Sterling Group
Private equityHouston · Growth · 15 people tracked
Also known as Sterling Capital Management Llc · THE STERLING GROUP, L.P.
Find your way into Sterling Group
1,129 people in our graph share verified history with the Sterling Group team — schools, employers, funds. One of them is your warm intro.
Investment thesis
The Sterling Group focuses on private equity buyouts in basic industries, including manufacturing, distribution, industrial services, and business services. It targets corporate carve-outs and family/entrepreneur-owned or sponsor-owned businesses, pursuing transactions between $100 million and $1 billion with equity investments of $50 million to $350 million. The firm applies its proprietary Seven Levers methodology — an operations-improvement framework built on continuous-improvement principles and drawn from nearly four decades of experience — to materially improve the companies it acquires.
Source: firm website, verified Sep 1, 2026.
Team · 15 people
from the firm's website & curated & public directories
What they invest in
from 17 of 46 portfolio companiesAdvanced Manufacturing ×8Construction Tech ×8Hardware ×5Logistics & Supply Chain ×5Energy ×3B2B Marketplaces ×2Cleantech ×2Consumer ×2
HQs:United States×17
Investments · 46 tracked
founders shown can be your intro pathFencing Supply Group is a wholesale distributor of fencing and outdoor living products and supplies in the United States, serving professional contractors across residential, industrial, commercial, and infrastructure markets.
B2B MarketplacesConstruction TechLogistics & Supply ChainHouston, US
Andrea Hogan(Executive Officer)
Healthcare Linen NSG provides rental linen and patient apparel services to hospitals, including bed linens, patient gowns, towels, and cleaning products, with all items processed in-house through their facilities.
HealthtechLogistics & Supply ChainNew York, US
Joseph LaPorta(CEO)in
Co-investorsSeaport CapitalThompson Street Capital Partners
Premier Tire & Auto Service is an operator and acquirer of tire and automotive service centers backed by the Sterling Group.
B2B MarketplacesConsumerMobility & TransportationRetail Tech
PrimeFlight Aviation Services provides aircraft, passenger, and security-related services to commercial airlines and airports globally through a portfolio of subsidiaries including ground support equipment maintenance, aviation fueling, cargo handling, aircraft detailing, and aerospace chemicals.
Enterprise SoftwareLogistics & Supply ChainTravel & HospitalitySugar Land, US
Co-investorsCapitol Meridian Partners
Time Manufacturing Company designs and builds vehicle-mounted aerial lifts, digger derricks, bridge inspection equipment, and related utility truck bodies for the telecommunications, electric utility, forestry, and infrastructure markets.
Advanced ManufacturingEnergyHardwareWaco, US
Co-investorsH.I.G. CapitalStellus Capital Management
A Place for Mom is a U.S. and Canadian senior care referral marketplace connecting families with senior living and home care providers.
Vernon Hills, US
Jonathan Stevens(Executive Officer)Thomas Richards(Executive Officer, Director)Christine Leahy(Executive Officer)Dennis Berger(Executive Officer)Neal Campbell(Executive Officer)Christina Rother(Executive Officer)
Co-investorsBain Capital Double Impact Fund LPBain Capital Life SciencesBain Capital Tech OpportunitiesBlue Sea CapitalClayton Dubilier & RiceCore Venture Capital+11 more
Dealer of flooring products and services for homebuilders; headquartered in Southlake, Texas.
Multi-regional provider of custom glass and coatings solutions across the Midwest; held in Foundation Fund.
Combination of five manufacturers to create the second largest bathtub company in the US.
B'laster Holdings is a manufacturer of specialty chemical products for automotive and industrial applications, with a legacy dating to 1957.
Advanced Manufacturing
Expanded the family crane business into the new Texas geography.
Bad Boy manufactures and sells zero-turn mowers, tractors, handheld tools, and UTVs for homeowners and rural landowners.
Advanced ManufacturingHardwareBatesville, US
Consolidation of multiple leading regional and local construction supply distributors.
Improved operating practices and completed 10 acquisitions with management.
Among the nation's largest plastic (PET) recyclers, processing over one billion post-consumer PET bottles annually into food grade rPET.
Provider of industrial and specialty cleaning services to diverse end markets; formed from North American Industrial Services and Evergreen Industrial Services in 2016.
Frontline Road Safety Group is the nation's largest pavement marking company serving airports, government agencies, highways, and private corporations.
Construction TechLogistics & Supply ChainDenver, US
Manufacturer of PET and polypropylene strapping in the North American securement packaging industry; headquartered in Mentor, Ohio.
Family-owned provider of intermodal transportation solutions including container drayage, transloading, and container storage; held in Fund V.
National aftermarket leader created by concurrently acquiring and merging two companies.
