Kohlberg & Company

Kohlberg & Company was founded in 1987 by Jerome Kohlberg, Jr., a pioneer of the private equity industry, following his departure from Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. (KKR). Kohlberg left KKR due to a desire to move away from increasingly large, hostile, and highly leveraged takeovers, choosing instead to focus on smaller, middle-market companies. Alongside his son James, he established the firm to generate returns through revenue growth and operational improvements using only moderate leverage.

The firm is headquartered in Mount Kisco, New York, and has historically targeted middle-market transactions. Its investment activity includes a range of deal types such as leveraged carveouts from larger corporations, take-private transactions of public entities, and the acquisition of family-owned or privately held businesses. Jerome Kohlberg retired from the firm in 1994, leaving leadership to the next generation of partners.

In recent years, Kohlberg & Company has remained active in the middle market, completing notable acquisitions across the engineering, life sciences, human resources, and energy services sectors. Recent activity includes the 2024 acquisition of energy service provider CLEAResult and the 2025 acquisition of RESA Power. The firm continues to operate under a philosophy of partnership with management teams to drive long-term value.