Platform investment
The Sterling Group acquired Scruggs Company
2026-04-26
Source: linkedin.comPE Firm · Capital Allocator
The Sterling Group
MediumNot on record · Website
Private EquityPrivate CreditMiddle marketOperationally focusedStrategic acquisitionsCarve-outsCorporate carve-outsFamily-owned business transitionsIndustrial sectorConstruction supply distributorsManufacturingAviation (FBO)Aftermarket industrial products
Last verified
11/2/2026
Firm Overview
72
Portfolio tracked
5
Sectors
0
Regions
11/2/2026
Last verified
The Sterling Group is an operationally focused middle market private equity firm that partners with management teams in the industrial sector. The firm focuses on growing and building businesses through operational improvements and strategic acquisitions.
The Sterling Group is an operationally focused middle market private equity firm that partners with management teams to grow and build winning businesses in the industrial sector. The firm engages in both private equity and private credit investments.
The firm's history of transactions includes acquiring businesses from large corporations, such as DuPont, and transitioning family-owned businesses. Sterling works with its partners to improve operating practices, expand into new geographies, and execute strategies to scale businesses into global leaders or national platforms.
Typical activities include centralizing unintegrated legacy businesses to take advantage of scale, supplementing management teams, and completing strategic acquisitions to contribute to stronger collective networks. The firm has experience managing the complexities of carve-out transitions and concurrently acquiring and merging companies.
Leadership
Jim Apple
Partner, Business Development
Jim joined Sterling in 2013 to lead the firm’s sourcing efforts and previously worked in investment banking at Morgan Keegan and Raymond James.
Dan Bucaro
Partner, Operating Executive
Dan is a Partner and Operating Executive at The Sterling Group.
Lucas Cutler
Partner
Lucas is a Partner focused on the firm's Lower Middle Market private equity practice.
Sean Davenport
Partner
Sean is a Partner leading the firm's Private Credit practice.
Gregory L. Elliott
Partner
Greg is a Partner at The Sterling Group, primarily focused on Middle Market Private Equity.
John Griffin
Partner
John is a Partner at The Sterling Group.
Brian Henry
Partner
Brian is a Partner at The Sterling Group.
Franny Jones
Partner, Investor Relations
Franny joined Sterling in 2020 and serves as the Partner in charge of Investor Relations.
Claudine Lussier
Partner, Human Capital
Claudine joined Sterling in 2020 and leads human capital initiatives across the firm and its portfolio.
Scott MacLaren
Partner
Scott is a Partner at The Sterling Group.
Jud Morrison
Partner, Operations
Jud is a Partner focused on operations and the firm's Portfolio Resource Group.
Brad Staller
Partner
Brad is a Partner at The Sterling Group.
Kent Wallace
Partner
Kent is a Partner at The Sterling Group.
Brandon Baudin
Chief Financial Officer
Brandon joined Sterling in 2018 and is responsible for all financial management aspects of the firm.
Rob Gray
Managing Director, General Counsel & Chief Compliance Officer
Rob serves as Managing Director, General Counsel, and Chief Compliance Officer for the firm.
Luke Bateman
Managing Director
Luke joined Sterling in 2023 and was previously a Partner at Insight Equity.
Pierce Edwards
Managing Director, Business Development
Pierce is a Managing Director focused on business development for the firm.
Jared North
Managing Director, Business Development
Jared serves as a Managing Director for Business Development at Sterling.
Chris Ahearn
Operating Partner, Commercial
Chris joined Sterling in 2019 and was previously the CEO of Oakwood Worldwide and a Senior Advisor at TPG Capital.
Nadeem Ahmed
Operating Partner, Technology
Nadeem joined Sterling in 2025 to lead the Technology lever, bringing over 20 years of technology strategy and M&A experience.
Deals on record
3 on record in the indexPlatform investment
The Sterling acquired Healthcare Linen Services Group
Date not stated
Source: prnewswire.comPlatform investment
The Sterling Group acquired Healthcare Linen Services
Date not stated
Source: prnewswire.comDeals are listed only where a public source names both sides. Submit a correction.
Portfolio on record
Portfolio by sector
- Unclassified69 of 72
- Healthcare2 of 72
- Industrials1 of 72
72 portfolio companies on record in the index, grouped by sector hub.
Current and exited
Current: 72 of 72Exited: 0 of 72
Portfolio size among all firms
72 companies on record, more than 77% of the 405 firms in the index.
