When was Sterling Investment Partners founded?

Public sources give 1991 as the year Sterling Investment Partners was founded.

Which sectors does Sterling Investment Partners invest in?

Sterling Investment Partners lists Distribution, Business services, After-market and MRO Parts and Building and facilities services among its focus areas. Of the 37 portfolio companies we can classify, the largest groups are Business Services (19), Industrials (14) and Consumer (1).

How many portfolio companies does Sterling Investment Partners have?

PE Firm Index tracks 37 Sterling Investment Partners portfolio companies from the firm's public portfolio page, as of 2026-11-02. The firm's own count may differ, for example where exited companies are listed.

Who leads Sterling Investment Partners?

Public sources name Michael A. Barr (Managing Partner), Joseph J. Gault (Senior Partner) and David H. Kahn (Senior Managing Director, Business Development) among Sterling Investment Partners' leadership.

Which firms are similar to Sterling Investment Partners?

By overlap in portfolio sectors in this index: Blue Sage Capital, HKW and Wynnchurch Capital.

PE Firm · Capital Allocator

Sterling Investment Partners

Medium

Not on record · Founded 1991 · Website

Middle market private equityAcquisition opportunitiesDistributionBusiness servicesAfter-market and MRO PartsBuilding and facilities servicesConsumablesEssential and outsourced services

Last verified

11/1/2026

Firm Overview

Portfolio tracked

Sectors

Regions

11/1/2026

Last verified

A middle market private equity firm that invests in distribution and business services companies. The firm targets recession resistant segments with secular growth tailwinds and recurring demand, typically investing $100-450 million of equity per transaction.

Sterling Investment Partners is a middle market private equity firm founded in 1991. The firm focuses on partnering with management teams to build businesses, specifically concentrating on segments characterized by significant fragmentation and recurring demand dynamics.

The firm takes a patient, long-term approach to address challenges and help prepare companies for both opportunities and risks. They utilize a customized approach for each investment, seeking to maintain the entrepreneurial spirit of their management teams while providing scale, technology leadership, and acquisition opportunities.

With over 35 years of experience, the firm has invested over $3.2 billion across more than 290 transactions. Their investment criteria target companies that compete on bases other than price and demonstrate strong free cash flow generation.

Founded1991

StrategiesMiddle market private equity, Acquisition opportunities

Sector focusDistribution, Business services, After-market and MRO Parts, Building and facilities services, Consumables, Essential and outsourced services

Leadership

Michael A. Barr

Managing Partner

Joseph J. Gault

Senior Partner

David H. Kahn

Senior Managing Director, Business Development

Ruth Lane

Head of Investor Relations

Bill Macey

Co-Founder & Senior Partner

Douglas L. Newhouse

Co-Founder & Senior Advisor

Charles W. Santoro

Co-Founder & Managing Partner

James W. Soldano

Managing Partner

Arthur Tisi

Managing Director, Technology

Patty Xu

Chief Financial Officer

Dan Yu

Partner

Portfolio by sector

Business Services19 (56%)
Industrials14 (41%)
Consumer1 (3%)

34 of 37 tracked portfolio companies of Sterling Investment Partners carry a sector label we can map; shares are of those 34. See the methodology.

Deals on record

1 on record in the index

Add-on

Verdantas, a Sterling Investment Partners portfolio company, acquired Civilitude Engineers and Planners

2026-10-09

Source: axios.link

Deals are listed only where a public source names both sides. Submit a correction.

Portfolio on record

Portfolio by sector

Business Services19 of 37
Industrials14 of 37
Unclassified3 of 37
Consumer1 of 37

37 portfolio companies on record in the index, grouped by sector hub.

Current and exited

Current: 10 of 37Exited: 27 of 37

Portfolio size among all firms

37 companies on record, more than 55% of the 405 firms in the index.

