpCapita CEO.