0885 companies (log scale)
Portfolio Companies
| Company | Sector | Status | Website |
|---|---|---|---|
| A-1 Rental Car | Not on record | Current | Not on record |
| AGS American Glass Services | Not on record | Current | Visit ↗ |
| Airtron | Not on record | Current | Not on record |
| American Bath Group | Not on record | Current | Not on record |
| Arcadian Chemical | Not on record | Current | Not on record |
| Artisan Design Group | Not on record | Current | Not on record |
| AXIA | Not on record | Current | Not on record |
| B’laster Holdings | Not on record | Current | Visit ↗ |
| B&G Crane | Not on record | Current | Not on record |
| Bad Boy Mowers | Not on record | Current | Visit ↗ |
| Balco International | Not on record | Current | Not on record |
| BTEC Turbines | Not on record | Current | Not on record |
| Cain Chemical | Not on record | Current | Not on record |
| CJC | Not on record | Current | Not on record |
| Compost360 | Not on record | Current | Visit ↗ |
| Craftworld International | Not on record | Current | Not on record |
| CST | Not on record | Current | Not on record |
| DexKo Global | Not on record | Current | Not on record |
| Ergotron, Inc. | Not on record | Current | Visit ↗ |
| Evergreen | Not on record | Current | Not on record |
| Evergreen North America | Not on record | Current | Not on record |
| Exopack | Not on record | Current | Not on record |
| Express | Not on record | Current | Not on record |
| Fencing Supply Group | Not on record | Current | Visit ↗ |
| Fiber Industries | Not on record | Current | Not on record |
| Frontline Road Safety | Not on record | Current | Not on record |
| Greenbridge | Not on record | Current | Not on record |
| Gulf Winds | Not on record | Current | Visit ↗ |
| Hawkeye Chemical | Not on record | Current | Not on record |
| Healthcare Linen Services Group | Not on record | Current | Visit ↗ |
| Highline Aftermarket | Not on record | Current | Not on record |
| Hudson Products | Not on record | Current | Not on record |
| HydroChem Industrial Services | Not on record | Current | Not on record |
| INDSPEC Chemical | Not on record | Current | Not on record |
| Knox Lumber | Not on record | Current | Not on record |
| Kranco | Not on record | Current | Not on record |
| L&S Mechanical | Not on record | Current | Visit ↗ |
| Liqui-Box | Not on record | Current | Not on record |
| Lynx FBO Network | Not on record | Current | Not on record |
| Mail-Well | Not on record | Current | Not on record |
| North American Energy Partners (NAEP) | Not on record | Current | Not on record |
| OGD Overhead Garage Door | Not on record | Current | Visit ↗ |
| Panolam Industries | Not on record | Current | Not on record |
| Pavement Preservation Group, Inc. | Not on record | Current | Visit ↗ |
| Pawnee Industries | Not on record | Current | Not on record |
| PowerGrid | Not on record | Current | Not on record |
| Precision Concepts International | Not on record | Current | Visit ↗ |
| Premier Tire & Service | Not on record | Current | Visit ↗ |
| PrimeFlight | Not on record | Current | Visit ↗ |
| ProcessBarron | Not on record | Current | Not on record |
| Propex | Not on record | Current | Not on record |
| Purina Mills | Not on record | Current | Not on record |
| Roofing Supply Group (RSG) | Not on record | Current | Not on record |
| Royster-Clark | Not on record | Current | Not on record |
| Russell Landscape Group | Not on record | Current | Visit ↗ |
| Safe Fleet | Not on record | Current | Not on record |
| Saxco International | Not on record | Current | Not on record |
| Scruggs Company | Not on record | Current | Visit ↗ |
| Sirena | Not on record | Current | Not on record |
| Specified Air | Not on record | Current | Not on record |
| Stackpole International | Not on record | Current | Not on record |
| Steffen Dairy | Not on record | Current | Not on record |
| Sterling Chemicals | Not on record | Current | Not on record |
| Sterling Diagnostic Imaging | Not on record | Current | Not on record |
| Tangent Technologies | Not on record | Current | Not on record |
| Texas Petrochemical | Not on record | Current | Not on record |
| Time Manufacturing Company | Not on record | Current | Not on record |
| Universal Fiber Systems | Not on record | Current | Not on record |
| Velcon Filters, LLC (Velcon | Not on record | Current | Not on record |
| Vista Chemical | Not on record | Current | Not on record |
| West Star Aviation | Not on record | Current | Not on record |
| White Cap (Construction Supply Group) | Not on record | Current | Visit ↗ |
Firms that also back The Sterling Group's companies
Co-investor web
Line width shows shared portfolio companies on record in the index. Top 8 co-investors shown.
H.I.G. Capital2 shared companies
Centerbridge Partners1 shared company
Crestview Partners1 shared company
- Exponent Private Equity1 shared company
- Genstar Capital1 shared company
- Oak Hill Capital1 shared company
Platinum Equity1 shared company
Sycamore Partners1 shared company
Questions about The Sterling Group
- Which sectors does The Sterling Group invest in?
- The Sterling Group lists Industrial sector, Construction supply distributors, Manufacturing, Aviation (FBO) and Aftermarket industrial products among its focus areas.
- How many portfolio companies does The Sterling Group have?
- PE Firm Index tracks 72 The Sterling Group 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 The Sterling Group done recently?
- The most recent deal on record here is: The Sterling Group acquired Scruggs Company (2026-04-26). This page lists 3 deals, each with its public source.
- Who leads The Sterling Group?
- Public sources name Jim Apple (Partner, Business Development), Dan Bucaro (Partner, Operating Executive) and Lucas Cutler (Partner) among The Sterling Group's leadership.
- Which firms are similar to The Sterling Group?
- By overlap in portfolio sectors in this index: A&M Capital Partners, Stone Arch Capital and Vance Street Capital.
Sources for this profile, updated 2026-11-02
- Firm website
- Public portfolio page
- Deal reports (3), 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 The Sterling Group and does not provide investment advice.
Firms similar to The Sterling Group
A&M Capital Partners
Both hold Industrials companies; 83 tracked portfolio companies.
Stone Arch Capital
Both hold Industrials companies; 18 tracked portfolio companies.
Vance Street Capital
Both hold Industrials companies; 26 tracked portfolio companies.
Chimney Rock Equity Partners
Both hold Industrials companies; 6 tracked portfolio companies.
Chosen from this index by overlap in portfolio sectors, then by portfolio size. Not a ranking or a recommendation.