NEW CANAAN, CT, April 14, 2026 – Gridiron Capital, LLC (“Gridiron Capital”), an investment firm focused on partnering with founders, entrepreneurs, and management teams, is proud to announce that it has been ranked the #1 Buyout firm on the 2025 HEC Paris-Dow Jones Lower Mid-Market Buyout Performance Rankings. This marks the fourth time Gridiron has claimed the top position, reinforcing its standing as one of the most consistent value creators among lower mid-market buyout firms globally.
“Earning this recognition for the fourth time is not something we take lightly, and it speaks to the strength of the entire Gridiron team, our Board of Business Executives, and the outstanding management teams we are privileged to partner with,” said Tom Burger, Co-Founder and Managing Partner, Kevin Jackson, Managing Partner, and Scott Harrison, Managing Partner and COO. “Consistency at the top of a ranking like this does not happen by accident. It is the result of a team that is deeply aligned, a strategy that has been tested across market cycles, and partners who trust us to steward their capital with the same rigor we bring to every investment. It is not just about selecting the right businesses, but rolling up our sleeves alongside management teams to build something enduring. The mid-market is where real operational value creation happens, and this ranking affirms that our approach continues to deliver for our Limited Partners. We are proud of what this team has built, and we remain just as focused on what’s next.”
This year’s analysis, conducted by HEC Paris Professor Oliver Gottschalg, examined a comprehensive database of 695 private equity firms and 1,439 funds representing an aggregate equity volume of $2.5 trillion. The ranking evaluates lower mid-market private equity firms globally, based on the aggregate performance of buyout funds raised between 2012 and 2021 that are investing in companies with revenues typically under $250 million. The performance score is derived from a blend of measures, including Internal Rate of Return (IRR), DPI (cash-only return multiple), and TVPI (a return multiple accounting for the value of ongoing investments). The study includes firms with at least two funds that raised between $1 and $2.49 billion. This analysis, conducted by HEC Paris Professor Oliver Gottschalg, employs a proprietary methodology to calculate each firm’s overall performance and identify the world’s most consistent value creators, factoring in both relative and absolute returns, as well as aggregate performance across vintage years.
Click here to read the full press release on the 2025 Rankings from HEC Paris-Dow Jones.
About Gridiron Capital
Gridiron Capital is an investment firm focused on partnering with founders, entrepreneurs, and management teams, and creating value by building middle-market companies into industry-leaders in consumer products & services, industrial growth, and business services segments in the United States and Canada. We help transform growing companies by winning together through hard work, partnerships grounded in shared values and a unique culture that comes from hands-on experience building and running businesses. As a team led by former operators and entrepreneurs, we know what it takes to run successful businesses on a day-to-day basis. Additional information is available on the firm’s website: www.gridironcapital.com.
About HEC Paris
Founded in 1881 by the Paris Chamber of Commerce, HEC Paris is a leading European business school with the ambition to make a positive impact on both business and society. Its mission is driven by a unique “Think, Teach, Act” approach, aimed at fostering a more inclusive, sustainable, and prosperous world. With 167 research professors from around the globe, HEC Paris produces and shares cutting-edge knowledge with over 5,000 students from more than 130 countries. Its campus serves as a true laboratory of innovation and dialogue, fully engaged with the world’s diversity and global challenges. Guided by its five founding values — Excellence, Curiosity, Entrepreneurial Spirit, Diversity, and Responsibility — HEC Paris offers a comprehensive portfolio of programs designed for tomorrow’s leaders: Bachelor’s, Grande École, Specialized Masters, MSc, Summer School, MBA, Executive MBA, TRIUM Global Executive MBA, PhD, and a wide range of executive education programs for managers and senior leaders.
*The 2025 Lower Mid-Market HEC-Dow Jones Private Equity Performance Ranking, published on April 8, 2026, ranks private equity funds in terms of aggregate performance based on buyout funds raised between 2012 and 2021. Gridiron did not pay to promote this recognition and provided information to HEC-Dow Jones upon request to inform the HEC-Dow Jones Ranking. In total, HEC Paris Professor Oliver Gottschalg analyzed performance data from 695 PE firms and the 1,439 funds they raised between 2021 and 2021 with an aggregate equity volume of $2.5 trillion. The HEC-Dow Jones Ranking should not be considered an endorsement of Gridiron Capital or its funds by the authors or distributors of the ranking.