0885 companies (log scale)

Portfolio Companies

Company	Sector	Status	Website
Aavid Thermal Technologies	Not on record	Exited	Not on record
AIMS Companies	Business Services	Current	Not on record
All My Sons Moving and Storage	Business Services	Exited	Not on record
American Buildings Company	Not on record	Exited	Not on record
American West Restaurant Group	Distribution	Exited	Not on record
Anser Advisory	Business Services	Exited	Not on record
Aurora Parts and Accessories	Distribution	Current	Not on record
Banner Industries	Distribution	Current	Not on record
Cambridge International, Inc	Not on record	Exited	Not on record
Camp	Business Services	Current	Not on record
CBORD Group, Inc	Business Services	Exited	Not on record
Cyber Advisors	Business Services	Current	Not on record
Euro Outlet Malls	Distribution	Exited	Not on record
Excelligence Learning Corp	Distribution	Exited	Not on record
Fairway Group Holdings Corp	Distribution	Exited	Not on record
FCX Performance, Inc	Distribution	Exited	Not on record
GPX International Tire	Distribution	Exited	Not on record
HeartLand	Business Services	Exited	Not on record
Interline Brands, Inc	Distribution	Exited	Not on record
Kenan Advantage Group, Inc	Business Services	Exited	Not on record
Lazer Spot, Inc	Business Services	Exited	Not on record
Lipari Foods	Distribution	Exited	Not on record
Marcone	Distribution	Exited	Not on record
Markon Solutions	Business Services	Current	Not on record
Miller Heiman, Inc	Business Services	Exited	Not on record
Mr. Greens	Distribution	Current	Not on record
Power Stop	Distribution	Exited	Not on record
PROtect	Business Services	Current	Not on record
Service Logic	Business Services	Exited	Not on record
Survey Sampling International	Business Services	Exited	Not on record
Tidewater Barge Lines	Business Services	Exited	Not on record
U.S. Maintenance	Business Services	Exited	Not on record
U.S. Shipping Partners L.P.	Business Services	Exited	Not on record
Ubique Group	Distribution	Exited	Not on record
Verdantas	Business Services	Current	Not on record
Washington Inventory Service, Inc	Business Services	Exited	Not on record
XKIG	Business Services	Current	Not on record

Source: https://www.sterlinglp.com/portfolio

Questions about Sterling Investment Partners

When was Sterling Investment Partners founded?: Public sources give 1991 as the year Sterling Investment Partners was founded.
Which sectors does Sterling Investment Partners invest in?: Sterling Investment Partners lists Distribution, Business services, After-market and MRO Parts and Building and facilities services among its focus areas. Of the 37 portfolio companies we can classify, the largest groups are Business Services (19), Industrials (14) and Consumer (1).
How many portfolio companies does Sterling Investment Partners have?: PE Firm Index tracks 37 Sterling Investment Partners portfolio companies from the firm's public portfolio page, as of 2026-11-02. The firm's own count may differ, for example where exited companies are listed.
What deals has Sterling Investment Partners done recently?: The most recent deal on record here is: Verdantas, a Sterling Investment Partners portfolio company, acquired Civilitude Engineers and Planners (2026-10-09). This page lists 1 deal, each with its public source.
Who leads Sterling Investment Partners?: Public sources name Michael A. Barr (Managing Partner), Joseph J. Gault (Senior Partner) and David H. Kahn (Senior Managing Director, Business Development) among Sterling Investment Partners' leadership.
Which firms are similar to Sterling Investment Partners?: By overlap in portfolio sectors in this index: Blue Sage Capital, HKW and Wynnchurch Capital.

Sources for this profile, updated 2026-11-02

Firm website
Public portfolio page
Deal reports (1), linked beside each deal

This profile is based on publicly available information and may be incomplete or outdated. PE Firm Index is not affiliated with Sterling Investment Partners and does not provide investment advice.

Firms similar to Sterling Investment Partners

Blue Sage Capital

Both hold Business Services and Industrials companies; 35 tracked portfolio companies.

HKW

Both hold Business Services and Industrials companies; 45 tracked portfolio companies.

Wynnchurch Capital

Both hold Business Services and Industrials companies; 30 tracked portfolio companies.

Ambienta

Both hold Business Services and Industrials companies; 12 tracked portfolio companies.

Chosen from this index by overlap in portfolio sectors, then by portfolio size. Not a ranking or a recommendation.

Firm Intelligence

Portfolio tracked37
SectorsDistribution, Business services, After-market and MRO Parts, Building and facilities services, Consumables, Essential and outsourced services
RegionsNot on record
AUMNot on record

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Sterling Investment Partners

Firm Overview

Leadership

Portfolio by sector

Deals on record

Portfolio on record

Portfolio Companies

Firms that also back Sterling Investment Partners' companies

Questions about Sterling Investment Partners

Firms similar to Sterling Investment Partners