Co-investorsAea Investors
Regional provider of outsourced linen laundry and management services to healthcare institutions across the US; held in Fund VI.
Carve-out acquisition from DuPont, the fourth business Sterling acquired from the company.
Co-investorsOlympus Partners
L&S Mechanical is a construction services contractor operating across Texas that provides plumbing, HVAC, and electrical installation and maintenance for new home construction and existing homeowners.
Advanced ManufacturingConstruction TechHardwareDallas, US
Thomas Mozjesik(President)
Best-in-class platform built through strategic acquisitions to strengthen the collective network.
Provider of fuel, ramp and other services to the general aviation industry with locations across the US.
Co-investorsStellus Capital Management
Provider of site preparation, mining and other services in the Alberta Oil Sands and Western Canada.
Pavement Preservation Group manufactures high-performance asphalt products and specialty materials for pavement maintenance, preservation, and construction applications.
Advanced ManufacturingConstruction TechNew Materials
Darin Matson(President & CEO)in
Provider of specialty rigid packaging solutions; held in Fund VI.
PC International manufactures plastic bottles and containers using blow molding technology, offering both standard stock molds and custom design solutions for consumer product brands seeking sustainable packaging options.
Advanced ManufacturingCircular EconomyConsumerNew Materials
PowerGrid provides overhead distribution construction, transmission line maintenance, and right-of-way clearing services for utility providers including major utilities, cooperatives, and municipalities.
Construction TechEnergy
Platform building a one-stop tire and auto service solutions provider; held in Foundation Fund.
Global aviation services provider for commercial, general and business aviation, and cargo end markets; held in Fund V.
ProcessBarron is an industrial equipment and services provider serving heavy processing industries including cement, pulp and paper, steel, mining, and waste-to-energy plants.
Advanced ManufacturingCleantechConstruction TechEnergyHardwareBirmingham, US
Jim WoodsBob PerryJerry DoyalAT ScottKen Nolen(Chief Executive Officer)inTim Iori(President)in
Co-investorsCarousel
Wholesale distributor of roofing supplies and related materials in the United States.
Russell Landscape Group is a commercial landscape contractor providing design, installation, maintenance, irrigation, and enhancement services for properties such as corporate campuses, HOA communities, healthcare facilities, municipalities, and retail centers.
Construction TechSugar Hill, US
William "Bill" E. Russell(Founder)Teddy Russell(Owner & CEO)in
Co-investorsStellus Capital Management
Value-added distributor of rigid packaging products for the wine, spirits and craft beer markets in North America; headquartered in Horsham, PA.
Provider of products and services to the municipal water and wastewater industry across the Southern and Midwestern US; held in Foundation Fund.
Specified Air Solutions is a family of brands that makes custom and semi-custom HVAC and "make up air" equipment for specialty industrial markets, including manufacturing, warehousing, logistics, aviation, government and military facilities.
Advanced ManufacturingCleantechHardwareHouston, US
Charles Brown(Executive Officer)Richard Jasiura(Executive Officer)
BoardWilliam C. Oehmig(vice president and director of ultimate parent)Reymond Kent Wallace(vice president and director of ultimate parent)John D. Hawkins(president, treasurer and director of ultimate parent)Gregory L. Elliott(vice president and director of ultimate parent)
Manufacturer of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) lumber for outdoor furniture, site amenities, structural applications, and marine decking; held in Fund IV.
Provider of maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) services to the business aviation industry; headquartered in East Alton, Illinois.
Fund performance · per public LP disclosures · 2
as of Jun 2024| Fund | Vintage | Committed | Net IRR | TVPI | DPI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sterling Group Partners V, L.P.LPs: Santa Barbara County Employees' Retirement System | 2021 | — | 20.7% | 1.33x | 0.02x |
| Sterling Group Partners IVLPs: Pennsylvania Public School Employees' Retirement System | 2016 | — | 19.6% | 2.30x | 1.84x |
Source: public limited-partner disclosures (CalPERS, CalSTRS). Net IRR / TVPI / DPI as reported by the limited partner; a fund's early-year IRR is an interim estimate (J-curve).
Frequently asked questions
- How many investments has Sterling Group made?
- Sterling Group has 46 tracked investments.
- What stage does Sterling Group invest at?
- Sterling Group invests at the Growth stage.
- What is Sterling Group's typical check size?
- Sterling Group typically writes checks of $50M – $350M.
- What sectors does Sterling Group focus on?
- Sterling Group focuses on Advanced Manufacturing, Enterprise Software, Logistics & Supply Chain.
- Where is Sterling Group located?
- Sterling Group is headquartered in Houston, US.
- Who does Sterling Group co-invest with?
- Sterling Group most often shares deals with Stellus Capital Management, Core Venture Capital, DFJ, among 20 tracked co-investors.
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